Hirsch-Brauerei Honer

What Hirsch-Brauerei Honer does

Hirsch-Brauerei Honer GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned German brewery founded in 1782 and headquartered in Wurmlingen, Baden-Württemberg, on the southern foothills of the Swabian Alb near the young Danube. The brewery produces approximately 20 Reinheitsgebot-compliant beer styles spanning Pilsner (Hirsch Pils), lagers (Hirsch Gold, Hirsch Helles), wheat beers (Hefe Weisse, Kristall Weisse, Sport Weisse, Dunkle Weisse), Kellerbier (Zwickl und Zwuckl), Radler/shandies (Natürliches Donau Radler variants including Blutorange), alcohol-free beers (Hirsch Helles 0.0%, FREEDA, Alkoholfreie Weisse, alcohol-free Radlers), and seasonal specialties (Weihnachtsbier, Hopfensau, the annual Jahrgangsbier vintage edition). It also markets the KITZ organic fruit spritzer sub-brand and distributes Libella soft drinks. The company is currently managed by Gabriele Lemke (née Honer) and Hubert Hepfer, and ownership has remained within the family lineage for over 240 years.

Brewing operations combine traditional German methods with modern process technology. Key technical assets include an in-house yeast cultivation laboratory, a CO2 recovery plant that captured 268 tonnes of fermentation CO2 in 2025 for reuse in carbonation and bottle filling, a photovoltaic installation generating 236,000 kWh of solar electricity in 2025, and a unique underground spring water source discovered beneath the brewery. The brewery sources over 850 tonnes of malting barley annually from nine contract farmers in the immediate vicinity — covering roughly half of its barley requirements — and uses Tettnang aroma hops. A new fermentation and storage cellar with ten additional tanks, a CIP system, and underground connecting corridors is currently under construction, supported by the German Marktstrukturverbesserung (Market Structure Improvement) funding programme.

The business runs a multi-channel revenue model spanning packaged beer sales (bottles in 0.33L, 0.5L, and 0.75L formats and kegs in 15L, 20L, 30L, and 50L sizes), draft supply to regional hospitality accounts, an owned franchise-operated brewery restaurant (Brauerei-Gaststätte at Obere Hauptstraße 13, Wurmlingen), and an integrated visitor experience ecosystem. The visitor business is a distinct revenue layer, offering paid brewery tours (€16.50–€31 per person), beer seminars with cheese or chocolate pairings (€40/person), self-brewing workshops (€900 per group of up to 20 participants), museum aperitifs (€8/person), and a separate adventure forest attraction. Distribution combines regional retailer networks across southern Germany with proprietary online channels (Biershop via biershop-baden-wuerttemberg.de and Fanshop via hirsch-fanshop.de), and the AlbCard regional tourism partnership provides additional marketing reach.

Name

Hirsch-Brauerei Honer

Legal name

Hirsch-Brauerei Honer GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://hirschbrauerei.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1782

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hirsch-Brauerei Honer is a family-owned German brewery founded in 1782 in Wurmlingen, Baden-Württemberg. It produces approximately 20 Reinheitsgebot-compliant beer styles plus the KITZ organic fruit spritzer sub-brand, and operates an integrated visitor experience ecosystem of tours, workshops, a museum, and a franchised restaurant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE), Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA), Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• German brewery
• Beer specialties
• Brewery tours
• Family-owned brewery

Headquarters

HQ city

Wurmlingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Beer Product Sales (Packaged & Draft): Sale of packaged beer in bottles (0.33L, 0.5L, 0.75L) and kegs (15L, 20L, 30L, 50L) across multiple styles including Pils, Helles, Weizen, Radler, and seasonal specialties. Distributed via retail, online shop, and hospitality.
2. Brauerei-Gaststätte (Brewery Restaurant): The on-site brewery restaurant operated by franchisee Antonio Garofalo generates revenue through food and beverage sales. Open daily 11:00-23:00.
3. Visitor Experiences (Tours, Seminars, Self-Brewing): The brewery offers paid visitor experiences including brewery tours (€16.50-18.50/person), beer seminars with cheese or chocolate pairings (€40/person), self-brewing experiences (€900/group), and museum aperitifs (€8/person). These drive both direct revenue and brand engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hirsch-Brauerei Honer is a traditional family-owned German brewery founded in 1782 that produces approximately 20 beer varieties (Pilsner, lagers, wheat beers, Kellerbier, Radler, seasonal specialties, and alcohol-free variants) in compliance with the German Reinheitsgebot. Beyond beer production, the brewery operates visitor experiences including brewery tours, beer seminars, self-brewing workshops, the Bierwelt-Museum, and a franchised brewery restaurant.

