Bitburger

The brewery was established by Johann Peter Wallenborn as a small country brewery. It is now owned by the Bitburger Braugruppe, a family-owned holding company in its seventh generation of ownership. Bitburger is the third-best-selling beer brand in Germany and holds the top position in the national draught segment.

The brewery draws its water from deep wells sunk into the Triassic rock of the Bitburg Basin and sources hops from the Holsthum growing area, marketed under the internal designation Siegelhopfen (seal hops). These ingredient choices are central to the brewery's quality positioning.

Bitburger launched its alcohol-free range in 2007, among the earlier major European lager brands to do so. The AF beers are produced by allowing the beer to fully mature at full strength before the alcohol is removed using a gentle dealcoholisation process (brewed to normal strength, then the alcohol extracted after maturation). The 0.0% lineup spans pilsners, radlers (beer blended with citrus juice), and an extra-bitter pilsner variant, covering the main styles in the German AF segment.

With over two centuries of continuous brewing on a single site, Bitburger represents the established heritage end of the German beer market. The AF range is well suited to designated drivers and weeknight drinkers who want a familiar, mainstream German lager format at 0.0%.