Felsenau Brewery

What Felsenau Brewery does

Brauerei Felsenau is an independent, family-owned Swiss craft brewery founded in 1881 in Bern's Felsenau district on the Aare river. It is the oldest independent brewery in the city of Bern, currently operated under sixth-generation family leadership following Bernard Fuhrer's transition into the Geschäftsführer role in 2018. The company employs approximately 20 people who collectively handle production, sales, event operations, and administration.

The brewery produces ten classic beer styles — eight permanent (including the cult-status Bärner Müntschi unfiltered Zwickelbier, Bärner Junker Spezial Hell, Bärner Amber, Bärner Lager, Bärner Weizen, Schümli Alkoholfrei non-alcoholic, and Naturtrüb) plus two seasonal specialties (Bärner Frübi spring Pilsner and Bärner Fest Bock). Production is anchored in traditional open fermentation in open vats combined with modern brewing technology, using the brewery's own Aare river water, barley malt, and hops. Adjacent offerings include SWAF, a beer brandy distilled from Bärni Spezial Dunkel, plus brewery tours with tastings, a branded fanshop, and event equipment rental services.

Revenue is generated across multiple channels: direct brewery sales (weekday retail and Friday ramp sales), home delivery via a network of regional beverage partners (Greiner Getränke, Bierexpress, Engel Getränke, and others), major Swiss retail chains (Coop, Denner, Spar, Migrolino), on-trade gastronomy through a dedicated field sales team (offering tap installation and dispensing technology), drink wholesalers, and event/festival beverage supply with equipment rental. Geographic focus is firmly regional — Canton of Bern extending to Biel, Langenthal, and Gstaad — with no national or international distribution indicated. The company holds membership in industry associations including the Swiss Brewers Association, Brauring Kooperation craft brewery network, Slow Food Bern, and Bern Welcome Tourism.

Name

Felsenau Brewery

Legal name

Brauerei Felsenau AG

Website

https://felsenau.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brauerei Felsenau is an independent Swiss craft brewery in Bern, founded in 1881, producing ten classic beer styles via traditional open fermentation. Family-owned across six generations, it serves private consumers, regional retail, gastronomy, and events across Canton Bern via direct sales, home delivery partners, and on-trade distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beer Sales: Primary revenue from brewing and selling beer products across 10 classic beer styles including bottled beer, draft beer, and beer brandy (SWAF). Products sold through multiple channels: direct brewery sales, retail distribution, hospitality, events, and home delivery services.
2. Brewery Tours and Tastings: Revenue from guided brewery tours with beer tasting experiences. CHF 20 per person for tour and tasting, additional charges for food pairings.
3. Fan Shop: Merchandise sales including T-shirts, pullovers, towels, coolers, bags, hats, keychains, lighters, beer glasses, cookbooks, and retro signs.
4. Event Equipment Rental: Rental of tapping equipment, party pumps, refrigerators, tables, and tents for private and corporate events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Brauerei Felsenau AG is a traditional Swiss craft brewery founded in 1881 that produces and sells a portfolio of 10 classic beer styles plus seasonal specialties (including Bärner Junker, Bärner Müntschi, Bärner Amber, and Bärner Fest Bock) using traditional open fermentation combined with modern technology. The brewery also operates supporting services including fanshop merchandise, brewery tours with beer tastings, and event equipment rental for private parties and festivals.

Product overview

Brauerei Felsenau is a traditional Swiss craft brewery offering a portfolio of 10 classic beer styles plus seasonal specialties. The core portfolio includes eight permanent beers: Bärner Junker (Spezial Hell), Bärner Müntschi (unfiltered Zwickelbier), Bärni Spezial Dunkel, Bärner Amber, Bärner Lager, Bärner Bügel-Spez, Bärner Weizen, and Schümli Alkoholfrei. Seasonal offerings include Bärner Frübi (spring Pilsner) and Bärner Fest Bock (winter). The company also produces SWAF, a beer brandy distilled from their dark beer. Supporting services include a fanshop with merchandise, brewery tours with tastings, and event equipment rental.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bärner Junker A traditional full-bodied special pale ale (Spezial Hell) brewed from their own water, barley malt, and hops with hoppy-herbal notes and a malty finish.
• Bärner Müntschi The flagship unfiltered Zwickelbier/Kellerbier with fine carbonation, full malt flavor, and delicate yeast notes; the favorite beer of Bern.
• Bärni Spezial Dunkel A chestnut-brown special dark beer with hoppy-herbal notes, bread/toast aroma, pleasantly sparkling, with a slightly sweet finish.
• Bärner Amber An underfermented amber beer brewed with caramelized malt and tender-bitter hops, featuring aromas of caramel, hazelnuts, and subtle roasted notes.
• Bärner Lager A traditional light lager beer brewed with care and passion from generations of brewing tradition.
• Bärner Bügel-Spez A finely-hopped special beer served in traditional flip-top bottles (Bügelflaschen), offering refreshing enjoyment.
• Bärner Weizen A harmonious, sparkling-fresh wheat beer brewed with sun-ripened wheat and aromatic yeast, lightly scented with banana and spice clove.
• Schümli Alkoholfrei An aromatic, refreshing light non-alcoholic lager beer with malt character, tasting of bread and grain.
• Naturtrüb

