Who owns EDELWEISS BEER?

EDELWEISS BEER is owned by

HEINEKEN N.V.

Website

Edelweiss Weissbier is a brand that was created by Hofbräu Kaltenhausen in 1986. The brewery, which dates back to 1745, was founded in the hamlet of Kaltenhausen, Austria by the mayor of Salzburg, Hans Elsenheimer. It had a unique advantage in the area, as the brewery was cooled by natural wind tunnels that had formed in the caves surrounding the brewery that allowed the beer to be kept cold.

By the time it had created Edelweiss, Kaltenhausen had changed hands several time. In 1803 it was absorbed by Archduke Ferdinand the First, and became royal property. In 1815, he sold it to Electress Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este for 150,000 guilders. In 1898, it was sold to the German company Deutsche Bank, which spun it off as a joint-stock company in 1901. In 1921, it merged with Gmunden Brewery, Linzer Aktienbrauerei, Poschacher Brauerei in Linz and the Wieselburger Aktienbrauerei to become Braubank AG, later known as Österreichische Brau AG.

Beginning in the 1970s, the company significantly expanded, moving into the production of mineral water, soft drinks, and even newspapers. It was under these circumstances that Österreichische Brau AG began expanding its porfolio, which included the creation of the Edelweiss brand in 1986. The name comes from the edelweiss flower, which is a national symbol of Austria. In 1993, the company merged with Brau Union AG to form Brau Union Österreich AG. In 2003, that corporation was purchased by Heineken N.V., which owns it to this day.

Edelweiss beer was also a separate, unrelated brand created by Schoenhofen Brewing Company in Chicago, Illinois in 1861. That brewery was purchased by National Brewing Company in 1933, which itself was purchased in the late 1940s by Atlas Brewing Company. In 1951, Atlas ceased production of the Edelweiss brand.

Popular Beers by this Brand

• Wheat
• Fruity Wheat
• Red Berries
• Peach

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