Top 10 oldest breweries in the world
Brewing is one of the longest-running global industries, with the world’s oldest still operating now nearly 1,000 years old. Luxembourg, Belgium, Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, and Germany all claim a brewery as their oldest company still in operation. db looks at the 10 oldest that are still functioning, all of which predate the Renaissance, the printing press and the fall of Constantinople.
1. Weihenstephan Brewery: 1040 – Germany
The oldest brewery in the world predates the Norman conquest. Founded in 1040, this Bavarian State Brewery was then the monastery brewery of the Benedictine monks. Now operating as a state-directed enterprise under the control of the Bavarian Government, it specialises in classic German wheat beers.
2. Weltenburg Abbey Brewery: 1050 – Germany
Coming up just short of the “World’s Oldest Brewery” title is the Weltenburg Abbey Brewery, though it does make the claim of being the world’s oldest monastic brewery. Located at a bend of the Danube river, Weltenburg also brews damn-good wheat beers, but is particularly famous for its Barock-Dunkel dark beer.
3. Affligem Brewery: 1074 – Belgium
Affligem Brewery was founded in 1074, when six knights, tired of the hectic early medieval period, became monks, started an abbey, and brewed beer for their guests. Today the monks are still intrinsically linked with the brewing process – serving an important function as quality keepers of their beer collection, which ranges from a rich and smooth Blonde to a full-bodied Triple.
4. Bolten Brewery: 1266 – Germany
Bolten Brewery is located in the Rhineland in western Germany, an area of particular contention during the inter-war years. The brewery specialises in Altbier, a copper-coloured traditional German beer, distinctive in being top-fermented. Alongside two altbier variants, the brewery produces: a wheat beer; two bottom-fermented, less hopped light beers; a heavily hopped pilsner; a seasonal special dark beer during Advent and a sweet, non-alcoholic malt beer.
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5. Gaffel Kölsch: 1302 – Germany
Gaffel Kölsch traces its roots to a brewery at Eigelstein 41 in Cologne, first documented in 1302, over a decade before the Scots won independence from the English at Bannockburn. Situated next to the city’s world-renowned cathedral, the brewery specialises in Kölsch beer, a light and crisp ale/lager hybrid. Today, Cologne’s oldest brewery remains incredibly prolific – for every third tapped Kölsch worldwide is a Gaffel Kölsch.
6. Augustiner Bräu: 1328 – Germany
Beer is firmly ingrained in Bavarian culture, perhaps more so than in any other German region. Images circulate each Oktoberfest of overjoyed Bayern Munich FC players clad in lederhosen, clutching steins of the stuff. The title of the area’s oldest independent brewery goes to Augustiner Bräu, which while not having as established a global reputation as their competitors Paulaner, has a cult following in Munich for their specialty lagers.
7. Pivovar Broumov (Olivětín Monastery Brewery): 1348 – Czech Republic
In the same year the Black Death hit the British Isles, this Czech brewery near the Polish border was founded. Originally located inside a Benedictine Monastery, in 1712 the church moved the brewery to a separate site where it now stands. Only a small brewery, their specialty aromatic, extra-hopped lager is a certified hit in northern Czech towns.
8. Franziskaner: 1363 – Germany
Having since merged with the nearly as old Spatenbrau (1397) in 1922 and Löwenbräu in 1996, Franziskaner, while originally located opposite a Franciscan monastery, is Bavaria’s oldest civil brewery. The Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu brand is now world-renowned within the industry, producing beers such as a classic Munich lager and a citrusy wheat beer.
9. Stella Artois (originally Den Hoorn): 1366 – Belgium
While Stella as a brand didn’t exist until 1926, its roots go back to Den Hoorn Brewery, which has operated since the 14th century. The most famous entrant on the list has been brewing beer before the foundation of the Aztec empire, long before the brand became a staple of boozers in Belgium, Britain and beyond.
10. Lowenbrau: 1383 – Germany
Claiming to be founded in 1383, this list’s spring chicken still predates the Tudors by over a century. Translating to “lion’s brew”, their name is derived from the brewery’s original location, the late 14th-century Löwengrube (Lion’s Den) brewpub in Munich. They produce a diverse range of different beers, specialising, like various others on this list, in traditional Munich Helles lager.
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There are some very old breweries in Asia, albeit, over 150 years old. In Pakistan, India, Myanmar and others. Perhaps a survey will turn up more. Just for the records.
As a young, lad I worked for short time in the old Anchor brewery in the Mile End Road, East End of London (300+ years old). My favourites were the traditional bottom-fermented ales which we would pinch by lowering a bucket by rope into open vat. The only thing better was drinking the remaining few pints left in the returned traditional wooden barrels which the brewery used to send out to special customers. Absolutely delicious!