Ottakringer

Ottakringer is an Austrian brewery and beer brand rooted in Ottakring, Vienna's 16th district. The brewery began operating in 1837 after master miller Heinrich Plank received permission from the Diocese of Klosterneuburg to brew beer. It was initially known as the Planksche Brauerei. In 1850, cousins Ignaz and Jakob Kuffner acquired and expanded the operation, transforming it from a local brewery into a substantial industrial producer. Its growth coincided with Vienna's nineteenth-century urban expansion, when the removal of the city walls and construction of new residential districts created a larger local market for beer. Production expanded rapidly under the Kuffner family. Output rose from 18,318 hectolitres to 64,183 hectolitres within roughly a decade, and by around 1890 the brewery was producing approximately 170,000 hectolitres. Moriz von Kuffner, the son of Ignaz von Kuffner, took over management in 1882 and increased output to more than 350,000 hectolitres in the final pre-First World War year. In 1905, the business was converted into a joint-stock company, creating the corporate structure that later supported its stock-market listing. The brewery's history was severely affected by the political persecution of Jewish-owned businesses during the Nazi period. Because of his Jewish background, Moriz von Kuffner was compelled to sell the business before Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany. The brewery was acquired by Gustav Harmer under coercive circumstances. After the Second World War and the liberation of Austria, the site was temporarily administered by Soviet authorities. The Harmer family subsequently established its legal claim to the purchase and resumed operation. Production had returned to approximately 150,000 hectolitres by 1955. The heirs of Moriz von Kuffner were later compensated in connection with his expulsion and the threats that had forced the sale. Ottakringer also played a role in changing Austria's beer distribution system. In 1977, it withdrew from the country's beer cartel, helping undermine arrangements that had restricted the ability of restaurants to choose their brewery supplier. The company was listed on the stock exchange in 1986. In 1989, it discontinued the brown bottles commonly used by Austrian breweries and introduced green shoulder bottles, which became an important part of its visual identity. The brand's best-known beer is Ottakringer Helles, a pale lager associated particularly with Vienna. Its portfolio also includes Goldfassl special beer and Goldfassl Pils, Radler, dark and mixed beers, unfiltered Zwickl variants, the nearly alcohol-free Null Komma Josef, and the stronger seasonal Ottakringer Bock. A Vienna nickname for canned Ottakringer beer, “16er-Blech,” refers both to the brewery's district and to the can format; the company later adopted that expression as a product name. Ottakringer operates within the Ottakringer Holding group, whose portfolio also includes Austrian mineral-water producer Vöslauer. The brewery has pursued selected international initiatives, including a 2007 partnership with an Iranian company intended to establish a Tehran facility for non-alcoholic beer. In Vienna, the brewery remains both a production site and a cultural venue, with rooms available for events. It has also maintained a long-running sponsorship relationship with football club SK Rapid Wien. Its continuing identity is closely tied to Vienna, the Ottakring district, and the role of an independent local brewery within Austria's beer market.

