Krombacher Brewery, one of Germany's leading brewing groups, is set to roll out the Starnberger Hell,, an authentic Bavarian lager-style specialty, across several European countries and regions. These include France, Italy, the UK, and South-East Europe, with the rollout scheduled to commence in March 2024. Plans for expansion into other regions worldwide are also in the pipeline.
Crafted in accordance with the German Purity Law using only the finest Bavarian ingredients, Starnberger Hell is brewed with pure water sourced from deep wells in the lush environs of Lake Starnberg, hops from the Hallertau region, and malt from two Bavarian malthouses. Boasting an alcohol by volume (abv) of 4.8%, this beer offers an easy-drinking, finely-flavored, and refreshing Bavarian lager. Over the past decade, this style of beer has rapidly gained popularity in the German beer market.
In a bid to capitalize on the success of this beer category, Krombacher Brauerei acquired a minority stake in the promising Bavarian craft brewery situated on and named after the famously picturesque Lake Starnberg in Bavaria in July 2020 (inside.beer, 20.7.2020). One year later, Krombacher began distributing the beer beyond Bavaria. As part of larger investments for a new brewery, Krombacher increased its stake earlier this year to 40%, with founder Florian Schuh retaining the remainder.
Originally located in Berg, a small village 35km southwest of Munich, the brewery experienced remarkable growth and outgrew its space within just five years. Upon relocating to Feldafing, on the opposite side of Lake Starnberg in 2020, the brewery established a partnership with Krombacher Brewery.
Sales for the brewery reached 43,000 hectoliters in 2022, and it is anticipated that the maximum capacity of the Feldafing facility, at 100,000 hectoliters, will also prove insufficient. Consequently, efforts are currently underway to construct a new facility in the Starnberg industrial area of Schorn, although this is currently hindered by various administrative restrictions.
Commenting on the international rollout, Oliver Braun, Managing Director of Krombacher International, stated, “With growing interest in regional German beer styles, we are thrilled to offer European consumers a 100% authentic taste of Bavaria from one of the region’s most exciting breweries. The addition of Starnberger Hell to our already popular and successful Krombacher beer portfolio ensures that we have one of the most diverse and appealing selections of German beers in international markets.”
