Bavarian vinegar brewery that has been brewing over 60 vinegar specialties by hand from regional raw materials since 1950.
Kriegl-Essig GmbH & Co. KG
94431 Pilsting · GermanyNew on Amplifa
The Kriegl Vinegar Brewery from Pilsting
Kriegl-Essig GmbH & Co. KG is a family-run vinegar brewery based in Pilsting in Lower Bavaria. Since 15 November 1950, the company has been brewing fermented vinegar; today its range includes over 60 vinegar specialties, including classic traditional base vinegars, gourmet vinegars, organic vinegars, drinking balsamics, punch and gift packaging. Production follows old family recipes using the traditional brewing process: fermentation on beechwood rolled shavings as well as by the submerged method, followed by a long maturation period in wooden barrels made from Upper Austrian mountain larch. The water comes from the company's own deep artesian well; the raw materials used are predominantly regional, such as apple wine from direct juice, wines, fruit wines and beer, most of which are harvested by hand and individually checked manually. In addition to organic vinegars under the EU Organic Regulation (DE-ÖKO-006), the manufactory offers customer-specific recipes, packaging and laboratory analyses. The products are sold in specialist retail, organic food retail, gastronomy and to bulk consumers, and are delivered throughout Europe as well as to the USA, Japan and Thailand.
- Site
- Pilsting
- Processes
- Vinegar production by fermentation on beechwood rolled shavings, Vinegar production by the submerged method, Maturation/storage of vinegar in larchwood barrels (wooden barrel aging), Production of balsamico variants by reduction with concentrated fruit juice (classic, Bottling in glass bottles (40 ml to 1 liter), canisters (5/10/25 l), 220 l deposit barrel, 1000 l, Customer-specific recipes and packaging options, Biophysical and energetic processes (Vital Energetic) in vinegar production, Customer-specific recipes
- Materials
- Apple wine / apple juice (direct juice), Grape must / grape juice concentrate, Distilled spirit (brandy), Red wine, White wine / Riesling wine, Fruit wine (raspberry, cherry, peach, blackcurrant), Beer (wheat malt, barley malt, hops), Water from the company's own deep artesian well
- Certificates
- EU Organic Regulation VO (EU) 2018/848 (organic certification, DE-ÖKO-006), Organic certification DE-ÖKO-006 (VO (EU) 2018/848), Food law regulations and hygienic standards
- Founded
- 1950
- Industries
- Food/delicatessen (vinegar manufactory), Organic food retail, Specialist retail, Gastronomy, Bulk consumers
- 01
Raw material selection and manual inspection
- 02
Fermentation on beechwood rolled shavings or by the submerged method
- 03
Maturation and storage in larchwood barrels
- 04
Biophysical and energetic processes
- 05
In-house laboratory: analyses and certificates
- 06
Bottling in glass bottles, canisters, barrels, IBCs or in bulk by tank truck
- 07
Shipping via delivery service or freight forwarder
Raw Materials and Production Processes
Apple wine / apple juice (direct juice)
The basis of KRIEGL apple vinegar made from the direct juice of sun-ripened, whole apples.
Grape must / grape juice concentrate
Raw material for balsamico variants such as Condimento Balsamico Bianco and fruit balsamico.
Distilled spirit (brandy)
Basic ingredient of spirit vinegar produced in the traditional brewing process.
Red wine
Starting material for red wine vinegar and fruit balsamico variants.
White wine / Riesling wine
Basis of the Balsam vinegar with Riesling wine matured in larchwood barrels.
Fruit wine (raspberry, cherry, peach, blackcurrant)
Pure fruit wines are fermented into fine gourmet vinegars.
Beer (wheat malt, barley malt, hops)
Base of the balsamico-like specialty Beer Malzamico.
Water from the company's own deep artesian well
Guarantees safety and a consistently mild taste.
Beechwood rolled shavings
Fermentation material for the traditional biological acidification.
Larchwood (mountain larch from Upper Austria)
Barrels and vats give the vinegars their rounded bouquet through long maturation.
Pilsting Site
Pilsting
DEHeadquarters, production and manufactory
- Materials
- Apple wine, grape must, distilled spirit, red wine, white wine, fruit wine, beer
- Own fermentation on beechwood rolled shavings
- Submerged method
- Maturation in larchwood barrels
- In-house laboratory
- Company-owned tank truck
Products and Vinegar Specialties
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinegar production by fermentation on beechwood rolled shavingsFood production | – | – | – | – | Distilled spirit, Apple wine, Wine |
| Vinegar production by the submerged methodFood production | – | – | – | – | Apple wine, Wine, Beer, Fruit wine |
| Maturation/storage of vinegar in larchwood barrels (wooden barrel aging)Food production | – | – | – | – | Vinegar, Balsam vinegar with Riesling wine, Red wine vinegar, Raspberry vinegar |
| Production of balsamico variants by reduction with concentrated fruit juice (classicFood production | – | – | – | – | Fruit wine, Grape must |
| Bottling in glass bottles (40 ml to 1 liter), canisters (5/10/25 l), 220 l deposit barrel, 1000 lFood production | – | – | – | – | Vinegar |
| Customer-specific recipes and packaging optionsFood production | – | – | – | – | Vinegar |
| Biophysical and energetic processes (Vital Energetic) in vinegar productionFood production | – | – | – | – | Vinegar |
Additional services
Quality and Certification
Production complies with food law regulations and hygienic standards for product safety. Organic vinegar production is regularly inspected by recognized certification bodies and is certified under the Organic Regulation VO (EU) 2018/848 with the label DE-ÖKO-006; customer-specific laboratory analyses and certificates are prepared in the in-house laboratory.
| Evidence | Pilsting |
|---|---|
| Organic certification DE-ÖKO-006 (VO (EU) 2018/848) | |
| Food law regulations and hygienic standards |
Company History
- 1950
On 15 November 1950, Ludwig Kriegl, a trained confectioner, began his own vinegar production with his wife Anna and their 12 children.
- 1976
On 1 January 1976, the company founders handed the vinegar brewery over to their son Peter Kriegl, who has led the company ever since and continuously expanded it.
- 1990
Kriegl was the first vinegar brewery in Germany to produce vinegars not only from apple wine but also from raw materials of organically controlled cultivation.
- 2010
60th anniversary with an event on 5 September 2010.
- 2015
65 years of Kriegl Essig with an open day on 11.10.2015.
- 2024
Balsam vinegar with Riesling wine received the top rating of 5 stars at the vinegar and oil tasting of the magazine Garten & Haus (November/December 2024 issue).