Bolten Brewery

What Bolten Brewery does

Privatbrauerei Bolten GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held German craft brewery headquartered at the historic Kraushof in Korschenbroich, North Rhine-Westphalia, operating under the trade name BOLTEN. Founded in 1266 when Heinrich der Brauer received brewing rights from Herrschaft Myllendonk, it claims the title of the world's oldest Altbier brewery, with over 750 years of continuous operation making it the sole remaining brewery in Korschenbroich since 1920. The current owners, Michael Hollmann (acquired 2005, former CEO of a major German beverage corporation) and Paul Bösken-Diebels (joined as co-owner 2006), operate it as a GmbH & Co. KG with a staff of 11–50.

The company produces a traditional craft beer portfolio centered on top-fermented Altbier using a proprietary BOLTEN-Hefestamm house yeast strain and unfiltriert (unfiltered) production for selected beers. The core range includes BOLTENs Alt, Ur-Alt, Landbier, Helles, Weizen Spezial, and Gartenbier, extended by non-alcoholic offerings (Oh!, Malz), the PowerPlöpp AltbierCola mix, seasonal specials (Winter Spezial, Jecken Spezial, LandBock), spirits (BOLTENs Brand at 38% vol, BOLTENs Likör at 35% vol), and a fine food line (BBQ sauces, Biersenf mustard, pepper cherries) sold via Präsentkisten gift boxes.

Bolten generates revenue across three streams: packaged beer sales through regional retail and gastronomy B2B channels; on-premise hospitality via four owned venues (Landwirtschaft multi-concept gastrotype, Gasthaus Hoff Marie in the oldest house in Korschenbroich, Altbierstube event space, and the Picknick-Biergarten); and direct-to-consumer sales through the BOLTEN Kontor on-site outlet and the BierSelect online shop. Distribution relies on a regional sales force of named Gebietsverkaufsleiter covering defined territories across NRW, supplemented by brewery tours (Bierevents) and an integrated marketing mix of website, Google AdWords, and email newsletter. Awards include multiple DLG medals (including Gold for Ur-Alt and Weizen Spezial), CMA recognition, and Monde Selection honors.

Name

Bolten Brewery

Legal name

Privatbrauerei Bolten GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://bolten-brauerei.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Privatbrauerei Bolten, founded 1266 in Korschenbroich, Germany, is the world's oldest Altbier brewery. It produces traditional craft beer, spirits, and fine food, and operates four hospitality venues plus DTC e-commerce, serving regional retail, gastronomy, and direct consumers across North Rhine-Westphalia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Distilleries (31214), Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL), Craft Beer Specialty Retail (Single-Brand/Curated Craft Focus) (CRANABAD), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Altbier production
• Brewery gastronomy
• Regional beer distribution
• Beer specialty manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Korschenbroich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales (Retail & On-Premise): Sale of the full BOLTEN beer portfolio (Alt, Ur-Alt, Landbier, Helles, Weizen Spezial, seasonal specials, non-alcoholic Oh!, Malz, AltBierCola Mix) through retail (bottles, kegs) and on-premise (gastronomy) channels. Revenue is generated from the sale of packaged beverages in various formats (0.33L bottle, 1L bottle, kegs) through regional retail partners, the BOLTEN Kontor on-site outlet, and online via BierSelect.
2. Gastronomy & Hospitality: Revenue from restaurant and event operations including the Landwirtschaft (brewpub/restaurant), Gasthaus Hoff Marie, Picknick-Biergarten (picnic beer garden), and Altbierstube event venue. Food, beverages, and event bookings generate hospitality revenue.
3. Fine Food & Merchandise: Sale of BOLTEN-branded specialty food products (BBQ sauces, mustard, pepper cherries, etc.) and merchandise (glasses, apparel, fan articles, gift boxes) through the BOLTEN Kontor and Präsentkisten (gift boxes).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Privatbrauerei Bolten brews and sells a portfolio of traditional German Altbier and specialty beers (including Alt, Ur-Alt, Landbier, Helles, Weizen Spezial, seasonal specials, non-alcoholic options, and an AltBierCola mix), along with distilled spirits (Brand, Likör) and beer-based fine food products. The brewery operates the BOLTEN Kontor retail outlet, the BierSelect online shop, owned gastronomy venues (Landwirtschaft restaurant, Gasthaus Hoff Marie, Altbierstube event space, Picknick-Biergarten), and a regional B2B sales network for retail and gastronomy customers.

Product overview

Privatbrauerei Bolten is a traditional German brewery producing a portfolio of Altbier and other beer specialties. The core product line includes BOLTENs Alt (classic Altbier), BOLTENs Ur-Alt (unfiltered variant), BOLTENs Landbier, BOLTENs Helles, BOLTENs Weizen Spezial, and seasonal offerings like Winter Spezial and Jecken Spezial. The portfolio extends to non-alcoholic options (BOLTENs Oh! and BOLTENs Malz), the PowerPlöpp AltbierCola Mix, and BOLTENs LandBock strong beer. Beyond beverages, Bolten produces BOLTENs Brand (38% spirits) and BOLTENs Likör (35% herbal spirits), along with fine food products (BBQ sauces, pepper cherries, beer mustard) under BOLTENs Feine Kost. Present boxes combine various products for gifting. The brewery operates multiple service channels: an online shop via BierSelect, on-site Kontor store, the Landwirtschaft restaurant and beer garden, Gasthaus Hoff Marie restaurant, Altbierstube event venue, and beer events including brewery tours. Founded in 1266, Bolten claims to be the world's oldest Altbier brewery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BOLTENs Alt: Classic Altbier brewed with 11.7% original wort, featuring fine-sudsy hop character
• BOLTENs Ur-Alt
• BOLTENs Landbier
• BOLTENs Helles
• BOLTENs Weizen Spezial
• BOLTENs Gartenbier
• Oh!
• BOLTENs Malz
• BOLTENs AltBierCola Mix
• BOLTENs LandBock
• BOLTENs Jecken Spezial
• BOLTENs Winter Spezial
• BOLTENs Brand
• BOLTENs Likör
• BOLTENs Feine Grillkost
• BOLTENs Pfefferkirschen
• BOLTENs Frühstücks-Pfläumchen
• BOLTENs Biersenf
• Landwirtschaft

