Berlin Breweries
their history - their beers

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Introduction
Berlin Breweries
In this page I have catalogued the breweries which are currently brewing in Berlin.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall a considerable amount of rationalisation has taken place. Today only three industrial-strength breweries remain: Schultheiss, Berliner Kindl (both part of much larger groups) and Berliner Bürgerbräu, the city's last independent. In addition, there are around a dozen microbreweries and brewpubs which have sprung up in the last ten years.

 Index
Statistics
Berlin Breweries
Berlin Pub Guide
Breweries of the former DDR
Kindl and Schultheiss
There were breweries operating under the Schultheiss and Kindl names in both East and West Berlin, though, of course, those in the East were state-owned.

In a series of confusing privatisations, Schultheiss bought the eastern Kindl breweries, the brewery in Potsdam (also owned by Kindl pre-war) and the renowned Radeberger brewery. It then closed both of its West Berlin breweries (Kreuzberg and Spandau), moving all of its production to one plant in the East. To add to the confusion, the Potsdam brewery was later sold to Kindl. Confused? I certainly am. The Kindl plant on Werbellinstraße is the last large brewery in former West Berlin.

Both Kindl and Schultheiss are currently brewing far less beer than they were at the time of re-unification. I can't imagine that closing most of their breweries could have helped their output figures. The closure of one of the remaining plants would effectively put an end to Berlin as a serious brewing town. Which is what will happen in 2006, when the Kindl plant will close. The merger of Brau und Brunnen and Radeberger Gruppe, has left Kindl and Schultheiss with the same owner. No surprise then that one of the breweries has to close.

In 2002, the three big Berlin breweries brewed 2.7 million hl of beer a year between them. The city's brewpubs and micro-breweries were good for about another 12,000 hl. Compare these figures to those of 1994, when nearly 6.5 million hl were produced, and you can see that the industry isn't having its best years.


Berlin Breweries
Statistics


Quantity of beer brewed in Berlin (in hectolitres):
Brewery Owner 1994 2002
Bärenquell-Brauerei Berlin Henninger 600,000
--
Berliner Bürgerbräu Independent 150,000 150,000
Berliner Kindl Brauerei - Werbellinstraße
Berliner Kindl Brauerei - Potsdam		   1,652,000 1,081,000
Berliner Pilsner Brauerei Brau & Brunnen 1,000,000 1,471,000
Schultheiss Brauerei Brau & Brunnen 3,000,000
--
Total 6,402,000 2,702,000


Number of breweries in Berlin over time:
Year 1722 1730 1740 1750 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1816 1835 1850 1868
  305 426 349 312 259 226 123 82 55 42 20 25 50

Berlin Breweries
Listings


Brauhaus J.Albrecht Zum Alten Fritz
Karolinienstrasse 12,
13507 Berlin.
Tel.: (030) 433 50 10
Fax: (030) 433 8227
Email: bier-company@bigfoot.com
Homepage: http://www.turn.de

Founded: 1992
Annual production: 850 hl

Beer alc Description
Kupfer   Dark lager.
Messing   Pale lager.

Brewpub in the north Berlin suburb of Tegel.


Aschinger
Kurfürstendamm 26,
10719 Berlin (Charlottenburg).
Tel.: (030) 882 55 58
Fax: (030) 881 69 67

Founded: 1990
Annual production:

Beer alc Description
Pils   Pils

Brewpub in Charlottenburg producing an unfiltered pils. I'm not sure if this brewery is still brewing.


Bier Company
Schwedter Str 18,
10119 Berlin (Preuzlauer Berg).
(030) 44 05 04 25
info@bier-company.de
http://www.bier-company.de/

Founded: 1995 *** CLOSED 2005 ***
Annual production:

Beer alc Description
Turn   Hemp beer.

Brewpub. A rare brewery that chooses to ignore the stupid restrictions of the Reinheitsgebot.


Brauhaus Braams
Hasenheide 69,
Kreuzberg
http://www.braams.de/

Founded: 2002
Annual production:

Brewpub.


Brewbaker
Flensburger Str. /im S-Bahnbogen 415,
10557 Berlin.
Tel: 030 -3990 5156
Fax:
Email: info@brewbaker.de
Homepage: http://www.brewbaker.de/

Founded: 2005
Annual production:

A tiny brewpub cum bakers. Currently has no regular brews, only specials.


