What Rabauw Craft Beer does

Rabauw Craft Beer is a Dutch social enterprise brewery founded in 2019 and operated as a Stichting (foundation), with its original brewery at Ridderplein 33 in Gemert and a brewpub on Eindhoven's Strijp-S creative district at Torenallee 55. Originally launched as Vagabond and rebranded in September 2020 following a trademark dispute with German brewery Brauerei Vagabund, the company produces a portfolio of over 12 craft beer styles including hazy and session IPAs, Tripels, Weizens, Porters, Dubbelbocks, Grisettes, and an alcohol-free lager (Brein Bedriegt). It brews approximately 57,000 liters annually (2023) and operates a brewpub, brewery shop, webshop, B2B distribution, and a custom-branded beer service for businesses and events.

Distinct from conventional craft breweries, Rabauw's core operational model integrates craft beer production with workforce development for people who face barriers to regular employment, referred to internally as "Rabauwers." The company worked with 73 Rabauwers in 2023 and 62 in 2024, with over 200 Rabauwers having progressed toward education, jobs, or other opportunities since inception. The Rabauw Academy formalizes training in brewing, hospitality, and kitchen operations, with placement partners including Futuris (healthcare/employment services) and Senzer. All profits are reinvested under the non-profit structure, and the company receives financial backing from Rabo Foundation, Stichting DOEN, Instituut Gak, Anton Jurgens Fonds, and Vrienden Loterij Fonds.

Rabauw generates revenue across multiple streams: direct-to-consumer brewpub sales at Strijp-S (house pils at €2.90 per 30cl, full food service), online and in-person beer retail via the Gemert brewery shop and webshop (6-packs from €21.90, mega packs at €39.50), third-party retail partnerships with Hellobier (Veghel) and CraftOnly.nl, B2B sales to hospitality venues, restaurants, and bottle shops, custom/private-label beer brewing for corporate clients, and experiential services including brewery tours and tastings (€19.50 per person). The September 2024 PSO Trede 1 certification positions Rabauw as a preferred supplier for government contractors with social return obligations, creating a defensible B2B procurement channel. The company has scaled incrementally rather than at enterprise pace, with no venture capital or private equity investment disclosed.

Name

Rabauw Craft Beer

Legal name

Stichting Rabauw Craft Beer

Website

https://rabauw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rabauw Craft Beer is a Dutch social enterprise brewery (Stichting) producing craft beer in Gemert and Eindhoven while providing employment to people with a distance to the labor market. It monetizes via brewpub, webshop, B2B hospitality, and custom brewing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk / Private Label Alcohol Production & Brands (CRADAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC), Beer Retail (Bottle Shops & Beer Merchants) (CRANABAC)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• Social enterprise brewery
• Brewpub and taproom
• Private label brewing
• Brewery tours tastings

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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. Brewpub Food & Beverage Sales: Rabauw operates a brewpub on Strijp-S in Eindhoven (Torenallee 55) open 7 days a week, serving craft beers and pub food including burgers, vegetarian options, and local specialties. Opening hours Wednesday 15:00-23:00, and extended hours on other days. House pils priced at €2.90 per 30cl glass.
2. Direct Beer Sales (Brewery Shop & Webshop): Beer sales through the brewery shop in Gemert and the online webshop at rabauw.org/webshop. Products sold include various beer styles in 3-packs, 6-packs, and mega packs. Free delivery within Gemert-Bakel municipality by bakfiets; free shipping in rest of Netherlands from €60. Also available via Hellobier in Veghel and CraftOnly.nl.
3. Brewpub Restaurant & Group Events: Rabauw serves as a restaurant for groups up to 200 persons, offering lunch, dinner, and borrel (drinks/happy hour). They host group activities including team outings, birthday parties, company events, and meetings with catering up to 200 persons. Also offers brewery tours and tastings for €19.50 per person.
4. Custom/Private Label Beer Brewing: Rabauw brews custom beers for businesses, hospitality venues, bottle shops, associations, and events. Businesses can have their own branded beer produced, serving as both a product and a social impact demonstration for corporate social responsibility and PSO obligations.
5. Rondleiding & Proeverij (Tours & Tastings): Guided brewery tours with beer tasting sessions offered every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 16:00 for €19.50 per person. The 45-minute to 1-hour experience includes a tour of the brewery, stories about Rabauw, and tasting three beers in 15cl glasses guided by a beer sommelier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rabauw is a Dutch non-profit social enterprise craft brewery that produces more than 12 craft beer styles at its Gemert brewery and sells them through its own webshop, brewery shop, and brewpub on Strijp-S in Eindhoven. Beyond direct retail, it offers private-label and contract brewing for hospitality and retail customers, brewery tours and tastings, corporate group events, and a Rabauw Academy training program, while employing people with a distance to the labor market as part of its social mission.

