Private brewery in Tauberbischofsheim-Distelhausen that brews its beers according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516
Distelhäuser Brauerei Ernst Bauer GmbH & Co. KG
Tauberbischofsheim-Distelhausen (Grünsfelder Straße 3)New on Amplifa
About Distelhäuser Brewery
Distelhäuser Brauerei Ernst Bauer GmbH & Co. KG is a mid-sized, family-run brewery in the Distelhausen district of Tauberbischofsheim in the Tauber Valley region. The company was founded in 1811 as Brauerei Wohmann; since 1876 it has been owned by the Bauer family and is now run by Moritz Bauer in the seventh generation. The site on the banks of the Tauber river, directly on the Romantic Road, includes the brewhouse, the filling plant, the Distelhäuser Brauhaus tavern and the Alte Füllerei event center. Brewing according to the German Purity Law of 1516, the brewery produces more than 14 beer varieties, including Pilsner, wheat beer, country beer, Märzen, Export, Helles, festival beer, winter bock as well as non-alcoholic beers and Radler shandies; since 2024 the Distel Strolch lemonade line has also been offered. The raw materials barley, wheat, spelt and hops come predominantly from the region, and the brewing water comes from the brewery's own well. Annual output in 2015 was around 185,000 hectoliters; the distribution area covers Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse. Since 2014 the brewery has been a member of Slow Brewing e.V. and was named Brewery of the Year by the DLG in 2009 and 2014.
- Site
- Tauberbischofsheim
- Processes
- Beer brewing (brewhouse, Purity Law of 1516), Bottling (filling plant/Alte Füllerei), Brewhouse tavern (Gastwirtschaft), Alte Füllerei event center, Experiential brewery tours, Online shop, Logistics/order service, Bauers Brotzeit (butcher's shop, according to English Wikipedia)
- Materials
- Barley, Wheat, Spelt, Hops, Water (own well)
- Certificates
- Slow Brewing (member/seal of quality for beer), Slow Brewing (seal of quality), DLG Brewery of the Year (2009, 2014), DLG quality tests for beer
- Founded
- 1811
- Industries
- Brewing, Beverage industry, Gastronomy, Events, Brewing / Beverage industry
- 01
Raw material sourcing (barley, wheat, spelt and hops from the region)
- 02
Water treatment from the brewery's own well
- 03
Brewing process in the brewhouse according to the Purity Law
- 04
Fermentation and maturation (cellar/storage)
- 05
Filling in the filling plant
- 06
Distribution and logistics
- 07
Brewhouse tavern, event center and experiential tours at the site
Raw materials
Barley
Regional primary raw material source for malt production, also featured on the Distelhäuser beer hiking trail.
Wheat
The basis of the wheat beers such as Hefeweizen, Kristallweizen and dark Hefeweizen.
Spelt
Seasonal beer variety, multiple award winner at the European Beer Star.
Hops
From a regional hop garden, provides the beers with bitterness and aroma.
Water (own well)
Brewing water from the brewery's own well in Distelhausen.
Site
Tauberbischofsheim-Distelhausen
DEHeadquarters, brewhouse, brewery premises with tavern and Alte Füllerei event center
- Materials
- Barley, wheat, spelt, hops, brewing water from own well
- Brewhouse (Sudhaus)
- Electric malt mill
- Filling plant (bottling)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer brewing (brewhouse, Purity Law of 1516) | – | – | – | approx. 185,000 hl/year | Barley, Wheat, Hops, Spelt, Water (own well) |
| Bottling (filling plant/Alte Füllerei) | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric malt mill | – | – | – | 1911 | Distelhausen |
| Brewhouse (Sudhaus) | – | – | – | 1911 | Distelhausen |
Additional services
Quality and Awards
The brewery brews according to the German Purity Law of 1516 and has been a member of Slow Brewing e.V. since 2014. Its seal of quality for beer has been awarded; in addition, the company received the DLG Brewery of the Year award in 2009 and 2014 as well as numerous medals at the DLG quality competition, World Beer Cup and European Beer Star.
| Evidence | Tauberbischofsheim-Distelhausen |
|---|---|
| Slow Brewing (seal of quality) | |
| DLG Brewery of the Year (2009, 2014) | |
| DLG quality tests for beer |
Company History
- 1811
Founded as Brauerei Wohmann; first documented record of a Distelhausen brewer
- 1876
Ernst Bauer acquires the Zum Stern inn including brewing rights; start of the family era
- 1905
Georg Bauer runs the brewery in the second generation
- 1906
One of the first German companies to use trucks instead of horse-drawn carts
- 1911
New building with brewhouse and electric malt mill
- 1926
Fritz Bauer takes over after the death of Georg Bauer
- 1954
Ernst Bauer takes over management; annual output rises to over 200,000 hl in the 1960s
- 1956
Introduction of employee profit sharing
- 2001
Opening of the service center in Erlenbach
- 2003
Launch of the Distelhäuser Club
- 2004
First Distelhäuser Genießermarkt with Slow Food on the brewery premises (until 2012)
- 2009
DLG Brewery of the Year award
- 2014
DLG Brewery of the Year again; member of Slow Brewing e.V.
- 2016
Distelhäuser beer hiking trail for the 500th anniversary of the Purity Law
- 2019
Closure of the Erlenbach service center
- 2023
Moritz Bauer leads the brewery in the 7th generation
- 2024
Introduction of the Distel Strolch lemonade line