Eder & Heyland 's Brewery

What Eder & Heyland 's Brewery does

Eder & Heylands Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held, family-owned regional brewery headquartered in Großostheim, Germany, between the Odenwald and Spessart foothills in the Churfranken region near Frankfurt. Formally founded in 1872 when Friedrich Eder acquired the brewery and tavern 'Zum Ochsen' (known since 1779), the company has operated continuously under family ownership and is currently led by Managing Director Ev Eder-Widmann with Friedbert Eder as co-shareholder. The brewery joined the Die Freien Brauer alliance of independent family breweries in December 2018.

The company operates a single physical brewery producing four sub-brands: Schlappeseppel (acquired/added in 1999, the flagship brand with approximately 19 SKUs across Pils, Export, Helles, wheat beers, Dunkel, Winterbock, Radler, and craft editions), Eder's (Export and Pilsener), Heylands (Edel Export, Premium Pilsener, Cola-Mix), and Bavaria (Hefeweizen and alcohol-free Weizenbier). Production relies on proprietary inputs including private Reinzuchthefe (pure yeast cultures maintained in-house for each brand), two on-site water wells drawing from a geological fault in the Großostheim basin, Siegelhopfen from the Hallertau region, and traditional brewing methods including the Heylands mash process and the Bierstacheln caramelization technique for Fest-Märzen.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid GTM: dedicated field sales (Gebietsleiter) covering gastronomy (restaurants, pubs, clubs, Vereine) and food retail (Lebensmitteleinzelhandel, Getränkeabholmarkt) across the Churfranken region, an inside sales team for order intake, direct-to-consumer e-commerce via shop.schlappeseppel.de and shop.eders.de, on-site pickup at a Großostheim-Ringheim warehouse, and ticketed brewery tours. Parallel revenue-adjacent activities include event-driven marketing (Brauereihoffest, Marktplatzfest, Trachtengaudi), local sports and cultural sponsorships, and a Trade Islands Iced Tea distribution partnership. The company has received multiple national and international awards (DLG, World Beer Awards, Meininger's, European Beer Star, Brussels Beer Challenge, Monde Selection, iTQi) and positions itself as an independent, character-driven alternative to mass-market brewing conglomerates.

Name

Eder & Heyland 's Brewery

Legal name

Eder & Heylands Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://eders.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eder & Heylands Brauerei is a privately held, family-owned regional craft brewery in Großostheim, Germany, producing four beer sub-brands (Schlappeseppel, Eder's, Heylands, Bavaria) distributed through field sales to gastronomy and food retail, plus direct-to-consumer e-commerce, across the Churfranken region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Craft Brewery / Beer Production

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Regional brewery
• Bavarian beer brands
• Gastronomy beverage distribution
• Alcohol-free beer

Headquarters

HQ city

Großostheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beer and Beverage Sales: The brewery generates revenue primarily through the sale of its branded beers and beverages across multiple channels: direct to gastronomy (restaurants, pubs, clubs, Vereine), retail distribution (food retailers, beverage pickup markets), and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Revenue streams include both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
2. Brewery Tours and Experiences: Revenue generated from selling brewery tour experiences (Brauereiführungen) through the online shop, offering consumers an in-person brand engagement and education experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Eder & Heylands Brauerei is a family-owned regional brewery that produces and distributes a multi-brand portfolio of traditional Bavarian craft beers — Schlappeseppel, Eder's, Heylands, and Bavaria — across styles including Pils, Export, Helles, wheat beers, dark beers, seasonal bocks, radlers, and alcohol-free variants. The brewery sells primarily through field sales to gastronomy (restaurants, pubs, clubs) and food retail, supplemented by direct-to-consumer online shops, on-site pickup, and paid brewery tours. Production uses proprietary in-house yeast cultures, Hallertau hops, and traditional processes including the Heylands mash and Bierstacheln technique.

