Brauerei Rittmayer Hallerndorf GmbH & Co. KG

What Brauerei Rittmayer Hallerndorf GmbH & Co. KG does

Brauerei Rittmayer is a family-owned Franconian brewery headquartered in Hallerndorf, Upper Franconia, with documented brewing rights dating to 1422. It produces approximately 30,000 hl of beer per year across a portfolio of roughly 20 varieties — year-round staples (Landbier, Kellerbier, Hefeweizen, Hell, Pils), award-winning specialties (Hallerndorfer Rauchbier, Smoky George, Maibock, Aischbüffel), seasonal releases (Annafestbier, Winterweizen), and a rotating Craftmayer craft line — all brewed under the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot of 1516. The technical base comprises a 50 hl 3-vessel mash tun enabling 4 brews/day, a 60 hl/hour filtration line, and a Krones Craftmate C can filler commissioned in May 2023. Decades of sustainability investment — wood chip heating (since 2013), nitrogen generation (2005), hydropower (2009), FlexBio anaerobic wastewater with biogas recovery (2021), and rooftop PV (2022) — underpin cost and energy positioning.

The company operates a diversified three-pillar business model. First, B2C beer sales through regional Franconian beverage retailers, a DTC webshop (hier-gibts-bier.de), and four own hospitality venues: the Brauereigaststätte restaurant (160+ seats), Glockenkeller in Forchheim (operating since 1697), seasonal Gartenkeller, and Kreuzbergkeller beneath a medieval pilgrimage church. Second, B2B contract filling services via the Abfüllzentrum, which processes approximately 100,000 hl/year for around 30 other breweries across 112 different beers in bottles and cans, with IFS and BIO certification available — one of the largest contract filling operations in Oberfranken. Third, brewery tours at €15/person generating supplementary footfall-driven demand.

Revenue channels are reinforced by a strong events calendar (Kreuzbergfest, Annafest, Winterweizenfest, Bockbieranstich, Bier.Jam, Brausilvester) and 17 European Beer Star awards since 2006, with the brand and on-premise footprint serving as primary demand engines within the regional Franconian market.

Name

Brauerei Rittmayer Hallerndorf GmbH & Co. KG

Legal name

Brauerei Rittmayer Hallerndorf GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://rittmayer.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brauerei Rittmayer is a 1422-founded family-owned Franconian brewery producing ~20 beer varieties (~30,000 hl/year) under the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, with award-winning specialty beers, four own hospitality venues, and a major Abfüllzentrum contract filling ~30 external breweries (~100,000 hl/year) in bottles and cans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewery

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC), Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery) (THAFALAK), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Contract beverage filling
• Traditional brewery hospitality
• Franconian brewing heritage
• Beer cellar gastronomy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hallerndorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beer Product Sales: Sale of own-brewed beer products across ~20 varieties including year-round and seasonal specialty beers. Sold in bottles, cans, and kegs through regional beverage retailers, the brewery's own webshop, and on-premise at the brewery restaurant and beer cellars.
2. Contract Bottle Filling (Lohnabfüllung): Third-party brewery filling services for around 30 breweries producing 112 different beers. Annual volume approximately 100,000 hl, making it one of the largest contract filling operations for beer in Oberfranken. Services bottles (crown cap and swing top) and cans. IFS and BIO certification available. Minimum batch size 50 hl for unfiltered and filtered, top-fermented and bottom-fermented beers.
3. Contract Can Filling (Dosenabfüllung): Can filling services for own and third-party beer. Uses Krones Craftmate C filling up to 12,000 cans/hour. Minimum fill 15 hl. Sizes: 330ml, 440ml, 500ml, 900ml, 1000ml.
4. On-Premise Hospitality (Gastronomie): Revenue from the brewery restaurant (Gastwirtschaft) and three beer cellars: Glockenkeller (Forchheim), Gartenkeller (Hallerndorf), and Kreuzbergkeller (Hallerndorf). Serves food and own beers on premise.
5. Brewery Tours: Charged brewery tours at €15 per person, max 30 persons, min 8 persons, duration 2 hours, includes 3x 0.3l beer per person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Brauerei Rittmayer is a family-owned traditional Franconian brewery founded in 1422 that produces approximately 20 varieties of Bavarian beer under the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law). The company operates a vertically integrated business encompassing its own brewing operations, an Abfüllzentrum (contract bottling service) processing roughly 100,000 hl/year for about 30 regional breweries, a can filling line (Dosenabfüllung) using Krones Craftmate C equipment, four on-premise hospitality venues (brewery restaurant plus three traditional beer cellars), and guided brewery tours.

