Schützengarten

Schützengarten AG brewery
legal form	Corporation
ISIN	CH0001542643
founding	1779
Seat	St. Gallen , Switzerland
management	Reto Preisig, chairman of the management; Richard Reinart, Technical Director; Patrick Epple, Finance Director; Kurt Moor, sales director;
Number of employees	220
Branch	Brewery and beverage trade
Website	www.schuetzengarten.ch
	Status: 2020

Schützengarten brewery around 1790

Schützengarten Brewery 2018

Brewmaster of the brewery

The Schützengarten AG brewery was founded in St. Gallen in 1779 , making it the oldest brewery in Switzerland. Schützengarten has been independent since it was founded. In addition, the Schützengarten brewery operates beverage services throughout Eastern Switzerland. In addition to various own and foreign beers, it also acts as a drinks dealer and sells mineral and fresh water as well as juices and wines.

history

founding

The brewery was founded in 1779 by Johann Ulrich Tobler. It experienced an enormous growth spurt under Arnold Billwiller, who took over the business from his father in 1878. Until 1910 the brewery had used ice from Drei Weihern for cooling. In 1894, under the direction of Billwiller, an own hydroelectric power station was built to produce the beers with their own natural electricity. Under Billwiler's leadership, beer output increased from 7,200 to over 100,000 hectoliters.

Conversion into a stock corporation

The brewery was converted into a stock corporation on October 8, 1926. After Billwiller's death in 1928 the brewery was run by August Ess, Billwiller's accountant, and Adolf Kurer-Glinz, Billwiller's nephew. Both managed the company until the early 1940s. In 1954 new vats were installed in the fermentation cellar.

In 1979, 200 years after it was founded, the newly built stacking building was put into operation and the packaging system was modernized. The brewhouse was opened almost ten years later . As a result, the brewing process could be carried out fully automatically and energy-saving from 1989.

Since 1992

After the dissolution of the Swiss beer cartel in 1992, beer sales at the Schützengarten brewery increased significantly. At the same time the range was expanded. In 1993 specialty beers were produced for the first time, such as the Billwiller Premium Pils and the St.Galler Klosterbräu.

A high-bay warehouse was opened in 1994 to handle the trade in non-alcoholic beverages, juices and wines . Three years later, in 1997, the brewery was certified to ISO 9001 . 2001 saw the opening of the new administration building on St. Jakobstrasse as well as the new drinks market there for private customers. A beer bottle museum was opened at the end of 2001. Around 3,000 beer bottles from over 260 different breweries are exhibited there.

Since 2006, the Löwengarten beer, which used to come from the Löwengarten brewery in Rorschach , has also been produced by the Schützengarten brewery.

In 2012, the conventional, horizontal storage tanks were replaced by cylindro-conical tanks. A year later, the renovated beer bottle museum was reopened as part of the Museum Night in September. This year the brewery with 229 employees produced 170,700 hectoliters of beer and sold a total of 304,200 hectoliters of beverages.

Since then, the brewery has received numerous quality seals and awards. From 2018 onwards, more local raw materials should be used.

Types of beer

Around 175,000 hectoliters of beer are brewed every year, with the hospitality industry taking over around half of that in 2012. The beer is provided in bottles, kegs or containers to be served by the glass. These beers have been awarded the DLG seal of quality several times by the German Agricultural Society, DLG. Before 2016, a private label was also produced for a retailer.

Schützengarten

Schützengarten Lager Hell
Schützengarten Edelspez Premium
St. Gallen country beer
St.Galler Klosterbräu
Gallus 612 - Old Style Ale
India Pale Ale (IPA)
Swiss stout
Schwarzer Bär dark beer
Schützengarten alcohol-free
Schützengarten Edel Spec 2.8
Festival beer
Säntis beer naturally cloudy
Weisser Engel yeast wheat beer
Panaché

Lion garden

Löwengarten Helles Lager
Lion garden lion prince

Soft drinks

In addition to beer, the Brauerei Schützengarten AG also trades in non-alcoholic beverages. Around 130,000 hectoliters of national and international mineral water, soft drinks, ice tea, fruit and fruit juices and energy drinks are sold annually.

social commitment

The brewery supports regional clubs, organizations and institutions from the fields of social affairs, sport and culture either directly or through the Arnold Billwiller Foundation. These include FC St. Gallen and their city rivals SC Brühl.