Radenska, which boasts one of the most recognizable Slovenian trademarks and produces the legendary mineral water of the same name, is being sold by Pivovarna Laško.

The indebted beverage group, which acquired Radenska in 2000, launched proceedings to sell several of its subsidiaries in September to raise the much needed cash to repay loans.

However, Laško CEO Dušan Zorko expects the Radenci-based company will be sold only in the second half of 2014, according to Delo.

The daily says the list of potential buyers includes names which were interested also in the soft drinks maker Fructal, another Slovenian flagship trademark.

Here Delo mentions Italy's San Benedetto, as well as Serbia's Radun Group, whose Nectar eventually bought Fructal from Laško in 2011.

The daily also mentions PepsiCo, the US multinational with which Radenska has cooperated since 1990.

Yet, it says it could not get confirmation that PepsiCo had received the confidential information memorandum.

The same goes for the Czech Kofola, which expressed its interest in Radenska already in summer.

Delo, which is also majority-owned by Laško, is on sale too, together with its subsidiary, publisher Večer, and Kosovo brewery Birra Peja.

Radenska reported EUR 14.8 million in net sales in the first six months of this year, when its net profit reached EUR 1.6 million.

The beginnings of mineral water in Radenci, a small town in the north-east, go back to 1833, when a medical student discovered springs of mineral water.