Product overview

Eder & Heylands Brauerei is a traditional family-owned brewery operating as a single unified brewing operation with multiple sub-brands. The company produces three main beer brand lines: (1) Schlappeseppel - the primary Bavarian brand featuring 19 distinct beer varieties including Pils, Export, Helles, wheat beers, dark beers, seasonal specialties, radlers, and limited craft editions; (2) Eder's - focusing on Export and Pilsener styles with regional character; (3) Heylands - featuring Edel Export, Cola-Mix, and Premium Pilsener. Additionally, the Bavaria sub-brand offers wheat beer specialties including an award-winning alcohol-free variant. The company also offers Trade Islands Iced Tea and provides brewery tour services. The product portfolio emphasizes traditional brewing methods, regional ingredients including Hallertau hops and local malts, and includes alcohol-free and isotonic beer options for health-conscious consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Schlappeseppel: Main beer brand with various beer specialties including Export, Pils, Helles, Weißbier, Dunkel, Winterbock, Radler, and seasonal offerings. Known for traditional Bavarian brewing with 'Ecken und Kanten' (character with edges and corners).
• Eder's
• Heylands
• Bavaria

Products and services

• Schlappeseppel Export Traditional Bavarian-style Export beer brewed with fine aroma hops; sold in bottles and kegs to gastronomy, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Schlappeseppel Pils Bitter hoppy Pils featuring prominent Hallertau hop aroma; sold in bottles and kegs to gastronomy, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Schlappeseppel Alkoholfreies Pils Alcohol-free Pils brewed in the traditional style, classified as isotonic; for consumers seeking alcohol-free options.
• Schlappeseppel Helles Mild Bavarian-style pale lager; sold in bottles and kegs to gastronomy, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Schlappeseppel Helles Alkoholfrei Alcohol-free version of the mild Bavarian-style pale lager Helles; for consumers seeking alcohol-free options.
• Schlappeseppel Unser Seppelsche Specialty beer in the iconic flip-top bottle (Bügelflasche); a beloved regional favorite and flagship specialty of the brewery.
• Schlappeseppel Unser Gusti Wheat beer style specialty marketed as 'The sister of Seppelsche'; for consumers seeking wheat-based craft variants.
• Schlappeseppel Kellerbier Unfiltered, naturally cloudy Kellerbier with robust character; gold winner at Meininger's Craft Beer Award 2018.
• Schlappeseppel Landbier Natural, rustic, unfiltered, full-bodied regional Landbier; gold winner at Monde Selection.
• Schlappeseppel Weißbier Bavarian wheat beer specialty with characteristic cloudy appearance and fruity notes.
• Schlappeseppel Urweisse / Weißbier Dunkel Dark wheat beer, a Bavarian specialty with darker malt character; named ProBier-Club 'Beer of the Month'.
• Schlappeseppel Weißbier Alkoholfrei Full-bodied alcohol-free wheat beer classified as isotonic; certified by TU Munich Weihenstephan for isotonic properties.
• Schlappeseppel Dunkel Dark beer with historical tradition and rich malt flavors.
• Schlappeseppel Winterbock Strong, gold-colored bock beer brewed with extra malt, released seasonally in autumn/winter; silver at Meininger's Craft Beer Award 2018.
• Schlappeseppel Radler Fruity-fresh Radler combining beer with lemon soda.
• Schlappeseppel Natur-Radler Naturally cloudy Radler-style beer with fruit-fresh taste.
• Schlappeseppel Natur-Radler Alkoholfrei Alcohol-free version of the naturally cloudy Radler-style beer; launched January 2019.
• Schlappeseppel Gesellenstück Limited edition craft beer, brewed once only; underfermented Märzen-style refined with Polaris hop variety, created by apprentice Gary Boothe.
• Eder's Export Bright Export beer with a rounded taste, highly fermented and finely balanced with mild hoppy aroma; 5 stars at Selection Mainz 2018. Stammwürze 12.5%.
• Eder's Pilsener Elegant, bright Pilsener with pleasant, fine-bitter hoppy aroma; Stammwürze 11.2%, Alcohol 5.0 Vol.%.
• Heylands Edel Export Brewed with Saazer and Hallertauer hops and malts from Unterfranken and the Palatinate, using the traditional Heylands mash process; 5.5 Vol.% alcohol.
• Heylands Premium Pilsener Premium Pilsener brewed in small batches using traditional methods with Hallertau aroma hops and original Heylands pure culture yeast; Stammwürze 11.3%, Alcohol 4.8 Vol.%.
• Heylands Cola-Mix Reinterpretation of the classic cola mix combining Heylands' own cola with fruity orange lemonade for a fruity, slightly bitter fresh taste.
• Bavaria Hefeweizen Cloudy wheat beer with original bottle fermentation, soft and aromatic on the palate and sparkling on the tongue; available in 0.5L bottles (20-box) and 30L kegs. Stammwürze 12.3%, Alcohol 5.3 Vol.%. World Beer Awards recognition 2011.
• Bavaria Weizenbier Alkoholfrei Sparkling fresh, finely mild tasting alcohol-free wheat beer; classified as isotonic, low in calories, with minerals, vitamins and trace elements; aimed at sporty active consumers. World Beer Awards 2011.
• Trade Islands Iced Tea Iced tea brand distributed through the brewery's product offerings, expanding the non-alcoholic beverage portfolio.
• Brauereiführung (Brewery Tours) Guided tours of the brewery, available for booking through the online shop (shop.schlappeseppel.de); direct consumer engagement and education experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Among the most frequently awarded breweries in Germany, with recognition from World Beer Awards, DLG (9x Gold + 3x Silver in 2019 alone), Meininger's Craft Beer Award, Monde Selection, European Beer Star, and ProBier-Club 'Bier des Monats'

