Rothaus
Rothaus is a state-owned German brewery from the Black Forest, best known for its cult Pilsner brand Tannenzäpfle.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Rothaus is the consumer-facing brewery brand of Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus, a state-owned brewer based at the northern edge of Grafenhausen in Germany’s southern Black Forest. The company is owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg and operates as one of the most prominent regional breweries in south-west Germany. Its strongest commercial identity is built around Rothaus Tannenzäpfle, a Pilsner-style beer whose distinctive 33-centilitre bottle, traditional label and seven fir-cone illustrations have made it widely recognizable beyond its home region. The brewery’s name reaches back to the Roth family, which established a homestead known as the Rothe Haus in Grafenhausen during the fourteenth century. The premises later became an inn. In the late eighteenth century, the Benedictine monastery of St. Blasien decided to develop brewing operations at the site, with trials beginning in January 1791 under the direction of Prince-Abbot Martin Gerbert. The location offered several practical advantages: access to fresh water, extensive surrounding forests and a position close to settlements and transport routes. Rothaus continues to draw brewing water from wells located on or near the brewery property. The monastery’s holdings passed to the Grand Duchy of Baden during the secularization of 1806. The brewery consequently became a state enterprise of Baden, initially carrying the grand-ducal designation. Following the end of the Baden monarchy in 1918, its name was shortened to Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus. Since 1922 it has been organized as a stock corporation, while its shares remain held through the state of Baden-Württemberg’s associated corporate structure. Rothaus expanded substantially during the 1990s. Under chairman Norbert Nothhelfer, the brewery increased sales even as German beer consumption was declining and expanded annual capacity to approximately one million hectolitres. This growth helped establish Rothaus as one of the strongest regional brewers in Germany. The business has traditionally concentrated on its home market rather than pursuing mass national advertising. Around 90 percent of sales were reported to come from Baden-Württemberg in the mid-2000s, although Tannenzäpfle developed a broader following across Germany through retail, hospitality and nightlife distribution. Tannenzäpfle is central to the brand’s positioning. Its name means “little fir cone” and refers to the bottle’s shape and the fir-cone imagery on the label. The label also depicts a blonde woman in traditional dress holding two beers. Consumers gave her the nickname “Biergit Kraft,” a regional wordplay based on the expression that beer gives strength; Rothaus later adopted the name in advertising. The label design has roots in 1956, while the familiar version has been used since 1972. The brewery marked the label’s anniversaries with limited editions, including a reproduction of the original design. Rothaus has relied more heavily on regional visibility, sponsorship and place-based marketing than on television or radio advertising. It has supported football, handball, cycling and other regional sports, sponsored events and held naming rights for selected exhibition and event venues. The brewery has also developed visitor-oriented attractions, including the Zäpfleweg, a small adventure area, a fan shop and nearby tourism projects. Its ownership of the Dominican Island of Constance and involvement in local tourism initiatives have extended the business beyond brewing, although beer remains its core activity. Rothaus remains an active, regionally anchored brewery. Its combination of public ownership, Black Forest provenance, controlled distribution and a highly distinctive flagship package gives it a position different from that of large multinational beer groups. The brand’s historical identity is closely tied to Baden-Württemberg, while Tannenzäpfle provides the main platform for recognition elsewhere in Germany.
