What BIMMERLE does

Bimmerle KG (operating as Bimmerle Private Distillery / Bimmerle Shop) is a family-owned German spirits producer founded in 1966 by Günter Bimmerle in Renchen and now headquartered at a modern, sustainably operated distillery opened in Sasbach, Baden-Württemberg, in November 2016. The company produces and sells a portfolio of premium Black Forest spirits across multiple owned brands: Needle Gin (Black Forest Dry Gin, The Great Green Gin, Rosé Gin, and an alcohol-free variant), Wood Stork Spiced Rum, EVERMANN Schwarzwald whisky (Theo blended and Wilhelm single malt), the heritage Lörch fruit brandy line (kirschwasser, williams, marille, himbeer, zwetschge, obstwasser), and Don Pasquale Italian-inspired liqueurs and aperitifs. Distillation is performed in traditional copper pot stills, and the company uses a proprietary SOLOS dealcoholization process to produce its alcohol-free variants.

The company also distributes ready-to-drink canned products (gin & tonic and alcohol-free variants) and limited merchandise, and operates two wholly-owned acquired brand businesses: Schwarzwald Brennerei Sutterer (acquired in the 1980s) and Lörch (acquired in 1995), which holds the #1 position in the German fruit brandy (Obstbrand) market, while Needle Gin ranks in the Top 5 German gin brands. The revenue model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce through the owned storefront at bimmerle-shop.de, with per-bottle and bundle pricing (e.g., 9.99€ for Don Pasquale Solero Cream Liqueur, 12.99€ for Needle Gin 0.5L and Wood Stork Spiced Rum 0.7L, 36.99€ for the Wood Stork bundle, 49.99€ for the four-gin Kennenlernpaket), 4.95€ flat shipping, free shipping above 49.99€, and DHL as the sole logistics partner. Distribution is currently limited to domestic shipping within Germany; payment is processed via PayPal, Visa/Mastercard, or bank transfer. Customer acquisition relies on organic SEO, an Instagram-led brand presence, a WhatsApp channel, and a 10%-off newsletter welcome incentive.

The legal entity is Bimmerle KG (HRA 490361, Amtsgericht Freiburg), with Schwarzwälder Edelbranntweinbrennerei Bimmerle Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH as general partner. Current management is shared among three Geschäftsführer: Werner Benz, Michael Dresel, and Nicolai Benz. The firm is privately held with no institutional investors, no funding rounds, no public filings, and a stated headcount of 1–10, indicating a lean operation that likely outsources portions of production, fulfillment, or back-office functions.

Name

BIMMERLE

Legal name

Bimmerle KG

Website

https://bimmerle-shop.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Family-owned German Black Forest distillery producing premium spirits (gin, rum, whisky, fruit brandy, liqueurs, and alcohol-free variants) and selling them direct-to-consumer through its online shop within Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Spirits Distillery

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mixed Alcohol Specialty Retail (Beer/Wine/Spirits Combined) (CRANABAH), Liquor Stores (Off-Premise Spirits Retail) (CRANABAA), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft spirits distillery
• Fruit brandy production
• Premium gin brands
• Ready-to-drink cocktails
• Alcohol-free spirits

Headquarters

HQ city

Achern

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Spirit Sales: E-commerce sales of owned-brand spirits (Needle Gin, Wood Stork Rum, Evermann Whisky, Lörch fruit brandies, Don Pasquale liqueurs) and third-party branded products through bimmerle-shop.de. One-time purchase model for individual bottles and bundles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bimmerle Private Distillery produces and sells premium craft spirits from its Black Forest distillery, including gin (Needle), rum (Wood Stork), whisky (EVERMANN), fruit brandies (Lörch), and Italian-inspired liqueurs (Don Pasquale). The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop (bimmerle-shop.de) shipping across Germany, using traditional copper pot still distillation and the proprietary SOLOS dealcoholization process for its alcohol-free variants.

Product overview

Bimmerle Private Distillery is a German spirits company operating multiple brands across the gin, rum, whisky, fruit brandy, liqueur, and ready-to-drink categories. The core Needle Gin brand (Black Forest Dry Gin, The Great Green Gin, Rosé Gin, and alcohol-free variants) has secured a Top 5 position among German gin brands. The company acquired and operates the Lörch brand (fruit brandies including Kirschwasser, Williams Pear Brandy, and wood barrel-aged fruit spirits) as its heritage obstbrand (fruit brandy) line. Additional sub-brands include Don Pasquale (Italian-inspired liqueurs and aperitifs), Wood Stork Spiced Rum (rum from Black Forest-distilled molasses), and EVERMANN Whisky (Schwarzwald whiskies launched 2022). Ready-to-drink canned products include Gin & Tonic and alcohol-free variants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Needle Blackforest Gin: Gin brand from the Black Forest, including Needle Black Forest Distilled Dry Gin, Needle Rosé Gin, Needle The Great Green Gin, and Needle 0.0% alcohol-free gin variant.
• Wood Stork Spiced Rum
• EVERMANN
• Lörch
• Don Pasquale
• Tanner's Creek
• Pure 5
• Sutterer
• Domaine Königsfeld

