Private company

Kulmbacher Brewery

Logo: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Kulmbacher_Brauerei_lgoo.svg, Non-free logo, via Wikipedia4

German brewery

The Kulmbach Brewery Corporation (German: Kulmbacher Brauerei AG) was founded in 1895 under the name Reichelbräu in Kulmbach, a city in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany.2 It employed 927 people in 2018.1 Its revenue was €232 million in 2018.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1846Founded1
  • Industrybrewing industry, food and tobacco industry1
  • HeadquartersKulmbach1
  • Websitewww.kulmbacher.de
  • Legal formAktiengesellschaft1
  • LEI529900R5UW2BH9IKDD163
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered addressLichtenfelser Str. 9, 95326 Kulmbach, Germany3
  • Registered withLocal Court Bayreuth, HRB 623
Kulmbacher Edelherb
Photo: DYVER, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons6

The Kulmbach Brewery Corporation (German: Kulmbacher Brauerei AG) was founded in 1895 under the name Reichelbräu in Kulmbach, a city in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany.2

The story

The success of the brewery started with the export of Kulmbach beer to Central, East and North Germany.

Since 1980 the Kulmbach Brewery Corporation has been noticed for its steady expansions. In 1980 and 1984 the company merged with the companies Sandlerbräu and Mönchshof-Bräu GmbH and two more brands of beer were added to the product line.

In 1986, the Schörghuber Unternehmungsgruppe took over 49,9% of the share capital. The expansions continued in the 1990s with the take-overs of the companies Sternquell Brauerei, Plauen, the Braustolz Brauerei in Chemnitz, Eku as well as a majority of the stock in the Bad Brambacher mineral spring. Since 1996 the brands EKU, Reichel, Sandler and Mönchshof are under the roof of the Kulmbach Brewery Corporation. In 2002, the beverage production exceeded three million hektolitres.

In 2024, Jörg Lehmann was appointed interim CEO of the brewery.

In 2025 the company closed its Scherdel brewery in Hof due to reduced beer consumption.

From Wikipedia’s article on Kulmbacher Brewery, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Products and brands

  • beer

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

  • 20189271

Revenue over time

As stated on Wikidata, in the currency reported.

Revenue

  • 2018231.7M EUR1

Timeline

  1. 1846Founded Founded1