Product overview

Hirsch-Brauerei Honer is a traditional family-owned brewery founded in 1782, producing a portfolio of beer specialties and non-alcoholic beverages. The core product portfolio includes approximately 20 beer varieties spanning multiple styles: Pilsner (Hirsch Pils), lagers (Hirsch Gold, Hirsch Helles), wheat beers (Hefe Weisse, Kristall Weisse, Sport Weisse, Dunkle Weisse), Kellerbier (Zwickl und Zwuckl), Radler/shandies (Donau Radler series), seasonal specialties (Weihnachtsbier, Hopfensau, Jahrgangsbier-Edition), alcohol-free variants, and the KITZ sub-brand of organic fruit spritzers. The products are distributed in various formats including bottles (0.33L, 0.5L), bottles (6-pack, case), and kegs (15L, 20L, 30L, 50L). The company also operates visitor experiences including brewery tours, a beer museum, self-brewing workshops, beer seminars, and an on-site restaurant.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KITZ: A sub-brand offering fruit-based beverages including Apfel-Birne Bio (Apple-Pear), Johannisbeere-Apfel-Birne Bio (Currant-Apple-Pear), and Mix Bio.
• FREEDA

Products and services

• Hirsch Pils A pilsner-style beer with fine hop blossom and nutty aromas, light golden color with white foam, lively and muscular character with pleasant full body. Brewed under the German Reinheitsgebot.
• Hirsch Gold A full-bodied lager beer, saturated yellow with stable white foam, featuring strong malt aromas and distinct spicy notes.
• Hirsch Helles An original German lager, mild and smooth, ideal for satisfying beer thirst. Pairs with appetizers, soups, salads, mild cheese, and classic pork roast.
• Hirsch Helles 0,0% Alcohol-free version of the original Hirsch Helles lager, mild and smooth.
• Hirsch FREEDA

Quantifiable outcome

• 4x Gold at European Beer Star & World Beer Awards 2025, including 2x World's Best Style Winner (Zwickl and Kristall Weisse)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AlbCardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHirsch-Brauerei is a partner of AlbCard, a regional loyalty/visitor card scheme covering the Swabian Alb region. This partnership drives tourism traffic and cross-referrals between member businesses.
• Brauer mit Leib und Seele (Family Brewers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHirsch is a member of 'Brauer mit Leib und Seele', an exclusive association of Baden-Württemberg family breweries committed to five core values: personal responsibility, regional sourcing, traditional craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and continuous improvement. This quality association markets participating breweries under a shared brand and quality pledge.
• Regional Contract Farmers (9 farms)coreOthersNine local contract farmers in the immediate vicinity supply the brewery's malting barley. Suppliers include: Klaus Zepf, Wilhelm Bertsche, Fabian Weber (Wurmlingen), Otto Ilg (Seitingen-Oberflacht), Ernst & Bernd Schaz (Neuhausen o.E.), Detlef Rauh & Hubert Fischer (Bad Dürrheim), Martin Drissner (Meßstetten-Heinstetten), Christophe Hezel (Irslingen). In 2025, over 850 tonnes of barley was sourced from these farmers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe: Munich-headquartered brewery group with a broad German and international portfolio spanning multiple beer styles (Salvator, Hefe-Weißbier, Münchner Hell). Comparable traditional brewing heritage and breadth of styles but at materially greater scale than Hirsch.
• Bitburger Brauerei: One of Germany's largest national breweries (Bitburger Pils). Provides a benchmark on national-scale Pilsner competition in the German retail and on-premise channels where Hirsch also competes for shelf and tap space.
• Staatliches Hofbräuhaus München: State-owned Munich brewery operating one of the world's most famous on-site hospitality venues, comparable to Hirsch's blend of beer production with on-site Brauerei-Gaststätte and tourism experiences. Broad incumbent with much larger scale and global brand awareness.
• Augustiner-Bräu München: Traditional Munich-based family-owned brewery with comparable Reinheitsgebot compliance, traditional craft positioning, and strong on-trade (Stammtisch) orientation. Larger scale and Bavarian geographic base make it a broad incumbent rather than direct competitor.
• Franziskaner (Spaten-Franziskaner-Löwenbräu-Gruppe): Traditional Bavarian wheat-beer brand under one of Germany's largest brewery groups. Direct style overlap with Hirsch's wheat beer portfolio, broad incumbent distribution and marketing reach versus Hirsch's regional craft model.
• Erdinger Weißbräu: Germany's leading wheat beer (Weissbier) brewery, headquartered in Bavaria. Closest broad incumbent on wheat beer style overlap with Hirsch's Hefe Weisse/Kristall Weisse/Dunkle Weisse range; comparable Reinheitsgebot-compliant brewing tradition but at materially larger scale with national and international distribution.

Direct peers

• Dinkelacker-Schwaben Bräu: Stuttgart-based regional brewery (Württemberg region, adjacent to Hirsch's Swabian base) producing a portfolio of Pilsner, Helles, and seasonal beers with similar Württemberg regional identity, retail channel mix, and on-trade orientation.
• Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus: State-owned brewery located in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg with a comparable regional craft/microbrewery scale, strong local sourcing story, and significant on-site tourism infrastructure including brewery tours and visitor centers. Closest geographic and business-model peer to Hirsch-Brauerei.
• Weldebräu (Welde GmbH & Co. KG): Family-owned regional craft brewery in the Kurpfalz region of Baden-Württemberg with comparable scale, a craft Pilsner and Weizen portfolio, sustainability initiatives (organic, environmental programs), and regional on-trade focus.
• Brauerei G. Schweizer & Söhne (Ganter Brauerei): Family-owned brewery headquartered in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, producing a comparable regional craft portfolio across Pilsner, wheat, and specialty beers with similar heritage positioning. Operates at a like-for-like regional scale with adjacent Swabian/Black Field distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hirschbrauerei
• Instagraminstagram.com/hirsch_brauerei
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hirsch-brauerei

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Hirsch-Brauerei Honer