Product overview

Brauerei Rittmayer is a traditional Franconian brewery founded in 1422, offering approximately 20 beer varieties including three seasonal specialties. The company operates as a diversified brewing operation combining core brewing products with contract filling services (Abfüllzentrum and Dosenabfüllung), hospitality venues (Gastwirtschaft restaurant, three traditional beer cellars: Glockenkeller, Gartenkeller, and Kreuzbergkeller), and brewery tour experiences. The beer portfolio includes year-round staples (Landbier, Kellerbier, Hefeweizen, Hell, Pils), award-winning specialties (Rauchbier, Smoky George, Maibock), seasonal offerings (Winterweizen, Annafestbier, Aischbüffel), limited releases (1422, 1422 Festbier), and a rotating Craftmayer craft line. The company also provides contract bottling services processing approximately 30 breweries and contract can filling using Krones equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Craftmayer: Limited edition craft beers with rotating seasonal varieties including Hopfen Märzen, Grünhopfenpils, and Sunny Side (light IPA). Created as an outlet for brewers to experiment within the constraints of the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law).
• Smoky George
• Aischbüffel

Products and services

• Landbier (Country Beer) Year-round Franconian beer brewed according to Bavarian Reinheitsgebot with fine malt notes and prominent Tettnang hop aroma at 4.9% ABV, targeting regional Franconian consumers.
• Kellerbier (Cellar Beer) Traditional Franconian dark lager with ripe fruit notes and subtle roasted malt sweetness at 5.0% ABV, brewed year-round.
• Hefeweizen (Wheat Beer) First Hallerndorf wheat beer with ripe fruit aromas of banana, apricot and peach, brewed with Tettnang hops at 5.0% ABV, naturally cloudy.
• Rauchbier (Smoke Beer) Elegant Bamberg-tradition specialty with aromatic freshness and elegant smoke malt at 5.0% ABV, multiple European Beer Star award winner.
• Smoky George Peat-smoked craft beer brewed with heavily torrefied Scottish malt at 7.0% ABV, developed with the Nuremberg whisky club.
• 1422 Originalbier Full-bodied, naturally cloudy Vollbier with Hallertau aromatic hops, honoring the brewery's founding year 1422.
• Maibock Light Bock beer with pale malt, incredible freshness and prominent hop character at 6.8% ABV, seasonal from mid-March.
• Annafestbier Malty, fruity Festbier with strong hopping brewed for the Annafest festival in Forchheim, 5.6% ABV, available from mid-May.
• Aischbüffel Dark Bock with secret recipe of specialty malts and aromatic hops, with notes of red fruits, grapefruit and dark chocolate at 6.5% ABV, seasonal from autumn.
• Hell Bright Vollbier honoring the brewery's 1422 heritage and the coat of arms from the Margrave of Kulmbach, simple and refreshing.
• Rittmayer Pils Traditional pilsner with ethereal hop, green herbs and fine malt sweetness at 5.5% ABV, brewed with Tettnang hops.
• Alkoholfreies Weizen Non-alcoholic wheat beer brewed per Reinheitsgebot using dealcoholization, preserving all valuable beer constituents, under 0.5% ABV.
• Alkoholfreies Kellerbier Non-alcoholic version of Kellerbier preserving aromatic complexity, fruity and malty at under 0.5% ABV.
• Naturtrübes Radler Refreshing naturally cloudy mixed drink of 50% Landbier Hell and 50% lemon lemonade, sparkling, at 2.6% ABV.
• Winterweizen Warming wheat beer specialty with rich fruity aromas of ripe banana, caramel and malt at 5.2% ABV, seasonal before Christmas.
• Hausbrauerbier Traditional Franconian dark country beer brewed per historical recipe with herbal roasted malt and hop notes, naturally cloudy.
• 1422 Festbier Special Festbier commemorating the 600-year anniversary in 2022, based on medieval brewing traditions, malty and fruity at 5.8% ABV, available from early October.