Products and services

• BOLTENs Alt

Quantifiable outcome

• BOLTENs Alt has achieved continuous year-over-year sales growth (volume), per company website

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BierSelectcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBierSelect operates as the online sales platform for BOLTEN, enabling 24/7 direct-to-consumer ordering for customers outside the regional distribution area. The partnership extends BOLTEN's reach beyond its regional footprint, stating 'Gemeinsam mit dem BierSelect-Team kriegen wir das hin' (Together with the BierSelect team we make it work).
• Senfmühle Terhorst (Terhorst Senfmühle)minorOthersTraditional mustard mill from Erkelenz that combines its craft tradition with BOLTEN's brewing heritage to produce BOLTENs Biersenf (beer mustard). The mustard is made using old stone mills for triple cold-grinding of mustard seeds, finished with fresh BOLTEN Alt.
• Kirberg ManufakturminorOthersKirberg Manufaktur produces specialty fine food products (Feinkost) that are sold through the BOLTEN Kontor. Products are tested in BOLTEN's gastronomy operations for quality and consistency before being added to the BOLTEN Kontor program.
• Fleischerei Erkes (Glehn)minorOthersLocal butcher from Glehn produces sausage specialties (Altbierwurst, Salami-Altbierwurst, Pfefferbeißer) that are included in BOLTEN's Präsentkisten gift boxes and sold through the BOLTEN Kontor.
• Spirit of SpiceminorOthersSpice producer whose products are sold through the BOLTEN Kontor alongside BOLTEN's own beer-based specialty foods.
• kywi GmbH MarkenagenturminorGTM or Marketing Partnerkywi GmbH is the branding and marketing agency responsible for the concept, text, and layout of the BOLTEN website and branding materials (as stated in the Impressum).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Uerige Brauerei: Uerige is a historic Düsseldorf Altbier brewery with a famous brewhouse and large on-site restaurant. Comparable to Bolten on traditional Altbier brewing, NRW regional focus, integrated brewery + gastronomy model, and heritage-driven brand positioning.
• Diebels Altbier: Diebels is one of the most recognized Altbier producers in NRW (Issum), offering the same top-fermented regional style as Bolten. Highly comparable on product category (Altbier), regional customer base (NRW on-premise and retail), and heritage positioning. Co-owner Bösken-Diebels shares the Diebels family name, highlighting industry overlap.
• Frankenheim Brauerei: Frankenheim is a Düsseldorf-based Altbier producer with strong NRW distribution and on-premise presence. Comparable to Bolten on Altbier style, regional NRW wholesale/retail channels, and traditional German brewing positioning.
• Schlüssel Alt: Schlüssel is a traditional Düsseldorf Altbier brewery operating its own brewhouse and on-site Altbierstube. Directly comparable to Bolten on Altbier production, on-premise taproom model, and regional NRW customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Krombacher Brauerei: Krombacher is one of Germany's largest privately held breweries, headquartered in NRW with broad national distribution. Comparable on NRW regional heritage and craft-adjacent positioning, but operates at much greater scale and with a much wider product portfolio than Bolten.
• Warsteiner Brauerei: Warsteiner is a large German regional brewer with national and international distribution. Comparable to Bolten as a privately held German brewery with broad off-premise and on-premise presence, though operating at much larger scale and serving a broader geographic footprint.
• Veltins Brauerei: Veltins is a major German regional brewery based in NRW with national distribution across multiple beer styles. Comparable on NRW regional roots and broad on-premise/retail presence, but operates as a broad incumbent across Pils and other styles rather than specializing in Altbier.
• Radeberger Gruppe (Dr. Oetker): Radeberger Gruppe is Germany's largest private beer group, owning multiple regional brands including binding, Schöfferhofer, and Frankenheim. Comparable to Bolten in operating regional German brewing brands with on-premise/retail distribution, but at vastly greater scale and portfolio breadth.

Emerging players

• Maisel & Friends (Brauerei Gebr. Maisel): Maisel is a Bayreuth-based traditional German brewery that has expanded into craft beer experiences, brewery tours, and on-site gastronomy. Comparable to Bolten on craft/traditional German brewery positioning, integrated experience concept, and premium gift-box/merchandise offerings, though with a different regional home base.

Regional players

• Bischofshof Brauerei: Bischofshof is a traditional Bavarian brewery producing regional German beer styles with on-site gastronomy and gift products. Comparable to Bolten on traditional brewery + gastronomy + gift-box business model and craft/regional positioning, though based in Bavaria rather than NRW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/privatbrauerei.bolten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Bolten Brewery