The Rothaus Pils Tannenzäpfle has existed since 1956—so for almost 60 years. Its unusual name is embodied on the labels of the 0.33 l bottles. Just as today, the original Tannenzäpfle labels depicted spruce-fir branches accompanied by pinecones. These pinecones are what gave this beer its name.

In the 50’s it was extremely unusual to serve beer in such small bottles. Beers in 0.7 l bottles were the norm. But despite its unusual size, the Tannenzäpfle quickly made more and more friends.

But there’s one other characteristic that makes the Tannenzäpfle special; it was the first Rothaus beer to emerge with a label depicting “Biergit”, the Black Forest girl holding two glasses of beer. Today, “Biergit” is the defining symbol for all beers made by the Rothaus Brewery.

The Founding of Rothaus:
The Rothaus Brewery was founded 1791 through the Benedictine monastery St. Blasien in the “Zum Rothen Haus” inn (“To the Red House” in English), whose existence has been on record since 1681. The location was conveniently chosen; it offered sufficient water resources and enough wood from its immediate surroundings to generate heat. The trade route from Freiburg over Grafenhausen to Waldshut made this secluded area an intermediate destination for trading. Being the route’s highest spot in altitude, Rothaus served as a perfect place for travelers to catch their breath. Aside from this, it was nestled halfway between the renowned monastery St. Blasien and its newly acquired dominion of Bonndorf.