Paying it Forward: Beer With Benefits

Last year while traveling Bavaria on a scholarship from the Pink Boots Society (PBS), I learned about a few breweries that are more than 50% owned by charitable foundations. This surprised me because I didn’t know of any breweries in the US that make charitable giving part of their mission, and where women are in leadership positions.

On the Bavarian Hop Harvest tour, led by Trip’s Beer Trips, we toured Bavaria meeting the leaders of the local hop cooperatives (HVG) in Spalt, Hallertau, and Tettnang. We toured breweries larger than large, and smaller than small, and the Ireks Malting plant in Kulmbach.

Our group was made up of four international professional brewers; Patricia (Australia, Portugal, France), Tammy (Canada, USA), Rebecca (USA), myself (USA), plus Brad (USA), a retired homebrewer, and Trip (USA), our guide, who is very well connected to the hop, brewing, and malting industries in Bavaria.

All PBS scholarship recipients are required to pay it back by “Paying It Forward” by sharing a trip report, community service, etc. My cohorts have written thorough reports of our trip to meet the Pay it Forward requirement; I am taking a somewhat different approach. I stayed for a few days after our tour concluded, spending a few days solo in Regensburg and Munich and here’s a bit of what I learned.

Augustiner Brau

One of the oldest breweries in Bavaria, Augustiner was founded by monks in 1294. It has changed ownership many times over the centuries. From monks to the state, and finally to private ownership by the Wagner family in 1829. The Wagners expanded the operation by building a new cellar and ran the brewery until Anton Wagner’s death in 1844. In 1858 Therese Wagner passed away and her son Josef Wagner (the JW in the Augustiner brand mark) took over the brewery.

In 1862 a new cellar space was added. It became a gathering place for the people of Munich, where today the cellars have become beer banquet halls. Many of the chestnut trees that were planted to keep the ground and cellars cool are protected and still provide shade to the festive and welcoming environment. Our group enjoyed a traditional dinner in the hall while a thunderstorm raged outside.

Edith Haberland Wagner was the last heir of the Wagner family. She formed the Edith Haberland Wagner Foundation and bequeathed her share to it when she passed in 1996. Today the brewery is more than 50% owned by the Edith Haberland Wagner Foundation that funds a diverse portfolio of projects.
When our hop harvest tour of Bavaria concluded, I traveled to the city of Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where a walking tour and Google maps guided me to two breweries with profound commitments to social charities.

Spittalbrauerei

The Spittalbrauerei is a division of the St. Katharinenspital Foundation,a non-profit organization, where to them, the word foundation means “by someone, for someone”. The foundation, established in 1213, is located at the north end of the stone bridge over the Danube. The foundation’s primary mission is to care for the elderly and people of Regensburg. It includes divisions for the parish, brewery, forest, and of course the hospital.

The brewery and biergarten are adjacent to the St. Katharinespital nursing home. The brewery’s profits support the nursing home and provide care for the elderly Regensburg. The residents of the spital are entitled to a nightcap of beer or wine; a tradition that dates back to the 1230’s and leader Bishop Siegfried.

The foundation’s motto "Hospital & Nature" is further demonstrated by keeping bee colonies in the brewery orchard and protecting the storks that began nesting on a disused chimney in 2020. They also work with bird protection groups to preserve habitat and reintroduce the partridge to suitable areas in Regensburg. In 2021 they established feeding stations for songbirds where the residents can observe them from the cafeteria.

I was lucky to spend a bit of my rainy afternoon in the biergarten even though it was closed due to weather. Group tours and educational programs are available when arranged and paid in advance.

Kneitinger

The Kneitinger brewery dates back to the early 1500s, In 1861 Johann Kneitinger took over the brewery and introduced the Bock style that it is most known for. In 1975 the last directly descended Kneightenger passed away leaving the brewery to his widow, Sofie Kneitinger. Sofie continued to run the brewery and in 1985 established the Hans and Sofie Kneitinger Foundation. The foundation supports elderly care, youth, and community projects like St. Leonhard children's home and Bürgerheim Kumpfmühl, a retirement home.

I sought out the brewery on Google maps to what turned out to be the production office of the Kneightenger Brewery, not the restaurant. I explained that I was a brewer from Seattle and could I get a tour of the brewery? Sadly no, but he gifted me some beers and kindly directed me to the restaurant on the corner.

Where I should have gone was the Kneitinger Gaststätte where they serve the delicious beers, and traditional Bavarian food. I very much enjoyed my sausage and curry!

Brewery tourist tip: If the hours on google are 8-5 it’s probably not the brewery restaurant you were looking for!

Paying It Forward Doesn’t Stop Here

When I returned home I decided to look for breweries that give back and I’m in the process of compiling a list to continue Paying it Forward. I am building a worldwide directory of breweries that give back more than 50% of net profits to charity, or that are owned wholly by charitable foundations. Visit the newly minted Beer With Benefits site to see the progress!

About Katherine

Katherine is the head brewer at Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery in Seattle, Washington. She has been a Pink Boots chapter leader, is active in the Master Brewers Association of America, and a long time BJCP judge. When not making, drinking, or talking about beer she is making photographs, cooking, and hanging out with her dog.

What is Pink Boots Society

Pink Boots Society is an international nonprofit organization, founded by Teri Fahrendorf, that aims to assist, inspire and encourage women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education. They provide scholarships to prestigious schools and industry of which I was awarded in 2024.