Berliner Bürgerbräu
Müggelseedamm 164-166,
12587 Berlin (Köpenick).
Tel.: (030) 640 82-0
Fax: (030) 645 31-35
E-Mail: berliner-buergerbraeu@t-online.de
Homepage: http://www.berliner-buergerbraeu.de/

Founded: 1869
Annual production: 150,000 hl

Beer alc Plato Description
Berliner Weisse mit Schuss Himbeer 2.5%   Berliner Weisse pre-mixed with raspberry syrup.
Berliner Weisse mit Schuss Waldmeister 2.5%   Berliner Weisse pre-mixed with woodruff syrup.
Hauptmann van Koepenick 5% 12.2º A top-fermented beer introduced in 2003. Brewed from wheat and barley malt.
Bernauer Schwarzbier 5.4% 12.4º Black lager. Toffee aroma, bitterish taste with liquorice toffee and malt aromas, bitter finsih with burnt, cream and coffee aromas. A very pleasant black lager, with the half stout taste.
Premium Pils 5% 11.5º Pils.
Rotkelchen Export 5.3% 12.5º Pale lager.
Maibock 6.8% 16.5º Pale bock. Seasonal - Spring.
Dunkler Bock 6.8% 16.5º Dark bock.

Originally the Lindenbrauerei, in 1901 it became the Genossenschaftsbrauerei when a cooperative set up by landlords to buy beer collectively decided to go into brewing and bought the brewery.

The only long-established independent brewery remaining in Berlin.


Brauerei Eschenbräu
Triftstraße 67,
13353 Berlin-Wedding.
Tel: 030 - 462 68 37
E-Mail:info@eschenbraeu.de
Homepage: http://www.eschenbraeu.de/

Founded: 2002
Annual production:

Beer alc Description
Eschenbräu Pils   Pils. Unfiltered.
Eschenbräu Dunkel   Dark lager. Unfiltered.
Eschenbräu Weizen   Unfiltered pale wheat beer.

Brewpub. The beers are fermented in open vessels.


Georgbräu
Spreeufer 4
10178 Berlin
Tel.: (030) 242 42 44
Fax: (030) 242 58 70
Email: info@georgbraeu.de
Homepage: http://www.georgbraeu.de/

Founded: 1993
Annual production: 1,500 hl

Beer alc Description
Helles 5.0% Pale lager.
Dunkles 5.0% Dark lager.

Pub brewery in the Nikolaiviertel in the centre of Berlin.


Berliner Kindl Brauerei AG
Berlin brewery:
Werbellinstraße 50
12053 Berlin (Neukölln)
Telefon 030 - 68 9920
Fax 030 - 68 992 212
Homepage: http://www.berliner-kindl.de/

Potsdam brewery:
Berliner Kindl Brauerei AG
An der Brauerei 1,
14478 Potsdam.
Tel. 0331- 8689 0
Fax 0331 - 8689 102

Founded: 1872
Annual production: 1,081,000 hl (2002 - Berlin and Potsdam breweries combined)

Beer alc Plato Description
Berliner Kindl Weisse 2.7% 7.5º Berliner weisse.
Bärenpils 4.6% 11.2º Pils.
Berliner Kindl Jubiläums Pilsener 5% 11.7º Pils.
Berliner Kindl Pils 5% 11.7º Pils.
Potsdammer Rex Pils 4.6% 11.2º Pils.
Märkischer Landmann Schwarzbier 4.9% 11.6º Dark lager - Schwarzbier. Malt and plum aroma, neutral taste with toffee and apple aromas, bitterish finish with coffee liquorice and cream flavours. A pretty good schwarzbier with lots of dark malt flavours.
Berliner Kindl Heller Bock 7% 16.3º Pale bock.
Berliner Kindl Johanniter Bock 7% 16.3º Bock.
Berliner Kindl Dunkler Bock 7% 16.3º Dark bock.
Berliner Kindl Habel's Maibock 7% 16.3º Pale bock.

One of the Berlin big two breweries. Brews a couple if pils beers and Berliner Weisse. Now part of the Radeberger Gruppe. It isn't always totally clear in which of the two breweries - Berlin and Potsdam - any particular beer was brewed.

Oetker now owns both Brau und Brunnen and Radeberger, so both Kindl and Schultheiss.

