Dusseldorf In the market economy, the state is generally regarded as a moderately talented entrepreneur. The image of (partially) state-controlled corporations is usually cracked, products and services are rarely considered premium. An exception is the beer from Tannenzäpfle. The cult drink from Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus AG has been Germany’s strongest beer brand for six years now – ahead of Krombacher and Erdinger with their strong TV presence.
This is shown by the “Brand Index 2021” by market researcher Yougov and Handelsblatt. The ranking is based on online surveys of 900,000 consumers and takes into account quality, recommendation and employer image. “Tannenzäpfle comes from the Black Forest and satisfies consumers’ longing for unspoilt nature,” says brand expert Roland Albrecht, head of the Goya! agency, explaining the success. The so-called TV beers, on the other hand, have the image of an industrial product.
In the 1990s, Tannenzäpfle from the Upper Black Forest became a cult brew nationwide. “The senior drinks the beer just like his hipster grandson in Berlin-Mitte,” says brewery boss Christian Rasch. “Tannenzäpfle has practiced clever non-marketing for decades and has become an insider tip through word of mouth in the big city scene,” says Albrecht.
Rothaus board member Rasch wants to make Tannenzäpfle a pioneer not only as a brand, but also in terms of sustainability. The brewery is to produce “climate-positive” by 2030, i.e. compensate for more CO2 than it causes. 40 million euros are being invested in this – from our own funds.
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The “Ländle” as master brewer
The brewery, founded in 1791 by the Benedictine monastery of St. Blasien, has been state-owned since 1806 and belongs to the state of Baden-Württemberg. Unlike the Bavarian state breweries Weihenstephan and Hofbräu, Rothaus has been a stock corporation since 1922. “We can act completely independently, like a family business,” says Rasch, who lives right next to Germany’s highest brewery at around 1,000 meters.
The state brewery not only plays an important role in the structurally weak region as an employer for 240 skilled workers, but also for Black Forest marketing. It is not for nothing that the head of the supervisory board is Peter Hauk, state minister for rural areas.
The 53-year-old Rasch is the first non-politician to run the traditional brewery since 2013. The hotel manager worked for 24 years at the Radeberger brewery group, which belongs to the Oetker family. Most recently he was head of the Stuttgarter Hofbräu. Rothaus quickly steered through the pandemic comparatively unscathed.
The state of Baden-Württemberg is particularly pleased about this, which was able to collect more than ten million euros in dividends even in the corona year 2020. In previous years it was around eleven million. Rothaus’ return on sales reached 17.4 percent. More recent data are not yet available.
The state brewery not only plays an important role in the region as an employer, but also for Black Forest marketing.
(Photo: Rothaus)
In 2020, however, sales fell by ten percent to 68.5 million euros. Because the bar at folk festivals and in the catering trade was lacking in the pandemic. In trade, on the other hand, Tannenzäpfle was able to grow. This is also due to the cult status of the brand with its iconic bottle label including “Biergit”, a woman in a Black Forest costume. Brand expert Albrecht explains the success as follows: “The traditional retro design makes the brand authentic.”
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Brewery boss Rasch makes it clear: “We’re not retro, we’re classic.” After all, the bottle design with “Biergit” and the golden aluminum cap has not changed since 1973 – just like the recipe has not changed for over 100 years. As a result, the state brewery was able to perform better during the sales crisis than the industry, whose average sales decline was 23 percent in the Corona year 2020 according to the German Brewers’ Association.
Overall, beer sales nationwide have fallen by 24 percent since 1993. Rothaus was also not able to escape the beer doldrums – annual sales of 89 million euros as in 2008 and 2009 are no longer achieved.
Sous vide brewing saves energy
According to Rasch, the brewery is technically state-of-the-art. Rothaus has been investing in digitization and energy-saving systems for many years. The new brewhouse only needs 60 instead of 100 degrees thanks to the negative pressure. Rasch jokingly calls it “sous-vide brewing”. Thanks to the wood chip system, 80 percent of the steam heat is generated from biomass.
In autumn, Rothaus puts a 9,000 square meter photovoltaic system into operation. Excess energy is to be given to the neighboring brewery inn: “Since we don’t bottle beer on the weekends, the knuckles can be roasted over there with the electricity,” says Rasch. The large inn, a subsidiary of the brewery, had 164,000 visitors a year before Corona.
“By 2030 we will produce more green electricity than we consume ourselves,” says Rasch, outlining the climate protection plans. Rothaus is also building an anaerobic sewage treatment plant. The 100,000 liters of heating oil previously required to dry the sewage sludge are replaced by biogas.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Minister Hauk explains: “The state company is taking on a pioneering role and is sending a strong signal for more climate protection.” Rothaus is by no means the only brewery that reduces harmful emissions. Bitburger, for example, has been the first major German brewing group to produce in a climate-neutral manner since the end of 2020.
The road to climate neutrality from Rothaus is still a long one: the brewery still has to save 3,200 tons of CO2 annually by 2030, and the suppliers of malt or glass, for example, 12,000 tons.
From beer brewer to whiskey distiller
“Our local maltsters mostly still work with gas because they need a lot of heat,” explains Rasch. Alternatives are being researched with universities in the region. This also applies to the distinctive gold-colored aluminum cap of the Tannenzäpfle. It has become significantly thinner and contains at least 30 percent aluminum recyclate. The paper industry is tasked with developing a sustainable replacement. Because by 2030 the cap must also be climate-neutral.
“The current energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war encourages us to get out of fossil raw materials as quickly as possible and become self-sufficient,” says the brewery boss. Not only energy, but also glass, aluminum, paper and logistics have become significantly more expensive. The prices for Tannenzäpfle should nevertheless remain stable – at least this year.
In addition to beer, the brewery also produces whiskey. A trend that has become established to a certain extent, especially in home breweries. The “Rothaus Black Forest Single Malt” has received numerous awards since 2009. “Our master brewer is a Scotland fan,” explains Rasch. “We are here in the Black Forest at an altitude of 1000 meters as in the Highlands and have just as great water.” The required malt is available anyway.
Rothaus has 10,000 bottles distilled by a partner each year. Rasch: “The whiskey is regularly sold out – and pays for our beer brand.”
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