Region & History

Where does Bitburger come from? From Bitburg, a small town in the southern Eifel, and from there out into the whole country. The brewery traces itself back to 1817, when Johann Peter Wallenborn began brewing in the town. This is the brewery's own claim, not proof of uninterrupted operation.

The brewery has carried the name Simon since 1842. That year, Elisabeth Wallenborn married Ludwig Bertrand Simon, who took over the business and opened a brewery tavern, the "Simonbräu". The Bitburger Brewery Group remains in the Simon family to this day. Over the years it has also taken over Köstritzer and Wernesgrüner, the latter since 2002.

The story of the Eifel's Pils begins in 1883. According to the brewery, the first 18 hectoliters of Pilsner-style beer were brewed that year—a pale, bottom-fermented beer with pronounced hop bitterness. Pilsner itself originated in Bohemia, first brewed in 1842 by the Bavarian Josef Groll. So the southern Eifel wasn't the origin, but an early imitator that later became a winner in its own right.

The breakthrough into a proper brand came in the 20th century. In 1951, the slogan "Bitte ein Bit" appeared for the first time at the Anuga trade fair. "Bit" is short for Bitburger. Hardly any other German brewery has turned its town's name into such a recognizable shorthand.

There's no EU protected designation of origin for the name Bitburger, and "Eifeler Bier" doesn't appear in the EU register either. The Bitburger Brewery is the big name in the region. Alongside it stand smaller operations like the Vulkan Brauerei in Mendig and the Gemünder Brauerei in the northern Eifel.