The Ottakringer brewery was established in 1837 in what is now Vienna's 16th district. Heinrich Plank, a master miller, founded the operation after receiving brewing approval from the Diocese of Klosterneuburg. It operated under the name Planksche Brauerei until 1850, when cousins Ignaz and Jakob Kuffner from Lundenburg took control and invested in major expansion. The Kuffner era turned the brewery into an important Viennese industrial business. Production increased from 18,318 hectolitres to 64,183 hectolitres within ten years. The brewery benefited from Vienna's nineteenth-century expansion after Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the removal of the city walls. New residential development enlarged the nearby customer base, while the brewery added fermentation capacity and warehouse space. By about 1890, annual output had reached roughly 170,000 hectolitres. Moriz von Kuffner, Ignaz's son, assumed control in 1882. Under his direction, production grew to more than 350,000 hectolitres in the last year before the First World War. That level was not regained during the interwar period. In 1905, the brewery was reorganized as a joint-stock company, a step that formalized its corporate structure and eventually preceded its public listing. The company's ownership history was disrupted by antisemitic persecution. Before Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany, Moriz von Kuffner was forced to sell the brewery because of his Jewish background. Gustav Harmer acquired the business in a transaction later understood in the context of coercion and dispossession. Following the Allied liberation, the brewery was temporarily administered by Soviet authorities. The Harmer family later succeeded in legally establishing its purchase and resumed production. Output reached about 150,000 hectolitres by 1955. Kuffner's heirs were compensated in relation to the expulsion, threats, and forced sale associated with the Nazi period. A major strategic turning point came in 1977, when Ottakringer withdrew from Austria's beer cartel. The move helped weaken a system under which restaurants' choice of beer supplier was constrained by location and established distribution arrangements. In 1986, the company was listed on the stock exchange. Three years later, it changed its packaging identity by ending the use of the brown bottles customary in Austria and introducing green shoulder bottles. Ottakringer's later history combined core Austrian brewing with selective product and market development. Its portfolio expanded beyond pale lager to include Goldfassl products, Radler, dark beer, mixed beer, unfiltered Zwickl beers, seasonal Bock, and the nearly alcohol-free Null Komma Josef. In 2007, the company entered a partnership with an Iranian company to build a Tehran facility for non-alcoholic beer. The brewery also developed the local 16er Blech name into a canned beer brand, drawing on Vienna's nickname for beer associated with the 16th district. The brewery remains part of Ottakringer Holding AG. The holding company is controlled by the Wenckheim, Menz, Trauttenberg, and Pfusterschmid families and also owns Vöslauer, an Austrian mineral-water producer. Ottakringer continues to operate from Ottakring and is closely linked to Vienna through its products, brewery venue, local marketing, and long-running sponsorship of SK Rapid Wien.

1. 2007Non-alcoholic beer partnership in Iran

   The company initiated a partnership intended to build a Tehran factory for non-alcoholic beer.

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2. 1989Green shoulder bottles introduced

   Ottakringer replaced the brown bottles commonly used in Austria with its distinctive green shoulder bottles.

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3. 1986Stock-market listing

   The company became listed on the stock exchange.

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4. 1977Withdrawal from the beer cartel

   Ottakringer left the Austrian beer cartel, helping restaurants gain greater freedom to choose suppliers.

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5. 1955Production recovers after the Second World War

   Following postwar disruption and the return of Harmer family management, production had reached approximately 150,000 hectolitres.

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6. 1905Conversion into a joint-stock company

   The brewery was reorganized as a joint-stock company.

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7. 1882Moriz von Kuffner assumes control

   Moriz von Kuffner took over management and later drove production to more than 350,000 hectolitres before the First World War.

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8. 1850Kuffner family takes over and expands the brewery

   Ignaz and Jakob Kuffner acquired the brewery and began a period of rapid industrial expansion.

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9. 1837Brewery founded in Ottakring

   Heinrich Plank opened the brewery under the name Planksche Brauerei after receiving permission from the Diocese of Klosterneuburg.

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A distinctly Viennese brewery brand combining mass-market Austrian beer production with strong local identity, traditional brewing heritage, and an association with Ottakring's urban culture.

• Ottakringer HellesPale lager

  Ottakringer Helles is the brewery's best-known mainstream beer. It is a pale lager associated strongly with Vienna and the Ottakring district. The beer is also the product most closely connected with the local nickname 16er-Blech when sold in cans.

• GoldfasslSpecialty and pilsner beer

  Goldfassl is an Ottakringer line that includes a special beer and Goldfassl Pils. The range extends the brand beyond its core pale lager with a pilsner-style offering and a separate specialty expression.

• Ottakringer RadlerRadler

  Ottakringer Radler combines equal parts Helles and lemonade. It provides a lighter, more refreshing alternative to the brewery's standard lager and belongs to the brand's broader flavored beer portfolio.

• Null Komma JosefNearly alcohol-free beer

  Null Komma Josef is Ottakringer's nearly alcohol-free beer. Its name refers to its alcohol content of below 0.5 percent and positions it as an alternative for consumers seeking a beer-style drink with minimal alcohol.

• Ottakringer BockStrong seasonal beer

  Ottakringer Bock is the brewery's strongest listed beer, at 7.6 percent alcohol by volume. It is produced for special occasions and seasonal periods, particularly Christmas and Easter, rather than as a continuously available core product.

