Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG (Gerolsteiner) is a leading German

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

firm with its seat in

Gerolstein Gerolstein () is a town in the Vulkaneifel district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Gerolstein is a local municipality of the ''Verbandsgemeinde Gerolstein''. It has been approved as a ''Luftkurort'' (spa town). History As early as the Stone ...

in the

Eifel The Eifel (; , ) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Com ...

mountains. The firm is well known for its Gerolsteiner Sprudel

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

, a bottled, naturally

carbonated Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic che ...

mineral water. Gerolsteiner was also the chief sponsor of

Team Gerolsteiner Gerolsteiner () was a German road bicycle racing team in the UCI ProTour. It was sponsored by the mineral water company Gerolsteiner Brunnen and Specialized. History The team was founded in 1997 as Schauff Oeschelbronn professional cycling ...

a cycling team.

History

On 1 January 1888 the mine manager, Wilhelm Castendyck, founded the firm, Gerolsteiner Sprudel, as a

Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (; ) is a type of Juridical person, legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a (Sàrl) in the Romandy, French-speaking region of Switzerland and to a (Sagl) in the Ticino, Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. It is a ...

(GmbH) in Gerolstein. Its first well was drilled in the same year. By November, the water from the well had become a sort of 'official' water of the city. It was popular because of its high amount of natural

carbonic acid Carbonic acid is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . The molecule rapidly converts to water and carbon dioxide in the presence of water. However, in the absence of water, it is quite stable at room temperature. The interconversion ...

. In 1889, its star-and-lion symbol was trademarked. By 1895, the water was being exported to Australia. Brunnen table water supplied water to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

during the reign of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. The first exports of Gerolsteiner to the United States started in 1890, primarily to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, known for its high concentration of

German emigrants German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ger ...

. Having been interrupted by World War I, U.S. shipments resumed in 1928. The Gerolsteiner factory was completely destroyed in a bombing raid during Christmas 1944. The filling machines were repaired on 1948, and by 1948 both the full building and the installation equipment had been rebuilt. In 1986, Gerolsteiner introduced a brand with a lower amount of

to meet changing tastes. In 1998, the company introduced Germany's first

PET A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, inte ...

reusable deposit carrying mineral water bottle to a chorus of criticism from environmental groups. The use of returnable, deposit-bearing glass bottles for water,

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

, and other mainstream drinks has long been normal in Germany and other European countries. Gerolsteiner Brunnen's majority shareholder is ."Unsere Beteiligungen [Our Investments
">ur Investments">"Unsere Beteiligungen [Our Investments
at Bitburger Holding website. Retrieved 5 September 2023.

References

* ''111 Jahre Gerolsteiner Brunnen, HG: Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & CO''

External links

{{commons
Official website
Bottled water brands Drink companies of Germany German brands Mineral water Companies based in Rhineland-Palatinate

History

See also

References

External links