Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH

About Bitburger Braugruppe

Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH, headquartered in Bitburg in the Eifel region, is a German brewery group that emerged from the Bitburger Brewery founded in 1817. The group comprises the brands Bitburger, König Pilsener, Köstritzer, Licher as well as the regional brands Königsbacher and Nette Pils and the Malzbier brand Kandi Malz; in addition, there is a distribution partnership with Benediktiner Weißbräu GmbH, whose beers are mostly produced at the Licher brewery. The group operates brewery sites in Bitburg, Lich, Eisenberg (Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei) and Duisburg (König-Brauerei). According to the company, around 1.2 million hectoliters of Bitburger Pils are sold annually, nationwide as well as exported internationally. Since 2018, the group has jointly operated the joint venture Kollex with Krombacher and Coca-Cola European Partners Deutschland, providing digital services for the beverage wholesale trade and the out-of-home market. The parent company of the brewery group and of Bitburger Holding is Th. Simon GmbH & Co. KG, through which the Simon family bundles its business activities.

Site

Bitburg

Processes

Digital services for the beverage wholesale trade and the out-of-home market (Kollex joint venture), GFGH portal with price lists and statistics for the specialist wholesale trade, Distribution partnership (Benediktiner Weißbräu, production at the Licher brewery), Distribution of Königsbacher and Nette Edel Pils (produced in Bitburg since 2024)

Materials

GFGH Portal

Founded

1817

Industries

Brewing/Beverage industry, Beverage wholesale trade, Out-of-home market (gastronomy), Sponsoring/Event marketing

1. 01

   Brewery/Production

2. 02

   Distribution Beverage Wholesale Trade

3. 03

   Out-of-Home Market (Gastronomy)

4. 04

   Export

Products and Distribution Services

Locations

Brands and Products

Inside the production

History

1. 1817

   Founding of the Bitburger Brewery by Johann Peter Wallenborn in Bitburg

2. 1842

   Ludwig Bertrand Simon takes over the brewery after marrying Wallenborn's daughter (Simonbräu)

3. 1876

   Theobald Simon takes over the brewery

4. ab ca. 1988

   Expansion of the product portfolio through acquisitions of other breweries (including Schultheis Brauerei Weißenthurm)

5. 1991

   Acquisition of the Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei in Thuringia

6. 1993

   Nationwide launch of Köstritzer Schwarzbier

7. 1994

   New uniform outdoor advertising; sponsorship of the Benetton Formula 1 team with Michael Schumacher

8. 2002

   Acquisition of the Wernesgrüner Brauerei (resold to Carlsberg in 2020)

9. 2004

   Acquisition of the König-Brauerei Duisburg and the Licher Privatbrauerei; discontinuation of the Schultheis brand

10. 2010

    Acquisition of the national distribution rights to Königsbacher and Nette Edel Pils

11. 2014

    Fine of €106.5 million imposed by the Federal Cartel Office due to price agreements (beer cartel 2006–2008)

12. 2018

    Founding of the joint venture Kollex with Krombacher and Coca-Cola European Partners Deutschland

13. 2024

    Following the insolvency of the Koblenzer Brauerei, Königsbacher and Nette Edel Pils are brewed in Bitburg