Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei is one of Germany's oldest and most storied breweries, founded in 1543 in Bad Köstritz, a small town near Gera in Thuringia. With nearly five centuries of brewing history, it stands as one of the oldest continuous producers of Schwarzbier — the dark, bottom-fermented lager that has long been a cornerstone of German brewing tradition. Today, the brewery operates as part of the Bitburger Braugruppe, one of Germany's leading brewing groups, alongside brands such as Bitburger, König-Brauerei, Licher, and Wernesgrüner. The brewery's identity is inseparably linked to Schwarzbier, a style it has championed for centuries. This dark lager is brewed through bottom fermentation, delivering a smooth, roasted malt character without the heavy body often associated with darker beers. Köstritzer's Schwarzbier is the defining expression of the style — a beer that balances dark malt complexity with a clean, crisp lager finish. The brewery is widely credited with keeping the Schwarzbier style alive and relevant in modern German brewing. Even during the era of the German Democratic Republic, Köstritzer was among a select few East German breweries permitted to export its beer beyond national borders, a testament to the quality and reputation it had built over generations. Its Schwarzbier remains a benchmark for the style both within Germany and internationally.