The first decade
With the founding of St. ERHARD GmbH (today Bierothek Group GmbH) on June 30, 2011, a beer-filled journey began ten years ago that can already look back on an eventful time, but is still only at the beginning.
review
When I, Christian Klemenz, spent a semester abroad in India during my studies, I was fascinated by how good the reputation of German beer was even in India, even though it was virtually unavailable on the market. Great interest and appreciation among people on the one hand and uninspired monotony on the shelves on the other. That was the starting point that awakened my entrepreneurial ambition to found my own beer brand, St. ERHARD. At a time when the term “craft beer” and new beer styles were still largely unknown in Germany, even to me, one basic idea was firmly anchored in the company’s DNA from the start: greater appreciation for the cultural heritage of beer.
mission
Through the export business of our own brand to many countries around the world, we came into contact with international beer specialty retailers at an early stage and the idea for the Bierothek® as a specialist retail group for specialty beer emerged in 2013. It became our mission to inform people about the variety of styles that was still largely unknown at the time and aromas in the beer to convince. Special beer specialties were to be made accessible and a network of stationary branches, online and wholesalers was created. What initially required explanation as a concept has now established itself as a well-known brand. In Germany we have already achieved a supported brand awareness of 23%*. Not only does around one in four Germans know us, but the variety of beer and exceptional beer specialties have become an integral part of the beer landscape over the past ten years.
vision
However, the vision is bigger. The beer world of the future should not only be more diverse and exciting, but above all more sustainable. As a luxury food that people have always enjoyed, beer should become part of the solution to the challenges of climate change and we will make sustainability an integral part of our economy in the next decade. As part of the “Beer plants trees®” climate protection program we developed, we want to work with our customers to become climate positive and combine the enjoyment of beer with climate protection. This also requires an increasing appreciation for the product beer and thus the same basic idea that has guided us since the beginning.
Here's to the next decades,
Christian Klemenz ( founder of the Bierothek®)
*Representative Appinio survey with 1,000 participants from June 2021