History
The Rothaus site originated with the Roth family, a patrician family associated with the Klettgau region. Around 1300, members of the family settled in Grafenhausen and began constructing a residence known as the Rothe Haus, or “Red House.” The property was sold in 1660 to Michael Kaiser, who converted it into an inn after obtaining a liquor licence from the Benedictine monastery of St. Blasien. About a century later, the monastery acquired the premises and rebuilt them. In late 1790, the monastic council, acting under Prince-Abbot Martin Gerbert, decided to experiment with brewing. Operations began in January 1791. The project had both economic and political motivations: the monastery sought to strengthen the status of its territory, create employment and offer an alternative to beer purchased from the nearby Fürstenberg area. The site was well suited to brewing because it had plentiful fresh water, forest resources and access to nearby communities. The brewery still relies on water from wells associated with the property. The secularization of 1806 transferred the monastery’s property to the Grand Duchy of Baden. Rothaus consequently became a Baden state brewery and was known as the Großherzoglich Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus. After the Baden monarchy ended in the 1918 revolution, the business adopted the shorter name Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus. Since 1922 it has operated in stock-corporation form, with ownership retained through the state of Baden-Württemberg’s affiliated structure. Max Jäger managed the brewery from 1920 to 1933. The company’s most significant later expansion occurred in the 1990s under Norbert Nothhelfer. While the German beer market was contracting, Rothaus increased sales and expanded capacity to roughly one million hectolitres annually. In 1992 it broadened its assets outside brewing by acquiring the Dominican Island of Constance, whose resort was subsequently leased to Steigenberger. Rothaus continued investing in its site and regional profile during the 2000s. It acquired a neighbouring hotel in late 2007, created a fan shop and opened the Zäpfleweg visitor path in 2008. It also developed a playground and other visitor facilities, while local road improvements made the brewery more accessible as a tourism destination. In the same period, Rothaus remained a major regional employer and reported production close to one million hectolitres. Leadership changed several times in the 2000s and 2010s. Thomas Schäuble became chief executive in October 2004. After Schäuble’s illness, former Baden-Württemberg finance minister Gerhard Stratthaus assumed management responsibility in September 2012. Christian Rasch succeeded him in July 2013. Rasch’s appointment attracted attention because he was a professional brewery executive and the first non-politician to manage Rothaus in several decades. The selection process included a public job advertisement arranged with the involvement of Agriculture Minister Alexander Bonde and assistance from executive search firm Egon Zehnder. The best-known Rothaus product is Tannenzäpfle, a Pilsner-style beer introduced in 1956. Its small bottle, fir-cone imagery and traditional-costume illustration became a distinctive visual system. The label was revised into the form used today in 1972, while the original design was revived for anniversary editions. The beer’s regional popularity gradually spread across Germany without reliance on extensive television or radio advertising. Rothaus has instead used sponsorship, event partnerships and place branding to build awareness. It has supported football clubs, handball, cycling and other regional activities, held naming rights for selected exhibition venues and participated in tourism projects under the Rothauser Land identity. The brewery’s historical and commercial identity therefore combines public ownership, Black Forest provenance, a flagship beer with strong consumer recognition and a deliberate focus on regional cultural and sporting networks.
- 2016
Tannenzäpfle sixtieth anniversary edition
[1]Rothaus issues a limited anniversary edition reproducing the original 1956 label.
- 2013
Christian Rasch takes over management
[1]Christian Rasch becomes managing director on 1 July, following a publicly advertised selection process.
- 2008
Zäpfleweg visitor attraction opens
[1]Rothaus opens the Zäpfleweg as part of a wider visitor and tourism development beside the brewery.
- 2004
Thomas Schäuble becomes chief executive
[1]Thomas Schäuble takes over as brewery chief executive on 1 October.
- 1992
Acquisition of the Dominican Island of Constance
[1]The brewery acquires the island and leases its resort operations to Steigenberger.
- 1990
Expansion during a shrinking beer market
[1]Rothaus expands sales and increases capacity to about one million hectolitres per year.
- 1972
Current Tannenzäpfle label design begins
[1]The familiar label format featuring the traditional-costume figure and fir-cone imagery enters use.
- 1956
Tannenzäpfle is introduced
[1]Rothaus launches the Tannenzäpfle Pilsner, later becoming the brewery’s signature product.
- 1922
Adopts stock-corporation form
[1]Rothaus becomes a stock corporation while remaining under state ownership.
- 1918
Name changes after the end of the Baden monarchy
[1]The brewery drops its grand-ducal designation and becomes known as Badische Staatsbrauerei Rothaus.
Products and positioning
A premium regional German brewery emphasizing Black Forest origin, public ownership, traditional brewing identity, distinctive packaging and restrained, regionally focused marketing.
Pilsner-style beer · 1956
Rothaus Tannenzäpfle
Tannenzäpfle is Rothaus’s best-known beer and the principal carrier of the brand’s identity. It is sold in a distinctive 33-centilitre bottle whose form is associated with the product name, meaning “little fir cone.” The label combines seven fir-cone illustrations with a blonde woman in traditional dress holding two beers. Introduced in 1956, the beer became particularly associated with Baden-Württemberg before developing a cult following in other parts of Germany through supermarkets, kiosks, restaurants and nightlife venues.
