Insel Brauerei

Back to brands
Insel Brauerei logo

On the Baltic island of Rügen, where sea air drifts across the marshland, sits a brewery built on friendship and ambition. Markus Berberich founded Rügener Insel-Brauerei in 2015 after years at another local brewery convinced him he could do something different. He teamed up with Belgian-American brewmasters Andries and Frans de Groen, combining German precision with broader European brewing traditions.

The brewery's philosophy puts flavour before economics. They work with an enormous palette of ingredients, drawing from dozens of hop, malt, and yeast varieties to create beers that range from traditional German styles to experimental boundary-pushers. Open fermentation in the coastal air and bottle conditioning give their beers a distinctive character. Each bottle wrapped in light-protective paper ages like wine, developing complexity over time.

Their alcohol-free range applies the same craft approach to the growing AF market. The Surfers Summer Ale delivers citrus and tropical fruit notes with a refreshing finish, built for warm days by the water. The Snorkelers Sea Salt IPA takes things in a more unusual direction, combining maritime saltiness with citrus hops. Both carry the brewery's commitment to genuine flavour rather than alcohol-free compromise.

Insel-Brauerei has earned recognition at international competitions, with their full-strength beers picking up medals across multiple World Beer Awards ceremonies. That track record lends credibility to their alcohol-free offerings, which benefit from the same brewing expertise and quality ingredients.

You can visit the brewery on Rügen for tours and tastings, or order direct from their website for German delivery. UK drinkers can find their alcohol-free beers through specialist retailers. A niche find, but one that brings genuine craft credentials to the AF shelf.

At a Glance

Price Point
Premium

The Collection

4 drinks

At a Glance

Price Point
Premium

Collection

4 drinks