Bitburger Brewery (Bitburger Brauerei Th. Simon GmbH) is a large
German brewery in
Bitburg
Bitburg (; ; ) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg (city), Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem Air Base i ...
,
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
. Founded in 1817 by Johann Wallenborn, its
Pilsner
Pilsner (also pilsener or simply pils) is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzeň (), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Brewery.
History
...
is the
third best-selling in Germany, and the nation's top-selling
draught beer
Draught beer, also spelt draft, is beer served from a cask or keg rather than from a bottle or can. Draught beer served from a pressurised keg is also known as
Name
Until Joseph Bramah patented the beer engine in 1785, beer was served ...
.
History

Johann Peter Wallenborn (1784–1839) founded the brewery in
Bitburg
Bitburg (; ; ) is a city in Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate approximately 25 km (16 mi.) northwest of Trier and 50 km (31 mi.) northeast of Luxembourg (city), Luxembourg city. The American Spangdahlem Air Base i ...
in 1817 at the age of 33. His father owned a brewery in
Kyllburg
Kyllburg () is a town in the Waldeifel region in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Eifel mountains, on the river Kyll, approximately 10 km north-east of Bitburg.
Kyllburg was the seat o ...
. Three years after Wallenborn's death in 1839, Ludwig Bertrand Simon (1813–1869) married Wallenborn's daughter Elisabeth (1819–1891) and became owner of the brewery, naming it Simonbräu. Their son, Theobald Simon (1847–1924), took over the brewery in 1876 at the age of 29.
Product range
Bitburger is a 4.8%
abv
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest of the solution, ...
Pilsner
Pilsner (also pilsener or simply pils) is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the Bohemian city of Plzeň (), where the world's first pale lager (now known as Pilsner Urquell) was produced in 1842 by Pilsner Urquell Brewery.
History
...
with annual sales of .
It is a popular beer throughout western Germany, and is favored in many areas of
North Rhine Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
even over
Alt
Alt or ALT may refer to:
Abbreviations for words
* Alt account, an alternative online identity also known as a sock puppet account
* Alternate character, in online gaming
* Alternate route, type of highway designation
* Alternating group, mathem ...
beer or
Kölsch, which are popular in
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...
and
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
.
In Germany, there are also variations of the original beer, mostly beermixes, available. "Bit Sun" (a light beer), "Cola Libre" (beer and cola and rum-lemon-flavour), "Bit Copa" (beer and
lime and
cachaça
''Cachaça'' () is a Liquor, distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as ''pinga'', ''caninha'', and other names, it is the most popular spirit in Brazil.Cavalcante, Messias Soares. Todos os nomes da cachaça. São Pau ...
) and "Bit Passion" (beer and
pomegranate
The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, Punicoideae, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have o ...
). There is also a
malzbier called "Kandimalz" and "Bitburger Alkoholfrei" (sold as Bitburger 'Drive' in
English-speaking countries), a non-alcoholic version of the normal "Bitburger".
It is exported throughout the world. It is also available in
mini kegs in some countries, such as Australia. In the US, it's available in 500 mL (16.9 US fl oz) cans, 330 mL (11.2 US fl oz) bottles, the mini keg, and on tap in select locations.
Advertising
The company
slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan or a political, commercial, religious, or other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group ...
is, "Bitte ein Bit." This is literally, "Please, a Bit," or "A Bit, please." In the 1970s, a second slogan was introduced, "Abends Bit, morgens fit" ("Bit in the evening, fit in the morning") implying that the consumption would not lead to a hangover. During that time either of the slogans could be found on Bitburger glasses.
The brand sponsored the
German Football Association
The German Football Association ( ; DFB ) is the governing body of Association football, football, futsal, and beach soccer in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB has jurisdiction for the German football league system and ...
from 1992 until 2018. It also sponsored
Benetton Formula One in 1994 and 1995, where German driver
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
won the
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
championship both seasons.
See also
*
List of brewing companies in Germany
This is a list of brewing companies in Germany. Beer plays a significant role in the German culture, and for many years, German beer was brewed in strict adherence to the '' Reinheitsgebot'', a regulation that permitted only water, hops, yeast, a ...
*
*
*
References
External links
Official site(English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bitburger Brewery
German companies established in 1817
Breweries in Germany
Beer brands of Germany
Companies based in Rhineland-Palatinate