Family brewery in Hachenburg that brews beers and non-alcoholic beverages in the Pilsner style with 100% aroma hops.
Westerwald-Brauerei H. Schneider GmbH & Co. KG
Hachenburg (DE)New on Amplifa
About Westerwald-Brauerei
The Westerwald-Brauerei H. Schneider GmbH & Co. KG is an owner-managed family brewery in Hachenburg (Rhineland-Palatinate) that has existed since 1861 and distributes its products under the Hachenburger and Westerwald Bräu brands. The beer is brewed with 100% aroma hops, and the beers mature for six weeks at −1 °C. The brewing water comes from the brewery's own spring in the Rothbachtal nature reserve. The range comprises twelve beer varieties, including Pils, wheat beer, Zwickel and Hell, as well as non-alcoholic beverages such as lemonades and cola, which account for around 20% of revenue in 2026. The brewery employs just over 90 staff and 13 apprentices (Wikipedia cites approx. 120 employees for 2026). In addition to production, it operates the Hachenburger Erlebnis-Brauerei (experiential brewery) with guided tours, a festival and rental service for events, and a leasing exchange for hospitality properties. Sales are focused on the Westerwald and neighbouring regions to the hospitality sector and specialist as well as food retail; exports to China have existed since 2012.
- Site
- Hachenburg
- Processes
- Experiential brewery (brewery tours, since 1998), Festival and rental service (event equipment, Hopfomaten beer dispensers, bars, serving carts), Leasing exchange (hospitality properties), Logistics/distribution (partly electric trucks), CO₂ recovery (up to 500 t of fermentation CO₂/year)
- Materials
- 100% aroma hops, Rothbachtal spring water
- Certificates
- Common good certification (since 2019), Climate-neutral Scope 1–3 (since 2021), 100% recyclable materials recycling (since 2022)
- Founded
- 1861
- Employees
- approx. 120 (2026)
- Industries
- Brewing/beverages, Hospitality, Specialist and food retail, Events
- 01
Brewing water from the brewery's own spring in the Rothbachtal
- 02
Brewhouse (100 hl, BrauKon)
- 03
Fermentation
- 04
Maturation for 6 weeks at −1 °C
- 05
Filling (bottle, can, keg)
- 06
Logistics/distribution (partly electric trucks)
- 07
Sales to hospitality/retail
- 08
Export (China)
Brewing method and raw materials
100% aroma hops
Since 2011, only aroma hops instead of bitter hops have been used, partly from the brewery's own cultivation.
Rothbachtal spring water
The brewery's own spring in the Rothbachtal nature reserve provides pure, soft brewing water as the basis for the beers.
Locations
Hachenburg
DEBrewery, administration, experiential brewery
- Brewhouse 100 hl (BrauKon)
- CO₂ recovery system (up to 500 t/year, since 2024)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewhouse (100 hl) | BrauKon | 1 | – | – | Hachenburg |
| CO2 recovery system (up to 500 t of fermentation CO2/year) | – | – | – | 2024 | Hachenburg |
Additional services
Quality and Sustainability
The brewery pursues a strict quality philosophy with 100% aroma hops and six weeks of maturation at −1 °C. Hachenburger beers have been awarded gold medals by the DLG and Monde Selection multiple times.
| Evidence | Hachenburg |
|---|---|
| Common good certification (since 2019) | |
| Climate-neutral Scope 1–3 (since 2021) | |
| 100% recyclable materials recycling (since 2022) |