Austria's oldest brewery – beer brewed with Mühlviertel organic raw materials, from strong beer to barrel-aged fruit sour beer
Brauerei Hofstetten Krammer GmbH & Co KG
St. Martin im Mühlkreis (AT)New on Amplifa
About the Brewery
Brauerei Hofstetten Krammer GmbH & Co KG in St. Martin im Mühlkreis (Upper Austria) is, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest brewery in Austria: a brewery was first documented in 1449 in the Urbar of Wallsee, and the Hofstetten estate as early as 1229. Since 1847 the business has been owned by the Krammer family and is today run in the fifth generation by Peter Krammer. The brewery produces more than 20 beer varieties per year – from Märzen, Pils and Zwickelbier to craft and strong beers such as the Granitbock, caramelized with glowing granite stones, through to barrel-aged fruit sour beer. Around 40 percent of the range consists of organic beers, brewed with 100 percent raw materials from the Mühlviertel region (organic winter barley from about 15–20 local farmers, organic hops from the Mühlviertel). Brewing takes place in the new, fully automated brewhouse (in operation since 2016, around 50 percent energy savings) as well as by hand in the historic brewhouse of 1929; bottle filling is outsourced to the Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl. In 2016 output was 8,000 hectoliters; exports to the USA began in 2008.
- Site
- St. Martin im Mühlkreis
- Processes
- Brewing in the brewhouse, Craft brewing in the historic brewhouse of 1929 (e.g. Granitbock, Original Hochzeitsbier), Bottle filling (outsourced to the Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl), Barrel aging (barrel-aged fruit sour beer), Brewery tours with tasting (from 10 people, tasting room for up to 60 people), Farm-gate sales, Delivery with own trucks or haulage contractors, Telephone sales
- Materials
- Munich malt, Organic winter barley (Mühlviertel), Organic hops (Mühlviertel)
- Certificates
- Organic control body, Organic control body (AT-BIO-402)
- Founded
- 1229
- Industries
- Brewing / beverage industry, Gastronomy, Retail
- 01
Raw material sourcing (organic winter barley, organic hops from the Mühlviertel)
- 02
Mash and wort in the brewhouse
- 03
Fermentation & maturation
- 04
Filling (bottles: Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl; kegs)
- 05
Farm-gate sales, telephone sales and delivery with own trucks or haulage
Raw Materials & Brewing Process
Munich malt
Used, for example, in the Original Hochzeitsbier von 1810, brewed with 100 % Munich malt in the historic brewhouse of 1929.
Organic winter barley (Mühlviertel)
Grown by around 15 organic farmers from the surrounding communities; shapes the full-bodied character of, for example, the Bio Kübelbier.
Organic hops (Mühlviertel)
Provides the fine bitter note of the organic beers with 100 percent raw materials from the region.
Locations
St. Martin im Mühlkreis
ATBrewery, administration, farm-gate sales
- Materials
- Munich malt, organic winter barley, organic hops
- Brewhouse (historic, 1929)
- Brewhouse (new, fully automated, 2016)
Beer Varieties & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewing in the brewhouseEngineering | – | – | – | – | Munich malt, Organic barley, Organic hops |
| Craft brewing in the historic brewhouse of 1929 (e.g. Granitbock, Original Hochzeitsbier)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Munich malt, Organic barley, Organic hops |
| Bottle filling (outsourced to the Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Barrel aging (barrel-aged fruit sour beer)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewhouse (historic) | – | 1 | – | 1929 | St. Martin im Mühlkreis |
| Brewhouse (new, fully automated) | – | 1 | – | 2016 | St. Martin im Mühlkreis |
Additional services
Quality & Organic Control
The brewery is certified as an organic operation (organic control no. AT-BIO-402). Around 40 percent of the range is brewed in organic quality with 100 percent raw materials from the Mühlviertel region.
| Evidence | St. Martin im Mühlkreis |
|---|---|
| Organic control body (AT-BIO-402) |
History
- 1229
First documented mention of the Hofstetten estate (seat of the Piberstein lordship, inn on the Via Regia/salt road)
- 1449
First explicit mention of a brewery in the Urbar of Wallsee; basis for the Guinness Book entry as the oldest brewery in Austria
- 1560
Earliest surviving brewery coat of arms on a pewter plate
- 1847
Kaspar Krammer takes over the indebted estate; start of the Krammer family era
- 1929
Capacity expansion with a new (now historic) brewhouse
- 1998
Peter Krammer takes over from his father Franz; bottle filling is relocated to the Stiftsbrauerei Schlägl
- 1999
Expansion of the hospitality offering, conversion of the tasting room for up to 60 people
- 2008
Exports to the USA begin; output rose from 5,000 to 5,700 hl between 2000 and 2008
- 2014
Production of 7,000 hectoliters
- 2015
Construction of the new brewhouse
- 2016
Commissioning of the new brewhouse (50 % energy savings); output 8,000 hl
- 2021
Member of the association of (Independent) Private Breweries of Austria; approx. 40 % organic share of the range