• Craftmayer (Limited Edition Line) Rotating limited-edition craft beer line where brewers experiment within Reinheitsgebot, with offerings such as Hopfen Märzen, Grünhopfenpils and Sunny Side light IPA.
• Abfüllzentrum (Contract Bottling Service) Contract beer bottling service for approximately 30 breweries and 112 different beers, processing around 100,000 hl/year, with IFS and BIO certification available.
• Dosenabfüllung (Contract Can Filling) Contract can filling service using Krones Craftmate C at 12,000 cans/hour, minimum batch 15 hl, available in 0.33l, 0.44l, 0.5l, 0.9l and 1.0l sizes.
• Brauereigaststätte (Brewery Restaurant) Traditional brewery restaurant in the village center of Hallerndorf, fully renovated in rustic-modern style with over 150 seats in main hall and up to 160 in side room, serving Rittmayer beers on draught with Franconian cuisine.
• Glockenkeller One of the oldest rock cellars in the Forchheim Kellerwald in operation since 1697, year-round operation with heated dining room in winter, live music during Annafest.
• Gartenkeller Idyllic seasonal beer garden above the village with old shade trees, serving Franconian snacks and draught Rittmayer beers, with an old natural skittle alley.
• Kreuzbergkeller Traditional beer cellar located directly below the medieval pilgrimage church on Kreuzberg, offering Franconian-Greek cuisine and event hosting for up to 60 guests indoors with outdoor tent capacity.
• Brauereiführungen (Brewery Tours) Guided 2-hour brewery tours at €15 per person including 3x 0.3L beer tastings, minimum 8 and maximum 30 participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 European Beer Star awards (7 Gold, 4 Silver, 6 Bronze) since 2006
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BarthHaascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration Brew 'Beer for future' in 2023 using new hop varieties developed by BarthHaas that are stress-tolerant, drought-resistant, pest-resistant, and higher-yielding. Part of Rittmayer's sustainability and innovation initiative.
• IrekscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration Brew 'Beer for future' in 2023 using new malt varieties from Ireks with improved sustainability characteristics (stress tolerance, drought resistance, pest resistance, yield improvement).
• Krones AGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Supplier of the Craftmate C can filling machine, commissioned in May 2023. Fills 12,000 cans/hour in sizes 0.33l to 1.0l. The partnership enables Rittmayer's can filling services for own and third-party beers.
• FlexBiocoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Supplier and installer of the anaerobic wastewater treatment plant (FlexBio system) commissioned November 2021. Enables biogas recovery and CO2-neutral power generation from brewery wastewater.
• Bierdoctor & BierlehrerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration product 'Sicherheitshalben' - a specialty beer created jointly by Rittmayer, Bierdoctor, and Bierlehrer. Marketed as 'Das Bier für alle Fälle' (the beer for all occasions). Available in 0.5l cans. Combines brewing expertise with humor and attitude.
• The Most Venerable Order Of The Highland CircleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNuremberg whisky club with whom Georg Rittmayer collaborated to create Smoky George - a heavily peat-smoked Scottish malt rauchbier (7.0% ABV). The beer incorporates whisky culture into brewing tradition.
• Brauerei Roppelt (Stiebarlimbach)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Franconian brewery using Rittmayer's Abfüllzentrum for contract bottle filling services.
• Brauerei Hennemann (Sambach)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Franconian brewery using Rittmayer's Abfüllzentrum for contract bottle filling services.
• Brauerei Pfister (Weigelshofen)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Franconian brewery using Rittmayer's Abfüllzentrum for contract bottle filling services.