Pilsner beer
Rothaus Pils
Rothaus’s broader Pilsner offering represents the brewery’s core beer category and regional brewing proposition. The product is distributed primarily through German retail and hospitality channels, with the strongest presence in Baden-Württemberg. Available source material identifies the Pilsner style as the brewery’s principal commercial focus, while Tannenzäpfle is its most recognizable branded expression.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Tannenzäpfle 60th-anniversary edition
Germany
Rothaus issued a sixtieth-anniversary version of Tannenzäpfle using the original 1956 label design.
Outcome. The anniversary product extended Rothaus’s use of historical packaging as a brand and promotional device.
- 2006Tannenzäpfle 50th-anniversary label edition
Germany
Rothaus revived the original 1956 Tannenzäpfle label for a limited anniversary edition, using packaging heritage to reinforce the product’s long-standing regional identity.
Outcome. The edition commemorated the brand’s fiftieth year and strengthened the historical associations of Tannenzäpfle.
- 2006Rothauser Land regional tourism branding
Southern Black Forest · Baden-Württemberg
The surrounding tourism region adopted the Rothauser Land identity, incorporating Rothaus characters and visual associations into destination marketing for Grafenhausen and Ühlingen-Birkendorf.
Outcome. The initiative linked the brewery’s brand assets with regional tourism and destination promotion.
- Regional sports and venue sponsorship
Baden-Württemberg · Germany
Rothaus has promoted the brand through sponsorship of football clubs, handball, cycling, regional events and exhibition venues. It has also held naming rights for locations including Rothaus Halle, Rothaus-Arena and Rothauspark.
Outcome. The program supports regional visibility while avoiding the television and radio advertising formats that Rothaus generally does not use.
Brand decisions
2013
Appoint a professional brewery executiveOtherBackground
Leadership of the state-owned brewery had often been associated with former politicians, a practice that attracted public criticism.
Action taken
Following a public recruitment process, Rothaus appointed Christian Rasch, previously associated with Stuttgarter Hofbräu, as managing director.
Aftermath
Rasch became the first non-politician to manage Rothaus in several decades, making the appointment a notable governance change.
2007
Develop the brewery as a visitor destinationStrategyBackground
Rothaus sought to increase the attractiveness of its remote Black Forest location and connect the brewery with local tourism.
Action taken
It acquired a neighbouring hotel, established a fan shop and developed visitor facilities including the Zäpfleweg, which opened in 2008.
Aftermath
The brewery site became more prominent as a tourism and brand-experience destination.
1992
Acquire the Dominican Island of ConstanceM&ABackground
Rothaus expanded its asset base beyond brewing by purchasing the Dominican Island of Constance and its associated resort.
Action taken
The brewery acquired the island and leased the resort to the Steigenberger Hotel Group.
Aftermath
The transaction gave Rothaus a hospitality and tourism asset alongside its core brewery operations.
Recent events
- 2016
Tannenzäpfle celebrates its sixtieth anniversary[1]
Product generation · Campaign
Rothaus marked 60 years of Tannenzäpfle with a special edition using the original 1956 label design.
- 2013
Christian Rasch becomes Rothaus managing director[1]
Leadership change
Christian Rasch took over management on 1 July 2013. His appointment was notable because he was a business executive rather than a former politician, unlike several previous leaders of the state-owned brewery.
- 2012
Gerhard Stratthaus takes over brewery management[1]
Leadership change
Gerhard Stratthaus assumed management responsibility on 5 September 2012 after Thomas Schäuble became ill.
- 2008
Rothaus reports strong production and regional economic contribution[1]
Other
Rothaus produced approximately 941,000 hectolitres of beer in 2008 and remained an important employer and taxpayer in the southern Black Forest.
- 2007
Rothaus develops a brewery visitor destination[1]
Other · Campaign
The brewery acquired a hotel beside its site, created a fan shop and developed visitor infrastructure, including the Zäpfleweg adventure path opened in 2008.
- 2004
Thomas Schäuble becomes chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Former Baden-Württemberg interior minister Thomas Schäuble became chief executive of Rothaus on 1 October 2004.
- 1992
Rothaus acquires the Dominican Island of Constance[1]
M&A
Rothaus acquired the Dominican Island of Constance and leased its island resort to the Steigenberger Hotel Group.
- 1990
Rothaus expands capacity during a declining German beer market[1]
Other
Under Norbert Nothhelfer, Rothaus reportedly doubled beer sales during the 1990s and increased annual production capacity to approximately one million hectolitres.
Sources2 sources
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