Freistädter Bier

What Freistädter Bier does

Freistädter Bier, operating under the legal name Braucommune in Freistadt, is an Austrian craft brewery headquartered in Freistadt, Upper Austria, founded in 1770 and continuously brewing since 1780. The company is organized as a unique cooperative (Braucommune) in which 149 inner-city Freistadt house owners hold permanent, land-registered ownership shares that cannot be sold separately from their properties, ensuring perpetual independence from external acquisition. The brewery employs approximately 150 people across administration, sales, production, and gastronomy.

The product portfolio spans 14 beer styles — from lagers (Lager, Ratsherrn Premium, Junghopfenpils), Bio Zwickl, Märzen, and Rotschopf, to specialty and seasonal offerings such as Imperator Doppelbock, Traditionsbock, Pegasus, Black Bock, Oktoberbier, and an Imperial Stout aged vintage 2026 — alongside a sugar-reduced soft drink line (cola, fruit sodas, herbal and elderflower sodas) and Urgesteinswasser mineral water from own St. Peter wells. All beers are produced using a Slow Brewing methodology with a minimum 5-week maturation, no pasteurization or short-term heating, and 100% Austrian-sourced raw materials (Mühlviertel hops, regional barley, malt from Austrian maltings). Modern brewing technology reportedly reduces energy consumption by 50% via heat recovery and CO2 reprocessing, and 98% of packaging is reusable glass. The company also operates an on-site Brauhaus restaurant and a Biererlebnis (beer experience) business covering brewery tours, live brewing, culinary pairings, sommelier training, and the Brauhaus-Trail.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: wholesale packaged and draft beer to Austrian retail and hospitality (kegs 10L-50L plus 0.33L/0.5L/0.75L bottles); non-alcoholic beverages; on-site Brauhaus gastronomy with event pricing (e.g., €39 barbecue buffet); direct-to-consumer sales via the shop.freistaedter-bier.at online shop and the on-site Freistädter Biershop; and beer experiences. Distribution is concentrated within Upper Austria and the broader Austrian domestic market through direct hospitality supply, regional retail partners, the company-operated shop, and the e-commerce channel. Recent activity includes the December 2024 leadership transition from Ewald Pöschko to Paul Steininger, the November 2024 Bierviertel collaboration with two peer Upper Austrian craft breweries, the 2022 opening of a new logistics center, and the early-2024 deployment of an electric delivery truck.

Name

Freistädter Bier

Legal name

Braucommune in Freistadt

Website

https://freistaedter-bier.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1770

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Freistädter Bier is a 1770-founded Austrian craft brewery cooperatively owned by 149 Freistadt house owners, producing 14 beer varieties, soft drinks, and mineral water via slow-brewing methods for retail, hospitality, on-site gastronomy, and direct-to-consumer channels across Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer / Brewery

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kombucha & Other Fermented Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AFAFABAK), Beer Retail (Bottle Shops & Beer Merchants) (CRANABAC), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft brewery products
• Traditional beer brewing
• Regional soft drinks
• Brewery restaurant service
• Beer experience tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Freistadt

HQ country

Austria

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 Sales: Sales of packaged beer (bottles in various sizes: 0.33L, 0.5L, 0.75L; kegs: 10L, 20L, 25L, 50L) and draft beer to retail and hospitality establishments. Includes regular beers (Lager, Ratsherrn Premium, Junghopfenpils, Bio Zwickl, Märzen, Rotschopf, Pegasus) and seasonal specialties (Oktoberbier, Black Bock, Imperator, Traditionsbock).
2. Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Sales of alcohol-free beverages including soft drinks (Cola, Cola-Mix, Orange, Pink Grapefruit, Maracuja, Kräuter, Zitrone Soda, Holunder Soda, Soda Himbeere) and non-alcoholic beer (Alkoholfrei hell, Alkoholfrei Grapefruit Radler).
3. Gastronomy (Brauhaus): On-site restaurant operations with opening hours Mo-Sa 09:00-00:00, So 09:00-15:00. Serves food and beverages including weekly menu offerings and special events like Barbecue evenings (€39/person).
4. E-commerce (Online Shop): Direct consumer sales through own online shop (shop.freistaedter-bier.at) including beer, merchandise, accessories, glasses, and gift items.
5. Beer Experiences: Revenue from brewery tours, live beer brewing experiences, culinary pairings, beer sommelier training courses, and the Brauhaus-Trail experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Freistädter Bier is a traditional Austrian craft brewery that produces a portfolio of more than 14 beer varieties (lager, pilsner, doppelbock, bock, imperial stout, organic zwickl, seasonal specialties, non-alcoholic) and a line of soft drinks, all brewed with Slow Brewing methodology and 100% Austrian raw materials including Mühlviertel hops and own-source spring water. Beyond packaged beer, the company operates an on-site Brauhaus restaurant, sells through a brewery Biershop and a direct e-commerce online shop, distributes to the regional hospitality and retail trade, and offers paid beer experience services (brewery tours, live brewing sessions, culinary pairings, beer sommelier training, and the Brauhaus-Trail).

