Deutscher Brauer-Bund

What Deutscher Brauer-Bund does

Deutscher Brauer-Bund e.V. (DBB) is a German trade association founded in 1871 and headquartered in Berlin at Neustädtische Kirchstraße 7A. It serves as the unified industry voice for German breweries, with core functions spanning regulatory advocacy, standards development, technical training, and cultural promotion of German beer and the 1516 Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law). The association is governed by President Christian Weber, Vice Presidents Michael Hollmann and Mathias Keil (who also serves as Treasurer/Schatzmeister), and is operationally led by Hauptgeschäftsführer (CEO) Holger Eichele. DBB is the German member of The Brewers of Europe, coordinating German brewers with pan-European policy and cultural initiatives, and recently led a 300+ company coalition opposing a planned 2027 sugar tax on beverages.

The organization's underlying technology footprint is modest — a WordPress-based website, a dedicated e-commerce shop, and social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr). Its core products are technical publications covering beverage dispensing systems, hygiene and HACCP standards, beer serving practices, mobile dispensing, and occupational safety, plus commemorative books, historical posters, and branded merchandise sold at self-cost prices (€0.08 to €40 per item). Sub-brands include the 'Bier bewusst genießen' (responsible drinking) campaign and Reinheitsgebot education initiatives.

DBB's revenue model combines recurring membership dues from German brewery members with low-value transactional e-commerce sales of publications and merchandise. Distribution is hybrid: direct member services are delivered from Berlin headquarters, while physical products are distributed through the DBB Online Shop accessible to both members and the general public. Customer segments include brewery members (primary), gastronomy and hospitality operators (secondary, via technical guidance), and beer consumers (secondary, via cultural content). The organization is a private registered association (eingetragener Verein) under German civil law — not a commercially owned entity, with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement.

Name

Deutscher Brauer-Bund

Legal name

Deutscher Brauer-Bund e.V.

Website

https://brauer-bund.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deutscher Brauer-Bund e.V. is a German brewers' trade association founded in 1871, headquartered in Berlin. It provides regulatory advocacy, technical standards, training publications, and cultural promotion for German breweries and the Reinheitsgebot, funded by member dues and a small e-commerce shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services (Brewing Industry)

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

Keywords

• Brewing industry association
• Beer trade representation
• Brewery advocacy services
• Beer purity standards
• Brewing industry publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and association fees: Deutscher Brauer-Bund is funded through membership dues from German breweries. The association represents brewery members and advocates for their interests.
2. Online merchandise and publication sales: The organization operates an e-commerce shop selling books (such as the 150 Jahre Brauer-Bund anniversary book at €39.80), brochures, guides on beer service and hygiene, posters, promotional items, and merchandise. Products include technical guides for breweries, beer serving guides, and branded merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deutscher Brauer-Bund is the central German trade association for the brewing industry, founded in 1871 and headquartered in Berlin. It represents the interests of German breweries in politics, regulation, and public discourse, provides technical and educational publications on brewing standards, beer service, hygiene, and the Reinheitsgebot, and operates its own online shop selling publications, posters, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Deutscher Brauer-Bund (DBB) operates as a trade association for German brewers since 1871, offering an e-commerce platform (DBB Online Shop) alongside informational resources about German beer culture and brewing. The core offering consists of published materials including technical guidelines on beverage dispensing systems and hygiene (Leitfaden Getränkeschankanlagen, Gute Hygienepraxis und HACCP in Brauereien, Schankanlagen Dokumentation), beer serving and care publications (Vom Fass ins Glas, Perfekt gezapft, Leitfaden für die gründliche Gläserreinigung), mobile dispensing guides (Mobiler Bierausschank, Mobile Schankanlagen), and cocktail recipes (Mix it again, Sam). The shop also offers commemorative publications (150 Jahre Brauer-Bund chronicle), historical posters (Wanderer in der Wüste, Träumer in der Sommerwiese), promotional merchandise (pins, stickers, T-shirts), and a digital beer quiz. The association maintains social media presence on YouTube and provides media resources through its film and image database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bier bewusst genießen: A responsible drinking campaign initiative promoting conscious beer consumption
• Reinheitsgebot

