Karlsberg (Brewery)

Karlsberg is one of the largest breweries in Germany. It is called Karlsbräu outside of Germany to differentiate it from the Danish brewing company Carlsberg.

History

Established 1878 in the city of Homburg, Saarland (then part of Bavaria), the brewery was named after the nearby hill and castle (the castle was built in 1755 and later destroyed by french revolutionary troops). Karlsberg's ownership has been handed down through generations. The current owner, Richard Weber, is the great grandson of the brewery‘s founder.

Main brand

Karlsberg‘s many different beer styles include
* "Ur-Pils", a regionally very popular ale produced with a lot of hops (thus, it is especially bitter)
* "Desperados", a tequila flavored beer
* "MiXery", a mixture of beer and cola (and a secret third ingredient, called "X").

The Karlsberg Group

The Karlsberg Group also owns and distributes other beer brands, among them "Königsbacher" in Koblenz and the french brewery "Brasserie de Saverne". The juice producers "Merziger", "Klindworth" and "Niehoffs Vaihinger" belong to the company. In 2001 Karlsberg acquired controlling interest in the "Mineralbrunnen Überkingen-Teinach" company from Nestlé, including Afri-Cola and the mineral water brands "Staatlich Fachingen" and "Hirschquelle" out of the Black Forest. Alcohol-free drinks today make up more than 50% of the company‘s turnover (of 691 Million Euros in the fiscal year 2004/05).

External links

* [http://www.karlsberg.org Karlsberg Group]
* [http://www.karlsberg.de Karlsberg Brewery Homepage (in German)]
* [http://www.mixery.de MiXery (in German)]