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greiner GetränkecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome delivery partner for Bern and surrounding area. Delivers Felsenau products directly to consumers.
• BierexpresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome delivery partner serving Stadt Bern (city of Bern). Delivers Felsenau products directly to consumers.
• Engel GetränkecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome delivery partner covering Biel/Bern/Solothurn/Jura region.
• Rüfenacht GetränkeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome delivery service for Bern Stadt, Niedersimmental, and Thun regions.
• Gerber GetränkeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome delivery partner serving Thun and surrounding area.
• Schüwo GetränkeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome delivery service for Mittelland and central Switzerland region.
• Swiss Breweries Association (SBV)minorOthersMember of the Swiss Brewers Association (Schweizerischer Brauereiverband).
• FSB (Fachverband Schweizer Brauereien)minorOthersMember of FSB (Professional Association of Swiss Breweries).
• Brauring KooperationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Brauring Kooperation - a Swiss craft brewery cooperative network.
• Bern Welcome TourismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner of Bern Welcome tourism organization, promoting local products and experiences.
• Slow Food BernminorOthersMember of Slow Food Bern - organization promoting local and sustainable food culture.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BierVision Monsteiner: Swiss craft brewery in the Graubünden region. Comparable as a small-to-medium Swiss craft brewery with traditional brewing methods, regional brand positioning, and family heritage competing in similar Swiss markets.
• Brauerei Schützengarten: Independent Swiss brewery in St. Gallen with full range of beer styles. Comparable as a regional Swiss craft brewery with multi-channel distribution, similar portfolio breadth, and heritage positioning in the Swiss market.
• Calanda Bräu: Major Swiss regional brewery owned by Heineken, located in Chur. Operates in the same Swiss market as Felsenau with similar multi-channel distribution and competes for retail shelf space, hospitality accounts, and event contracts across regional Switzerland.
• Schneider Weisse: German wheat beer specialist with global brand presence. Comparable as a heritage brewery producing wheat beer (Bärner Weizen equivalent) with traditional brewing methods and craft positioning in the European specialty beer market.
• Rugenbräu AG: Independent Swiss craft brewery based in Interlaken, in the Bernese Oberland. Most direct regional competitor with similar craft focus, family heritage, and tourism-oriented business model. Both breweries operate in the Bern canton area serving overlapping customer bases and channels.
• Appenzeller Bier (Brauerei Locher): Independent Swiss family brewery in Appenzell. Comparable as a family-owned Swiss craft brewery with regional distribution, experimental beer styles, and heritage-style brand positioning that competes in similar retail and hospitality channels.
• Doppelleu Brauwerkstatt: Swiss craft brewery in Winterthur producing traditional craft beers. Comparable as an independent Swiss craft brewery with similar emphasis on quality, traditional brewing methods, and multi-channel distribution through retail and hospitality.

Broad incumbents

• Feldschlösschen Getränke AG: Switzerland's largest brewery, owned by Carlsberg Group, headquartered in Rheinfelden. Operates across Switzerland with broad distribution and multiple brands. Comparable as the dominant Swiss beer producer against which Felsenau's regional brand competes in retail, hospitality, and tap installations.
• Paulaner: Munich-based German heritage brewery with traditional wheat beer and broad portfolio. Comparable as a traditional European brewery with heritage positioning, similar wheat beer product (Hefeweizen), and craft heritage that competes in similar European hospitality and retail channels.
• Warsteiner: Major German pilsner brewery with significant Swiss distribution presence. Comparable as a broader incumbent competing in similar on-premise and retail channels with extensive brand portfolio and scale advantages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Felsenau Brewery