The success story continues
For Brauerei Rosengarten and for the Innokeg Till CombiKeg
In Einsiedeln in the Swiss canton of Schwyz stands a monastery: Kloster Einsiedeln, one of the best baroque edifices in Switzerland with its famous statue of the Black Madonna. Beer aficionados know Einsiedeln for a completely different reason, namely its brewery, Brauerei Rosengarten. With a name that smacks of country idyll ("rose garden"), the brewery is the only one in Schwyz to have survived and is very successful to the present day.
Founded in 1872, it has been under family ownership since 1905 and in 1956 officially became a private family corporation. Now in its fourth generation, the brewery is today run by brothers Alois Gmür (master brewer), Viktor Gmür (sales), Daniel Gmür (logistics), and Stefan Gmür (finance and accounting). One of the brewery's keys to success is that decisions in the family business have always been made on a democratic basis, claims Alois Gmür. This principle was also applied to the acquisition of its most recent piece of technical equipment: an Innokeg Till CombiKeg.
"Looking back, in investing in KHS rotary keg technology we've done everything right," smiles Alois Gmür. "Compared to our old technical setup this system gives us almost twice the capacity while taking up less space. Other highlights for us are the very low operator involvement and the considerable savings in water and cleaning media." Pascal Meier, second master brewer at Brauerei Rosengarten, adds: "What's also good is that right from the start everything ran extremely smoothly with the Innokeg Till CombiKeg. Within just one week the keg system was up and running and since then has been producing perfectly."
Extending kegging capacities at the Rosengarten brewery means actively safeguarding its future, as the growth in sales for the past 10 years illustrates. During this period beer sales rose from 10,000 to 20,000 hectoliters – a growth of 100%. Of this, 30% is attributable to beer in kegs. "Our recipe for success is to go our own way and specifically give the market specialty beers," states Gmür. These individual brews include Maisgold, the first maize beer in Switzerland launched just after the purity law was dropped, Dinkel (spelt beer), Alpenbier, Schwyzer Bock hell (light), and Spezialbier in a light and dark variety. These brand beers make up 56% of total sales, with 44% allocated to classic lager in both its light and dark form.
The new keg line racks all of the brewery's beer styles in various sizes of keg, with the 20-liter slim keg in particular demand. The portfolio also includes the 10-liter slim keg, the party keg equipped with a Bavarian-style tapping system holding 10 or 20 liters, and the 10-liter CoolKeg. "We want to stick to our range of kegs," says Alois Gmür, "but it's good to know that the Innokeg Till CombiKeg is extremely flexible when it comes to both types of keg and their contents. After all, you never know what the future holds."
Another milestone in the continuing success story of the family brewery has already been reached; Alois Gmür's son is currently studying to become a master brewer at the Doemens Academy and has already announced that he will be joining the family business.
