Private brewery in Freistadt producing around 160,000 hl of Freistädter Bier and approx. 20,000 hl of non-alcoholic beverages per year

Braucommune in Freistadt

Freistadt, Upper AustriaNew on Amplifa

1777Founded

150Employees (as of 2025)

ca. 160.000 hl beer / ca. 20.000 hlAnnual capacity

Largest private brewery in Upper AustriaMarket position

100 % independent and free of corporateOwnership structure

About Braucommune Freistadt

The Braucommune in Freistadt is a brewery in Freistadt, Upper Austria, organized in the legal form of a civil-law community (bürgerliche Gemeinschaft). It produces around 160,000 hectoliters of beer of the Freistädter brand and approx. 20,000 hl of non-alcoholic beverages annually, making it the largest private brewery in Upper Austria. The company is 100 % independent and free of corporate group affiliation and employs around 150 staff as of 2025. Beer is brewed with Mühlviertel primeval rock water, 100 % Mühlviertel hops, and brewing barley from the Weinviertel and Upper Austria; the raw materials come entirely from Austria. Raw material partners include Saatbau Linz, Plohberger Malz GmbH and STAMAG Stadlauer Malzfabrik. The delivery area covers the Mühlviertel, the greater Linz area, Wels, Steyr, the surrounding Waldviertel and Vienna. In addition to the brewery, the company operates a brewhouse restaurant (gastronomy), a visitor world with tours and tastings, an online shop, and since 1988 the Brauhaus-Galerie as an art forum in the historic brewing building.

Site: Freistadt, Upper Austria
Processes: Brewhouse restaurant (gastronomy), Visitor world / tours and tastings, Online shop, Brewery gallery (art forum)
Materials: Bio Zwickl, Lager, Märzen, Rotschopf, Imperator
Founded: 1777
Employees: 150
Industries: Beverage industry / Brewing

01
Raw material procurement (brewing barley, malt, hops, brewing water)
02
Brewhouse / mashing
03
Wort boiling
04
Fermentation
05
Maturation
06
Filtration
07
Filling
08
Distribution

Raw Materials & Brewing Process

Bio Zwickl

Orange with Zwickl haze, 4.7 % alcohol by volume.

Lager

Sparkling gold with white, soft foam, 3.9 % alcohol by volume.

Märzen

Bright and fine, golden with creamy foam, 4.8 % alcohol by volume.

Rotschopf

Copper-shimmering with a creamy foam crown, 5.6 % alcohol by volume.

Imperator

Doppelbock with golden-orange reflections, 8.2 % alcohol by volume.

Locations

Freistadt

Brewery / Braucommune

Beer Specialties

**Ratsherrn Premium**5.2 % ABV · Brewing

Inside the production

Industries

Beverage industry / Brewing

Additional services

Brewhouse restaurant (gastronomy)Visitor world / tours and tastingsOnline shopBrewery gallery (art forum)

Reference customers

Saatbau LinzPlohberger Malz GmbHSTAMAG Stadlauer Malzfabrik

History

1363
Duke Rudolf IV grants Freistadt the mile right; every house owner within the city walls receives brewing rights
1573
Construction of the municipal wheat beer brewhouse
1770
Citizens acquire the municipal wheat beer house; start of construction of the new brewhouse
1777
The year on the main gate ("Erbauet 1777") is regarded as the founding year of the Braucommune
1780
New brewhouse inaugurated; first brew of brown beer on 4 March
1885
Technization: steam operation with coal firing, conversion of the brewhouse, construction of a new brewhouse with cooling house
1907
Workers' strike at the brewery
1988
Founding of the Brauhaus-Galerie
2021
Co-founding of the Association of Independent Private Breweries of Austria