Product overview

Rabauw Craft Beer is a social enterprise craft brewery operating from Eindhoven (Strijp-S) and Gemert, Netherlands. The product portfolio consists of over 12 distinct craft beer styles including Wee Heavy (Goeie Arnol), Grisette (Jumping Puddles), Hazy IPA (Hopgedonderd), Weizen (Eigenweizen Droogkloot), Winter Ale (Vrolijk Gerstfeest), Session IPA (Bitterzoete Boosdoener), American Wheat Ale (Witte Woesteling), Tripel (Tripelende Landloper), Porter (Schurkende Porter), Dubbelbock (You'll never bock alone), DDH IPA (Flierefruiter), and Blond (Blonde Rauwdouwer). Beyond beer production, Rabauw operates a brewpub with food service, provides brewery tours and tastings, offers custom brewing services for businesses and events, and runs the Rabauw Academy for employee development. Beers are sold through the brewpub, online webshop, and third-party retailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rabauw Craft Beer range Portfolio of more than 12 craft beer styles brewed at the Gemert brewery and sold through the brewery shop, the Eindhoven brewpub on Strijp-S and the webshop, targeted at individual craft-beer consumers and specialty retail/hospitality buyers in the Netherlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 57,000 liters of craft beer brewed with 73 Rabauwers in 2023; helped more than 200 Rabauwers over the years with steps toward new education, jobs, and perspectives
• +2 more outcomes

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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SpringplankminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2024Rabauw collaborated with Springplank to promote social inclusion and awareness. Springplank is a partner organization in Rabauw's broader social enterprise network.
• TAS Specialty CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2024Rabauw partnered with TAS Specialty Coffee to serve specialty coffee drinks at the Brewpub. TAS Specialty Coffee sources beans directly from farming families on three continents, paying 2-4 times the standard Fairtrade price. The coffee is packaged by people who have difficulty finding regular employment, aligning with Rabauw's social mission.
• OROminorOthersORO is a welfare organization that awarded Rabauw the Gouden Gift (Golden Gift) in 2019, recognizing commitment to integration of vulnerable people in society. ORO creates art pieces made by their clients, one of which decorates Rabauw's brewery.
• SenzerminorOthersSenzer is a staffing and employment agency partner that supports Rabauw in placing people with barriers to employment. Part of the PSO network of certified social enterprises.
• FuturiscoreOthersFuturis is a healthcare provider that partners with Rabauw for day care, reintegration, and learning positions at the brewery, horeca, and distribution operations. Enables Rabauw to provide development opportunities to people who need it most.
• Social Enterprise NetherlandsminorOthersSocial Enterprise (socialenterprise.nl) is the Dutch platform for social enterprises. Rabauw is listed as a member, connecting them to the broader social enterprise ecosystem in the Netherlands.
• Connect door ErgonminorOthersConnect by Ergon is an ambassadorship program connecting employers with social enterprises. Rabauw serves as an ambassador, promoting social entrepreneurship and inclusive employment.
• PSO Inkopen EindhovenminorOthersPSO Inkopen Eindhoven is a local initiative promoting socially responsible procurement in Eindhoven. Rabauw's PSO certification enables them to be recognized as a preferred supplier for government-contracted companies with social return obligations.
• Boerderij Op Den HoekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRabauw partnered with Boerderij Op Den Hoek in De Mortel to create a unique beer cheese. The cheese was made using Rabauw's Tripelende Landloper beer in the aging bath, creating a distinctive artisanal product sold at Rabauw venues and webshop.
• Brouwerij De Prael (Amsterdam)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRabauw acquired two fermentation tanks from Brouwerij De Prael in Amsterdam when they needed additional brewing capacity. Both breweries share a similar social enterprise philosophy.
• Brouwerij Didko (Ukraine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRabauw hosted a Tap Take-Over by Didko Brewery from Ukraine, a gypsy brewery that relocated to the Netherlands after the Russian invasion. Demonstrates Rabauw's commitment to supporting displaced brewers and international craft beer community.
• Create! (Beek en Donk)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreate! is a full-service production company that creates event decorations. They collaborated with Rabauw to make custom wooden beer crates from their residual wood, sold at Rabauw venues and webshop.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bird Brewery: Amsterdam craft brewery positioning around sustainability and bird conservation, distributed via major Dutch retailers and own brewpub. Comparable to Rabauw on story-led craft positioning and broad style portfolio.
• Brouwerij Maximus: Zeist-based craft brewery with rotating specialty range, own brewpub, and national distribution; comparable craft-beer portfolio breadth and on-premise-plus-D2C channel structure to Rabauw.
• Jopen: Haarlem-based Dutch craft brewery operating a brewpub and national retail/wholesale distribution, with a portfolio across multiple styles — directly comparable in product breadth and on-premise-plus-retail model to Rabauw.
• Brouwerij 't IJ: Amsterdam craft brewery with attached brewpub and broad national distribution; one of the established Dutch craft players against whom Rabauw competes for tap handles, retail listings, and consumer mindshare.
• Brouwerij Frontaal: Breda-based independent Dutch craft brewery with national distribution through supermarkets and hospitality; same North Brabant geography as Rabauw and competing for the same regional craft consumer and B2B accounts.
• Brouwerij De Prael: Amsterdam-based social enterprise craft brewery employing people with a distance to the labor market — the closest direct analogue to Rabauw's mission, scale, and model in the Dutch market, and even an equipment partner (Rabauw acquired fermentation tanks from De Prael in 2022).
• Kompaan Dutch Craft Beer Company: Den Haag craft brewery with a broad style portfolio, brewpub, and national distribution; comparable in scale and channel mix (brewpub + retail + hospitality wholesale) to Rabauw.
• Oersoep Brouwerij: Independent Dutch craft brewery in Nijmegen focused on hop-forward IPAs and saisons, distributed nationally through craft retailers and on-premise. Comparable in craft positioning and regional craft-brewer scale to Rabauw.

Regional players

• Stadsbrouwerij 013: Tilburg-based city brewery with brewpub and regional distribution in North Brabant; closest geographic competitor to Rabauw in the same craft segment and competing for the same on-premise and regional accounts.

Broad incumbents

• Heineken: Largest Dutch brewer with national dominance across retail, hospitality, and on-premise. Represents the broad incumbent competitive context in which Rabauw operates, including in craft and alcohol-free segments where Heineken's craft brands compete directly.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rabauw

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Rabauw Craft Beer