Product overview

Freistädter Bier is a traditional Austrian private brewery (Braucommune in Freistadt) offering a portfolio of craft beers and soft drinks. The beer portfolio includes 14 distinct beer varieties ranging from lagers (Lager, Ratsherrn Premium, Junghopfenpils) to specialty beers (Imperator Doppelbock, Imperial Stout, Bio Zwickl) and seasonal offerings (Oktoberbier, Traditionsbock). The soft drink line (Limonaden) includes cola varieties, fruit sodas, and flavored sodas. The company also operates an on-site brewery restaurant (Brauhaus) and offers beer experience services (Biererlebnis) including brewery tours and beer sommelier training. All products are characterized by regional sourcing with 100% Austrian ingredients including Mühlviertler hops, Mühlviertler mineral water, and regional barley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% reusable bottle rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bierviertel (with Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl and Brauerei Hofstetten)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2024Three Upper Austrian craft breweries collaborating under the Bierviertel brand to create and market exclusive beer rarities. Jointly developed the Bierviertel Selection gift box containing specialty beers from all three breweries (Freistädter Bernstein-Antik, Hofstetten Barley Wine, Schlägl Jahrgangsbock Citra). Marketing collaboration promoting Mühlviertel brewing heritage.
• Erzeugergemeinschaft ZistersdorfminorOthersContract farming partnership for barley supply. Farmers in the Zistersdorf area grow barley under controlled, natural farming methods for Freistädter Bier's brewing operations.
• Saatbau LinzminorOthersAgricultural cooperative with 70+ years of experience in plant breeding, seed production, and specialized agriculture. Provides transparent contract chain from farmers to processors for agricultural raw materials.
• Plohberger Malz GmbHminorOthersFamily-owned malt supplier since 1956 located in Grieskirchen, Upper Austria. Provides malt for Freistädter beer production.
• STAMAG Stadlauer MalzfabrikminorOthersLeading Austrian malt producer with 135+ years of history. Provides malt for Freistädter beer production with focus on traditional and modern technology combination.
• BrauhausgalerieminorOthersArt gallery established in 1988 in the historic brewery building. Forum for artistic and cultural activities in the city and surrounding area, managed by elected board members on honorary basis.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brauerei Hofstetten: Austrian craft brewery and the third member of the Bierviertel alliance with Freistädter and Schlägl; comparable in Mühlviertel regional positioning, traditional brewing heritage, and independent ownership.
• Zipfer Brauerei: Established Austrian brewery producing lagers and specialty beers for the domestic market; directly comparable as an Austrian craft/regional beer competitor with overlapping SKU categories.
• Trumer Pils: Austrian pilsner specialist with regional heritage and craft positioning; competes directly with Freistädter in the Austrian on-premise and packaged beer market.
• Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl: Upper Austrian brewery and direct Bierviertel partner of Freistädter, comparable in regional craft positioning, traditional brewing methods, and Austrian raw-material sourcing; the two jointly develop specialty products such as the Bierviertel Selection gift box.
• Stiegl Brauerei: One of Austria's largest privately held breweries (Salzburg), competing with Freistädter across packaged beer, soft drinks, gastronomy (Stiegl-Brauwelt), and brewery tourism; directly comparable independent Austrian brewery operating multiple revenue streams.
• Ottakringer Brauerei: Vienna-based Austrian independent brewery with national distribution across packaged beer and beverages plus a Brauerei restaurant; comparable in independent-ownership positioning, broad SKU range, and integrated brewery/restaurant/retail model.

Broad incumbents

• Hofbräu München: Iconic German state-licensed brewery with global brand recognition, beer hall gastronomy, and beer tourism; comparable to Freistädter's integrated brewery/restaurant/tourism model but operating at much larger scale across multiple categories.
• Weihenstephan: World's oldest continuously operating brewery with strong heritage positioning, broad specialty portfolio, and global premium distribution; comparable to Freistädter in brewing-heritage narrative and quality-led specialty positioning.
• Birra Moretti: Italian regional-heritage beer brand (Heineken-owned) with craft/regional positioning and broad distribution; comparable as a competitor in on-premise regional craft positioning across European markets.
• Krombacher: One of Germany's largest privately held breweries with strong regional/independent positioning, broad SKU portfolio, and sustainability credentials; comparable in independent ownership and sustainability branding to Freistädter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FreistaedterBier
• Instagraminstagram.com/freistaedter_bier/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Freistädter Bier