The Berlin brewery is scheduled to close in 2006.


Lemkes Spezialitätenbrauerei GmbH
Dircksenstr.,
S-Bahnbogen 143,
10178 Berlin (Mitte)
Tel.: (030) 247 28 727
Fax: (030) 247 28 728
Email: lemkes-spezialitaeten-brauerei@t-online.de
Homepage: http://www.brauerei-lemke.de/

Founded:
Annual production:

Beer alc Description Score
Lemke Pilsner   Unfiltered Pils.  
Lemke Dunkles   Dark lager. Seasonal.  
Lemke Original   Dark lager - Schwarzbier.
Black colour with a tight head; wort, cream and malt aroma; neutral taste with yeast, burnt and malt aromas; bitterish finish with roast, burnt and coffee aromas.
An OK Schwarzbier, but the flavours are masked by too much suspended yeast. (Tasted 05.08.2005)		 53
Lemke Hefe-Weizen   Unfiltered pale wheat beer. Seasonal.  
Lemke Mai-Bock   Pale Bock. Seasonal - Spring.  
Lemke Herbst-Festbock   Bock. Seasonal - Autumn.  
Lemke Weihnachtsbier   Seasonal - christmas.  
Lemke Eisbock   Bock. Seasonal - Winter.  
Lemke Märzen   Amber lager - Märzen. Seasonal - March.  
Lemke Indian Pale Ale   IPA. Seasonal.
Hazy amber colour with a small head; biscuit, vanilla and grass aromas; sweetish/bitterish taste with caramel, biscuit and grass aromas; bitterish finish with yeast and caramel aromas.
OK, but a bit flat in the finish. Should be bitterer. (Tasted 05.08.2005)		 48

A brewpub at the Hackescher Markt that produces a variety of seasonal beers.


Brauerei Mitte
K.Liebknechtstr/R.Luxemburgstr 13,
10178 Berlin (Mitte).
Tel.: (030) 247 83 83
Fax: (030) 392 7522
Email: kontakt@leopoldsgruppe.de
Homepage: http://www.leopoldsgruppe.de/

Founded: 1993
Annual production: 1,700 hl

Beer alc Description
Helles   Pale lager.
Dunkles   Dark lager.

Brewpub on the first floor of a shopping centre close to Alexanderplatz S-bahn station. Formerly called Leopold's Brauhaus and before that Alexander Bräu.

Opening times:
Mon-Fri 10:00 - 24:00,
Sat-Sun 10:00 - 23:00.


Lindenbräu am Potsdamer Platz
Bellevuestraße 3-5,
10785 Berlin (in Sony-Center).
Tel.: (030) 2575 1280
Fax: (030) 2572 1299
E-Mail: info@lindenbraeu-berlin.de
Homepage: http://www.lindenbraeu-berlin.de/

Founded: 2000
Annual production:

Beer alc Plato Description score (100)
Helles   11º Unfiltered pale top-fermented beer.  
Weissbier   13º Unfiltered wheat beer.  

Brewpub.  It has a silver (yes that shiny precious metal) brewing kettle.  It's located in that masterpiece of modern architecture that has sprung up on Potsdamer  Platz.

Owned by Hofbräuhaus Traunstein.


Berliner Gasthausbrauerei "Luisen Bräu"
Luisenplatz 1,
10585 Berlin (by Schloß Charlottenburg)
Tel.: (030) 341 93 88
Fax: (030) 342 50 66
E-Mail: luisenbraeu@t-online.de
Homepage: http://www.cfchertha06.de/sponsor/luisenbraeu/

Founded: 1987
Annual production: 1,600 hl

Beer alc Description
Luisen-Bräu - Hell   Unfiltered pale lager.
Luisen-Bräu - Dunkel   Unfiltered dark lager.
Luisen-Bräu - Weizen   Unfiltered wheat beer.

Brewpub.


Marcus-Bräu,
Münzstr.1-3,
10178 Berlin.
Tel: (030) 2476985
Fax: (030) 6781 9433
Email: marcus-braeu@gmx.de
Homepage: http://www.marcus-braeu.de/

Founded: 1982
Annual production: 150 hl

Beer alc Description
Marcus-Bräu Pils Hell   Pils.
Marcus-Bräu Dunkel   Dark lager.
Honey-Sun   Honey beer. Seasonal.
Kriek   Cherry beer. Seasonal.
Merrens-Bock 7% Bock. Seasonal.