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Die Freien Brauer (The Free Brewers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEder & Heylands Brauerei is a member of Die Freien Brauer, a union of leading independent family breweries in Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg. The union is committed to free entrepreneurship, quality, and regional responsibility. The seven guiding principles are: Great Freedom (independent entrepreneurship), Unique Diversity (heritage-typical flavor experiences), Personal Responsibility (long-term responsibility as employer and trainer), Highest Quality (beers with character from the best raw materials), Clean Environment (respectful handling of natural resources), Genuine Tradition (dedication to craft for generations), and Lived Regional Rootedness (securing local jobs and promoting regional economy). Founded in 2018.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Schneider Weisse: Kelheim-based family-owned wheat beer specialist brewery. Comparable to Eder & Heylands as a Bavarian family craft brewer with a specialty wheat-beer focus (Bavaria Hefeweizen sub-brand is a direct analogue) and traditional proprietary yeast culture practices. Both operate within the German craft/premium segment.
• Hofbräu München: Historic Bavarian state-owned brewery (Staatliches Hofbräuhaus München). Comparable to Eder & Heylands as a traditional Munich-area brewery with strong regional identity, multi-brand portfolio, on-site hospitality experience (Hofbräuhaus), and Bavarian distribution focus — though at a larger scale.
• Maisel Brauerei: Family-owned German craft brewery based in Bayreuth, Upper Franconia. Operates multiple sub-brands and styles (Hefeweizen specialty) with strong regional identity, comparable to Eder & Heylands' Schlappeseppel/Eder's/Heylands/Bavaria portfolio. Similar scale, similar craft positioning, similar regional Bavarian distribution model.
• Riegele Brauerei: Augsburg-based independent family-owned craft brewery. Highly comparable to Eder & Heylands as a multi-generational German family brewery with strong award pedigree, multiple sub-brands, and regional Bavarian distribution. Both emphasize proprietary yeast strains and traditional brewing methods.

Others

• Die Freien Brauer: Alliance of independent family breweries across Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg that Eder & Heylands joined in 2018. Not a competitor but a strategic partner/alliance that provides collective advocacy, shared marketing, and benchmarking across comparable family-owned brewers.

Broad incumbents

• Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan: World's oldest continuously operating brewery, based in Freising, Bavaria. Comparable as a Bavarian heritage brewery with multi-century craft credentials, university-affiliated brewing expertise, and broad specialty portfolio. Larger scale but directly relevant as a craft-heritage peer.
• Privatbrauerei ERDINGER Weißbräu: Large Erding-based family-owned wheat beer brewery. Comparable category (Bavarian wheat beer) with the Bavaria sub-brand and broader regional distribution. Larger scale but same family-owned, craft-rooted positioning relevant to Eder & Heylands' competitive set.

Regional players

• Binding-Brauerei: Frankfurt-based traditional brewery (Radeberger Gruppe subsidiary). Directly comparable regional peer operating in the same Churfranken/Frankfurt metropolitan market as Eder & Heylands, with traditional local brands. Operates at a larger scale but in the same geographic and competitive arena.
• Glaabsbräu: Family-owned brewery in the Odenwald region near Frankfurt. Directly comparable to Eder & Heylands as a regional independent family brewery operating in adjacent geography (Odenwald vs. Churfranken) with similar craft positioning and field-sales distribution model.
• Henninger Bräu: Frankfurt-based regional brewery with deep Churfranken heritage. Direct geographic peer and competitor in the same Frankfurt metropolitan market as Eder & Heylands, with comparable traditional German lager portfolio and on-premise heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Schlappeseppel.Biere

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Eder & Heyland 's Brewery