Products and services

• Needle Black Forest Dry Gin Flagship Black Forest dry gin distilled with Schwarzwälder Fichtennadeln (spruce needles) using a single-batch process, allowing each batch to be inspected for quality. Targeted at adult gin consumers.
• Needle The Great Green Gin Green Needle Gin variant featuring Black Forest spruce needles with lime, mint, basil, and bergamot. Best enjoyed with dry tonic.
• Needle Rosé Gin Needle Gin blended with Black Forest rosé wine, combining spruce needle and juniper notes with fruity rosé tones.
• Needle 0,0% Alcohol-Free Gin Alcohol-free Needle Gin produced via the proprietary SOLOS dealcoholization process, retaining full Needle flavor with 0% alcohol.
• Needle Gin & Tonic (Ready-to-Drink) Pre-mixed canned gin and tonic with hand-picked spruce needles, balanced with citrus and bitter notes. Convenient ready-to-drink format.
• Wood Stork Spiced Rum Spiced rum made from sugar cane molasses fermented in the Black Forest and distilled in traditional Bimmerle copper pot stills.
• EVERMANN Whisky (Theo & Wilhelm) Schwarzwald whisky brand launched in Spring 2022, offering Blended Whisky 'Theo' and Single Malt 'Wilhelm'.
• Lörch Fruit Brandies (Wood Barrel-Aged) Wood barrel-aged German fruit brandies (Obstbrände) including Kirschwasser, Williams Christ pear, Marille (apricot), Himbeergeist (raspberry), Zwetschgenwasser (plum), and Obstwasser varieties. Germany's most-consumed fruit brandy brand.
• Don Pasquale Espresso Martini (Ready-to-Drink) Ready-to-drink Espresso Martini combining full-bodied espresso with classic Martini refinement; creamy and aromatic.
• Don Pasquale Limoncello Italian lemon liqueur produced from Calabrian lemons, characterized by acidic depth balanced with a sugary sweet finish; suitable for Limoncello Spritz or Wildberry serves.
• Don Pasquale Aperitivo Alkoholfrei 0,0% Alcohol-free Italian-inspired aperitif combining sun-ripened grapefruit with notes of rose, jasmine blossom, fresh mint, bergamot, and Sicilian blood orange.
• Don Pasquale Tasting Box Curated tasting box of Don Pasquale liqueurs priced at 19.99€, designed as a discovery bundle for consumers.
• Evermann Whisky Tasting Box Curated tasting box of Evermann whiskies priced at 12.99€, designed as a discovery bundle for whisky consumers.
• Needle Tasting Box Curated tasting box of Needle Gin variants priced at 19.99€, designed as a discovery bundle for gin consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lörch is Germany's most consumed fruit brandy (Obstbrand)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ferdinand's Saar Dry Gin: German craft gin produced at a traditional distillery in the Saar region. Comparable premium German craft gin with regional provenance and DTC retail.
• Siegfried Gin: German craft gin from the Rhineland with botanical-driven recipe and strong DTC presence. Comparable as a homegrown craft gin targeting premium domestic consumers.
• Monkey 47: Germany's most iconic craft gin brand (Black Forest origin, Schwarzwald dry gin) and a direct category competitor to Needle Gin. Comparable premium positioning, regional identity, and DTC + retail distribution model.
• St. Kilian Distillers: German single malt whisky distillery in the Black Forest region with growing brand presence. Comparable craft spirits manufacturer leveraging regional German identity and DTC channels.
• The Duke Gin: Munich-based craft gin producer with Bavarian provenance and multi-variant portfolio. Directly comparable as a German craft gin DTC brand competing in the same Top 5 league as Needle.

Broad incumbents

• Berentzen-Gruppe: Listed German spirits company producing fruit brandies, liqueurs, and grain spirits. Comparable as a German fruit brandy / liqueur producer, but with national distribution and broader scale.
• Pernod Ricard: Global spirits major with deep German distribution (Havana Club, Jameson, Malibu, etc.). Sets competitive pressure on craft players and is a potential distribution partner for Bimmerle brands seeking scale.
• Hardenberg-Wilthen AG: German spirits group (Mariacron, Korn, Doornkaat, etc.). Comparable as an established multi-brand German spirits house, though with mass-market positioning rather than craft focus.
• Mast-Jägermeister: Wolfenbüttel-based global spirits giant and one of Germany's largest spirit brands. Comparable as a major German spirits house, but with vastly broader portfolio, international distribution, and capital base.

Regional players

• Mackmyra Svensk Whisky: Swedish craft distillery operating a multi-category brand portfolio (whisky, gin) with DTC e-commerce. Comparable craft spirits business model in a different European geography, useful for benchmarking DTC spirits e-commerce.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/needle_gin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bimmerle-kg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 BIMMERLE