• Ottakringer DunklesDark beer

  Ottakringer Dunkles is the brand's dark-beer expression, providing a malt-forward and darker alternative to the pale Helles range.

• Ottakringer G'mischtesMixed beer

  Ottakringer G'mischtes is a blend of light and dark beer. Its mixed style reflects the brewery's effort to offer a differentiated product within the traditional beer portfolio.

• Ottakringer ZwicklUnfiltered pale beer

  Ottakringer Zwickl is an unfiltered light beer. The unfiltered presentation distinguishes it from the brewery's standard filtered lager and emphasizes a more traditional beer character.

• Ottakringer Zwickl RotUnfiltered dark or red beer

  Ottakringer Zwickl Rot is a darker unfiltered beer brewed with melanoidin malt. It broadens the Zwickl concept with a deeper color and richer malt profile.

• 16er BlechCanned lager2007

  16er Blech is a canned beer name derived from Viennese slang. “16er” refers to Ottakring's status as Vienna's 16th district, while “Blech” refers to the metal can. The product turns a local nickname into a recognizable packaging and branding concept.

• 200716er Blech local-identity branding

  Austria

  Ottakringer developed a canned beer under the Viennese nickname 16er Blech, linking the product directly to the brewery's district of origin and local drinking culture.

  Outcome. The nickname became part of the brand's product portfolio and reinforced Ottakringer's association with Vienna's 16th district.

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• SK Rapid Wien sponsorship

  Austria

  Ottakringer has sponsored Austrian football champions SK Rapid Wien for many years, using a prominent local sports relationship to strengthen its Viennese and Austrian identity.

  Outcome. The sponsorship is described as a long-running association; a precise start date and current contractual status are not specified in the reference material.

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• 2007Partnership to develop non-alcoholic beer production in TehranStrategy

  Ottakringer sought an international opportunity in non-alcoholic beer production.

  What changed. The company entered a joint partnership with an Iranian company to build a factory in Tehran.

  Aftermath. The reference material records the initiative but does not establish whether the planned facility was completed or its subsequent commercial performance.

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• 2007Launch of 16er Blech canned beerProduct launch

  Viennese consumers used 16er-Blech as an informal term for canned beer associated with Ottakring.

  What changed. Ottakringer adopted the expression as the name of a new canned beer product.

  Aftermath. The launch converted a local cultural reference into a formal product identity.

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• 1989Change from brown bottles to green shoulder bottlesGeneration change

  Brown bottles were commonly used by Austrian breweries and provided limited differentiation on the shelf.

  What changed. Ottakringer stopped bottling in the conventional brown format and introduced green shoulder bottles.

  Aftermath. The green shoulder bottle became a distinctive visual marker for the brand.

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• 1977Exit from the Austrian beer cartelStrategy

  Austria's beer distribution system was shaped by cartel arrangements that limited the freedom of restaurants to choose brewery suppliers.

  What changed. Ottakringer withdrew from the cartel.

  Aftermath. The withdrawal contributed to the breakdown of the cartel and a more open supplier-choice environment for restaurants.

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• 2007Ottakringer announces Iranian non-alcoholic beer partnership

  Ottakringer initiated a partnership with an Iranian company to build a Tehran facility for producing non-alcoholic beer.

  M&AProduct launchOther
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• 200716er Blech canned beer is marketed under its Viennese nickname

  Ottakringer used the local expression for beer from Vienna's 16th district in the branding of a canned beer product.

  Product launchCampaign
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• 1989Ottakringer introduces green shoulder bottles

  The brewery ended its use of Austria's customary brown bottles and adopted green shoulder bottles as a distinctive package format.

  Product generationOther
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• 1986Ottakringer is listed on the stock exchange

  The company became publicly listed, marking a significant change in its corporate financing and ownership structure.

  Other
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• 1977Ottakringer withdraws from Austria's beer cartel

  Ottakringer left the Austrian beer cartel, contributing to a more open supply environment in which restaurants could select brewery suppliers more freely.

  Regulation
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1. Ottakringer