• Private Brauereien Bayern e.V.coreOthersIndustry association of private breweries in Bavaria. Georg Rittmayer has served as President since 2018. The association organizes the European Beer Star competition. Membership provides industry representation, networking, and credibility.
• Radio BambergminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Dorf-Tour 2018 community event. Rittmayer received certificates and donated €555 (matched by the brewery) to local kindergartens and schools. Radio Bamberg conducted interviews and coverage.
• Sparkasse ForchheimminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the 600-year anniversary celebration (2022) and Kreuzbergfest events. Provided sponsorship and co-branding for family activities at the festival.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Krombacher Brauerei: One of Germany's largest privately-held breweries (est. 1803, Kreuztal-Krombach). Broad incumbent in German beer market; overlaps with Rittmayer on Reinheitsgebot positioning and regional Bavarian-style lagers, though at vastly different scale.
• Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe: Major Munich-based brewery group producing traditional Bavarian beers including Hefeweizen and lagers. Broad incumbent competing in the same Bavarian/Franconian traditional-beer category as Rittmayer, but at national/international scale with much broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• St. Georgen-Bräu: Family-owned Buttenheim brewery (est. 1489) in Upper Franconia producing traditional Bavarian lagers and seasonal specialties with on-premise gaststätte. Comparable Franconian heritage brewery with similar scale and regional retail/wholesale model.
• Brauerei Winkler Berching: Family-owned Bavarian regional brewery producing traditional Bavarian styles and operating on-premise hospitality. Comparable mid-sized German family brewery with traditional Reinheitsgebot brewing and regional gastronomy integration.
• Brauerei Heller-Trum (Schlenkerla): Historic Bamberg-based Rauchbier brewery operating since 1405, with a heritage taproom in Bamberg's old town. Direct competitor in the Franconian smoked-beer specialty segment where Rittmayer also competes with its Hallerndorfer Rauchbier and Smoky George lines.
• Brauerei Gebr. Maisel: Bayreuth-based family brewery (est. 1887) with strong Franconian identity, on-premise Maisel's Biergarten, and contract filling capacity. Direct peer in regional craft positioning, hospitality integration, and contract services for third-party breweries.
• Kees Rauchbier / Brauerei Joseph Greif: Bamberg-based small craft brewery focused on Rauchbier and Franconian specialty beers. Comparable craft scale, specialty positioning, and on-premise taproom model overlapping with Rittmayer's specialty portfolio.
• Brauerei Spezial: Family-owned Bamberg brewery (est. 1536) producing Franconian Rauchbier and traditional lagers. Directly comparable multi-generational family brewery anchored in Upper Franconia with on-premise hospitality and Reinheitsgebot-only brewing.

Emerging players

• BRLO Brwhouse: Berlin-based craft brewery (est. 2014) with modern craft portfolio and integrated brewhouse/gastronomy concept. Emerging player illustrating the modern craft/gastro model that contrasts with Rittmayer's traditional on-premise heritage positioning.
• Crew Republic Brewery: Munich-based independent craft brewery (est. 2011) focused on modern craft IPAs and specialty styles. Emerging player addressing the same Bavarian craft consumer segment as Rittmayer but with a younger, modern craft positioning contrasting Rittmayer's heritage focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gartenkeller
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brauerei-rittmayer-hallerndorf-gmbh-co-kg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Brauerei Rittmayer Hallerndorf GmbH & Co. KG