Brewpub, reputedly the smallest brewery in Berlin. The only brewery in Germany I know that is brave enough chuck the Reinheitsgebot in the dustbin (where it belongs).


Brauhaus in Rixdorf
Glasowerstrasse 27,
12051 Berlin.
Tel.: (030) 626 88 80
Fax: (030) 6284 0073
http://www.brauhaus-in-rixdorf.de/

Founded:
Annual production: 800 hl

Beer alc Description
Rix-Dunkel   Dark lager.
Rix-Hell   Pale lager.
Rix-Hefeweizen   Wheat beer - seasonal.
Rix-Festbiere   Seasonal.

Brewpub in Neukölln.


Schloßplatzbrauerei Cöpenick
Schloßplatz,
Berlin (Köpenick).

Founded: 2004
Annual production:

Brewpub in the historic suburb of Köpenick.


Schultheiss Brauerei AG
Indira-Gandhi-Str. 66-69,
13053 Berlin (Weißensee)
Tel.: (030) 960 9-0
Fax: (030) 925 24 45
Homepage: http://www.schultheiss.de/
http://www.berliner-pilsner.de/

Founded: 1842
Annual production: 1,471,000 hl (2002)

Beer alc Description
Schultheiss Original Berliner Weisse 3.3% Berliner weisse. Acidic aroma, very sour taste with lemon and hop aromas, sour finish. Uncompromisingly sour. Very nice, but not one for the unwary.
Berliner Pilsner 5% Pils. I was amazed to see that this beer sports a label similar in many ways to the ool DDR one. In particular, the bear holding a tray of beers (which I nicked for the background here - I never imagined anyone would ever use the design commercially again)
Schultheiss Pilsener 5% Pils.
Schultheiss Lager Schwarz 5% Dark lager - Schwarzbier..
Schultheiss Bock 6.5% Bock.
Engelhardt Pilsener
 5% Pils.
Aecht Patzenhofer
 5% Pale lager.

This appears to be the last brewery operated by Schultheiss in Berlin. It was founded as Brauerei Gabriel & Richter, specialised in weissbier and eventually became part of Kindl. Operated as a VEB in the DDR time and was then, surprisingly, bought as part of a job lot by Schultheiss.

Now part of Brau und Brunnen Verband.

Oetker now owns both Brau und Brunnen and Radeberger, so both Kindl and Schultheiss.

After the Kindl brewery's closure in 2006, its brands are scheduled to move here.


Brauhaus zu Spandau
Neuendorferstrasse 1,
13585 Berlin.
Tel.: (030) 353 9070
Fax: (030) 353 90711
Homepage: http://www.brauhaus-spandau.de/

Founded: 1995
Annual production: 2,500 hl

Beer alc Plato Description score (100)
Spandauer Havelbräu 5.2%   Unfiltered pale lager.
Dark yellow colour, small head, hazy; basil, mint, pepper and caramel aromas; bitter taste with wood, resin, basil and mint aromas; bitter finish with caramel, tea and pepper aromas.
A beautifully hoppy beer with a wonderful aroma. Similar to Christoffel Blond - which is praise indeed. (Tasted 07.08.2005)		 70
Spandauer Alt 5.2% 13.2º Alt.  
Spandauer Rotbier     Seasonal.  
Spandauer Märzen     Märzen. Seasonal - March.  
Spandauer Mondscheinbier     Seasonal.  
Spandauer Maibock     Unfiltered dark bock. Seasonal - Spring.  
Spandauer Dunkles Weizenbier     Dark unfiltered wheat beer. Seasonal - Summer.  
Spandauer Landbier     Dark lager. Seasonal - August.
Dark brown colour with a small head; straw, pepper and cchocolate aromas; neutral taste with chocolate, toffee and yeast aromas; bitterish finish with milk, roast and chocolate aromas.
A pleasant, slightly roasty dark beer.		 56
Spandauer Herbstbock Maronator     Unfiltered dark bock. Seasonal - Autumn.  
Spandauer Weihnachts-Festbier     Seasonal - Christmas.  

Large brewpub built in the former laundry for Spandau barracks. The building also include a small hotel.


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