Products and services

• 150 Jahre Brauer-Bund (150 Years of Deutscher Brauer-Bund) Anniversary publication documenting the history and milestones of the German brewers' association, targeted at members, brewing industry stakeholders, and culturally interested readers.
• Leitfaden Getränkeschankanlagen (Guide to Beverage Dispensing Systems) Technical guide on the proper use, maintenance, and compliance of beverage dispensing systems, intended for breweries and gastronomy operators responsible for beer service.
• Gute Hygienepraxis und HACCP in Brauereien (Good Hygiene Practice and HACCP in Breweries) Hygiene and HACCP reference publication supporting breweries and food-safety officers in implementing good hygiene practice specifically for brewing operations.
• DBB Poster (Brauer-Bund Posters) Promotional posters sold through the DBB Online Shop, typically featuring Reinheitsgebot and brewery-themed messaging for display in member breweries and hospitality venues.
• DBB T-Shirts Branded T-shirts sold through the DBB Online Shop, used as promotional merchandise to communicate association membership and identity.
• DBB Pins and Stickers Small-format branded promotional items (pins and stickers) sold through the DBB Online Shop for member identification and association brand visibility.
• DBB Online Shop Direct e-commerce channel operated by Deutscher Brauer-Bund, selling the association's publications, posters, and branded merchandise to breweries, gastronomy, and the broader public.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• The Brewers of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeutscher Brauer-Bund is the German member of The Brewers of Europe, the European brewers' association. This partnership connects German brewers with European-wide brewing industry initiatives, policy coordination, and international beer culture promotion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brewers Association: US trade association promoting small and independent American craft brewers. Directly comparable as a national brewers' trade association focused on advocacy, education, and industry representation.
• The Brewers of Europe: Brussels-based pan-European trade association that represents national brewers' associations including Deutscher Brauer-Bund. Comparable as the federating industry body for European brewing advocacy and policy coordination.
• Private Brauereien Deutschland: German association specifically representing independent, privately owned German breweries. Comparable as a domestic peer trade body addressing overlapping member breweries on industry advocacy.
• Cerveceros de España: Spanish Brewers' Association representing the interests of Spanish brewers. Comparable as a national industry association for advocacy, market data, and responsible consumption campaigns.
• British Beer and Pub Association: UK national trade association representing brewers and pub operators on policy and standards. Comparable as a European counterpart that provides members with technical, regulatory, and advocacy services.
• Belgian Brewers: Royal federation of the Belgian brewing industry, representing and promoting Belgian brewers domestically and internationally. Comparable European brewers' association with a strong brand-heritage remit analogous to DBB's Reinheitsgebot focus.

Regional players

• Brewers Association of Canada: Canadian national brewers' association providing advocacy and market representation. Comparable function (advocacy, education, industry data) but operates in a different geography.

Emerging players

• Master Brewers Association of the Americas: Americas-focused technical/education association for brewing professionals. Comparable as an industry association focused on technical training and standards, but with a narrower craft/technical remit than DBB.

Broad incumbents

• Verband Deutscher Mineralbrunnen (VDM): German association for mineral water and bottled water producers. Another co-signatory on the sugar-tax open letter and an adjacent peer organization representing German beverage-industry members.
• Wirtschaftsvereinigung Alkoholfreie Getränke (wafg): German trade association for non-alcoholic beverage producers. DBB actively coordinates joint advocacy with wafg on issues like the sugar tax, making it a closely adjacent peer in German beverage-industry representation.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dbb9256/videos
• Xx.com/germanbrewers
• Facebookfacebook.com/DeutscherBrauerBund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Deutscher Brauer-Bund