Nittenauer Alcohol-Free Beers

Nittenauer: the 1762 Bavarian brewhouse that went all-in on alcohol-free

Brauhaus Nittenau was first recorded in 1762 as a communal brewhouse in the Upper Palatinate town of Nittenau, Bavaria. Today it’s a fifth-generation family business run by qualified master brewer and beer sommelier Sebastian Jakob, brewing from a modern facility built on the edge of town in 2006 — and it has become one of the most interesting alcohol-free specialists in Germany.

The turning point came in 2016, when the brewery developed a new production process for alcohol-free beers that it credits with transforming the business. Nittenauer now positions itself squarely around AF brewing, with a range running from classics to genuinely creative styles — its beers have picked up medals at the European Beer Star — and it does it sustainably: the brewery generates the large majority of its energy from its own solar installation, making it one of Germany’s few ‘solar breweries’.

The house motto — ‘from the region, for the region’ — runs through everything: regional ingredients, short supply routes, and a range of more than fifteen beers that spans faithful Bavarian classics and modern collaborations. It’s the rare old-world brewhouse where the alcohol-free beers aren’t a side project but the headline act.

The brewhouse has survived plenty in those 260-odd years — including a fire in 1779, after which it was rebuilt in stone — and it still throws open its doors for an annual brewery festival, pouring its whole range for the town.

Nittenauer’s alcohol-free range on Unhopped

Our three picks show the range’s breadth: The Wit, a Belgian-style witbier; Le Chauffeur IPA — the name a wink at designated drivers; and Lola Coffee Porter, proof that AF dark beer can have real depth. More in our German AF guide.