Warsteiner

The brewery traces its origins to Antonius Cramer, a farmer in Warstein who began brewing beer in 1753 on a scale large enough to pay his first beer tax. A fire destroyed the brewery in 1802, and Caspar Cramer rebuilt it in 1803. Warsteiner sustained bomb damage between 1943 and 1945 and resumed full production by 1948. The brewery is now in its ninth generation of family ownership; Catharina Cramer became sole owner in 2012. It ranks fifth among Germany's best-selling breweries.

Warsteiner brews in the Sauerland region, drawing artesian spring water from the Arnsberg Forest. All beers are produced in strict accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516, using only four ingredients: Hallertau hops, spring barley malt, yeast, and water. Production peaked at 6.29 million hectolitres in 1994; annual output now stands at approximately 2.01 million hectolitres. Sales grew by 9.2% in 2022.

The alcohol-free side of the range is brewed to the same Reinheitsgebot standards, with the finished beer then dealcoholised, meaning the alcohol is removed after brewing to preserve its taste. These products include alcohol-free pilseners and radlers, brewed with Hallertau hops and 100% German spring barley malt. In some international markets, Warsteiner beers are licence-brewed by the Mahou-San Miguel Group.