Bierothek

What Bierothek does

Bierothek is a German specialty craft beer retailer founded in 2014 and headquartered in Bamberg, operating under the legal entities Bierothek Marketplace GmbH and Bierothek Group GmbH (which holds the registered Bierothek® trademark). Its core offering is a catalog of over 500 beers organized into 20+ style categories and numerous country, brewery, and gift-oriented filters, sold both through an owned e-commerce storefront (bierothek.de, currently listed as 'under construction' with ordering temporarily unavailable) and through five physical retail locations in Stuttgart, Bamberg, Munich, Nuremberg, and Regensburg. The Stuttgart location, operational since August 2016, is operated by franchise partner Cheesehead GmbH, illustrating a Franchisepartnerschaft model that enables capital-light expansion across German cities.

Revenue is generated across five distinct streams: direct online sales via the e-commerce storefront, in-store retail at owned and franchised locations, a beer subscription service (Abos), a dedicated B2B wholesale platform (business.bierothek.de, contact [email protected]) serving restaurants and retailers, and franchise/licensing income from store partners. A parallel marketplace (Marktplatz) allows third-party breweries to sell through the platform, with shipping handled by either the brewery or Bierothek. Adjacent revenue and engagement lines include beer seminars and themed tastings led by certified sommeliers, curated Bierpakete (beer packages), gift products (glassware, merchandise, vouchers, spirits), and a 'Braufrisch' fresh-from-brewery delivery option. The firm operates with a 11–50 employee headcount, no disclosed external funding, and no AI/ML capability noted; sales channels include German-language and localized storefronts across 10 European countries.

The customer base segments into passionate beer enthusiasts (primary), B2B buyers (secondary), gift purchasers, and prospective franchise partners, served through a hybrid D2C, wholesale, and franchise go-to-market motion. Marketing combines email newsletters, organic social (notably Facebook at DieBierothek.Stuttgart), experiential events including beer seminars and corporate tastings, a 'Beerfluencer' community program, and a Stuttgart Expats community partnership targeting international residents. Pricing ranges from approximately €1.90 for entry-level 0.5L bottles to €49.90+ for curated packages, with free shipping within Germany over €79. The firm is founder-led (Christian Klemenz as founder and managing director) and operates as a private GmbH with no parent company, no disclosed M&A history, no patent portfolio, and a single registered trademark asset.

Name

Bierothek

Legal name

Bierothek Marketplace GmbH

Website

https://bierothek.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bierothek is a German specialty craft beer retailer offering over 500 beers via five physical stores in Germany, a pan-European D2C e-commerce storefront (shipped to 10 countries), a brewery marketplace, subscription boxes, B2B wholesale, and franchising, serving beer enthusiasts, gift buyers, restaurants, and prospective franchise partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Craft Beer Retail

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (42481)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer retail
• Specialty beer shop
• Beer subscription service
• Beer marketplace platform
• Beer wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Bamberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Online Beer Sales: Direct consumer sales through the bierothek.de e-commerce platform, selling individual beers and beer packages to customers across Europe. The platform features a marketplace model where breweries can also sell directly.
2. Physical Retail Store Sales: Brick-and-mortar specialty beer stores operating under franchise or owned models in German cities, offering over 300 beers per location with beer seminars and tastings.
3. Beer Subscription (Abos): Subscription service allowing customers to receive curated beer selections regularly, providing recurring revenue from passionate beer enthusiasts.
4. B2B / Business Customer Sales: Dedicated B2B platform (business.bierothek.de) and wholesale offerings for retailers, restaurants, and other business customers purchasing beer in bulk.
5. Franchise Revenue: Franchise partnerships (Franchisepartnerschaft) where independent operators open Bierothek branded stores, likely generating licensing or royalty income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bierothek sells a curated assortment of more than 500 international craft beers through its own e-commerce shop (bierothek.de), a network of specialty brick-and-mortar stores across Germany, and a brewery-facing marketplace (Marktplatz). It complements product sales with beer seminars and tastings led by sommeliers, recurring beer subscriptions (Abos), curated beer packages, brewery-fresh fulfillment (Braufrisch), gift products, and a B2B/wholesale channel serving restaurants, retailers and hospitality buyers.

Product overview

Bierothek is a German craft beer specialty retailer operating both an e-commerce platform (Online-Shop) and physical store locations. The core offering consists of over 500 beer varieties organized by beer styles (Belgian Ales, Sour Beers, Barley Wine, Fruit/Herb/Spice Beers, and more) from international breweries. Additional products and services include Beer Seminars (Bierseminare) led by sommeliers, Subscription services (Abonnements), curated Beer Packages (Bierpakete), a Marketplace connecting customers with breweries, and Gift products. The company operates physical stores in multiple German cities and maintains a marketplace platform for direct brewery sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beerfluencer: A beer influencer package featuring curated beer selections from the Bierothek

Products and services

• Bierothek Online Shop D2C e-commerce platform selling more than 500 international craft beers organized by style, country and category, shipping to Germany and nine other European countries with free shipping over €79.
• Bierothek Specialty Retail Stores

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Stuttgart ExpatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year cooperation partnership with the Stuttgart Expats community, which organizes events for foreign language guests and locals. Joint events have been conducted in the past. The group focuses on connecting people, having fun, and offering support with everyday and professional topics, as well as language and cooking courses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Flaschenpost: Germany's leading online beverage and alcohol delivery retailer. Directly comparable as a digitally native multi-brand beverage D2C with home delivery and broad assortment; key difference is Flaschenpost is mass-market while Bierothek is craft-specialized.
• Beerwulf: Online craft beer specialist (originally part of AB InBev) shipping across Europe. Closely comparable model: curated craft beer D2C, multi-country shipping, specialty marketplace positioning.
• Beer52: UK-based craft beer subscription and online retailer. Comparable as craft beer specialist with subscription and discovery focus serving European consumers; signals the subscription-led scaling model Bierothek's Abos could emulate.
• BierSelect / Online Bier Shop: German online craft beer retailer with beer gift packages and beer-themed assortments. Closely comparable as German craft beer specialist with online storefront, gift packages, and curated discovery experience.

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: Vertically integrated craft brewer with retail bars, online D2C, and subscription. Comparable as craft beer brand operating both physical retail and e-commerce across Europe; broader incumbent with own production rather than pure retail platform.
• Hawesko Holding: Leading German wine and specialty alcohol online retailer. Comparable as German specialty alcohol e-commerce operator with multi-brand assortment and recurring customer base; broader portfolio than Bierothek's craft-only focus.
• The Whisky Exchange: UK-based specialty online alcohol retailer with deep curated assortment and global shipping. Comparable as multi-brand specialty alcohol D2C with similar merchandising and breadth-focused value proposition.

Regional players

• Getränke Hoffmann: Large German beverage retail chain with both online and physical presence. Comparable as established German multi-channel beverage retailer; broader assortment (incl. non-alcoholic) and larger scale than Bierothek's craft-specialized model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DieBierothek.Stuttgart
• Xx.com/diebierothek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bierothek