Germany’s beer market is shrinking; Bavaria’s heritage players are regrouping. Schneider Weisse plans to acquire the Brauerei Bischofshof and Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg brands as of 1 January 2027. For international readers: this brings together a globally known wheat‑beer house, a historic city brewery from UNESCO‑listed Regensburg, and one of the world’s oldest monastic brewhouses.
The deal at a glance
- Brand rights: Schneider Weisse will acquire the Bischofshof and Weltenburger brands (price undisclosed).
- Sites: Bischofshof’s Regensburg brewery is slated to close on 31 December 2026 (currently ~56 employees).
- What continues: The Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg (founded 1050) and Bischofshof’s logistics unit (21 employees) will continue under Schneider Weisse.
- Production: Brewing will be consolidated at Kelheim (Schneider’s home) and Weltenburg. Capacity in Kelheim will be adapted accordingly.
- Drinkers and trade partners: Recipes and brand management stay in Bavarian hands. Expect production to come from Kelheim and Weltenburg; the goal is steadier supply and clearer international positioning — minus the loss of character.
Why this move matters beyond Bavaria
The German beer market has been in long decline. Over the last decade, shipments dropped from 95.6 to 82.6 million hl(2015→2025) — roughly 14%. For 15 straight months, volumes trailed the previous year. In short: efficiency now decides who stays in the game. Bundling logistics, procurement and sales under one roof aims to keep classic labels visible internationally without outsourcing identity.
Who’s who — a quick primer for global readers
Schneider Weisse (Kelheim): Bavaria’s oldest wheat‑beer brewery and a global reference for Weissbier, founded in 1872; the historic Weisses Bräuhaus in Kelheim has brewed wheat beer for centuries and has been in Schneider family hands since 1928. Schneider is best known for bottle‑conditioned Weissbiers such as Mein Original and Aventinus (the pioneering Weizen‑Doppelbock).
Weltenburg Klosterbrauerei (Weltenburg): Brewing since 1050 — widely cited as the oldest monastic breweryin the world. (For context: nearby Weihenstephan in Freising, licensed in 1040, is broadly recognized as the world’s oldest continuously operating brewery.)
Brauerei Bischofshof (Regensburg): City brewery founded in 1649 in Regensburg, whose medieval old town (with Stadtamhof) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. The local logistics arm remains, even as the Regensburg brewhouse is set to close.
Read between the lines
Will scale alone save heritage? Unlikely. But smart consolidation buys time and focus — on quality, distinctiveness, and export markets where “Bavarian” still means something. If tradition is to last, it must also perform on a balance sheet. This deal tries both.
A closing thought
From the Danube gorge at Weltenburg to the fermenters in Kelheim: three names under one roof, one shared promise. Raise a glass — the label may move, the story remains.
Photo and source: © Schneider Weisse
