Paulaner is a Bavarian beer brand with almost 400 years of history, considered the predecessor of all strong drinks. The management company Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe GmbH & Co. has been 70 percent owned by the Schörghuber family for many years. The basis of the modern beer is the recipe from 1773, which was the starting point for the 18 varieties of foam. The brand’s main brewery is in Munich, but the drink is also brewed and bottled in Paulaner Bräuhaus beer restaurants and exported to 70 countries. Over 200 million liters of beer are brewed each year.
Meaning and History
Not every brand can boast such an impressive history. The beer of this brand appeared in the early 17th century. The monks of the Paulaner order started brewing the beer in honor of the beloved Saint Salvatore of Horta (Savior of Horta). That is why customers nicknamed the beer Paulaner Salvator. A century and a half after its appearance (from 1806 to 1928), the baton was continued by the secular brewer Franz Sacherl, who bought the former monastery premises. Under the new owner, the beer was produced under the brand name Salvator. It was only in 1994 that it got its final name.
The company adheres to traditions and values of brand recognition and popularity. Therefore, since the beer’s appearance, the visual sign has changed only twice. However, each logo contains the maximum historical information about the drink.
Old
In 1928 the brewery had a new owner Paulaner Brauerei AG, under whom the visual image most likely appeared.
The logo was a circle. This shape is a rather ambiguous symbol in the beer world. It is associated with the beer mug stands, keg bottoms, beer bottle caps, beer glass legs, and pub signs.
Modern information about the brand was placed on the outer blue strip of the circle. At the top is the modified name of the producing company: PaulanerBraue. It comes from the order of monks who first brewed the beer, Paulaner. The servants of God were so-called because of Paola, the birthplace of Francis, the founding monk of the order. The elder lived in Italy in the 15th century and is recognized by Catholics as a saintly hermit.
At the bottom of the logo was the city’s name where the brewery was located: Munich.
The inner part of the logo contained information about the brand’s history. In the center of the circle was a picture of Francis himself in a monk’s robe. In his hands, the friar holds a stick with the name of another saint – Salvator, who was revered in Calabria, where Francis was born. The Paulaner order revered the healer Salvator and named their beer after him. It is indicated on the logo below the image of the monk.
The background of the circle is a red flag with a white cross, reminiscent of the flag of the Holy Roman Empire, where the first Paulaner beer was brewed. And also the coat of arms of the city of Cagliari in Italy, where St. Salvator ended his days.
On the back of the monk is an image of Munich and the old monastery brewery. And on the sides is the inscription “schutz marke” – a registered brand.
New
The visual mark was renewed towards the end of the 20th century after the brewery became Paulaner GmbH und Co. KG and the beer were Paulaner. A reminder of the previous owner and St. Salvatore was removed from the old emblem.
The new logo consists of a round logo, the name of the brand, written in capital letters with serifs, and a thin, elegant gold inscription with the year of foundation on either side of the logo.
The image of Francis has been made more modern. The saint is drawn in profile, looking forward. It is as if he is blessing the beer to move into the future and watching its development. On the whole, the visual sign imitates an old Bavarian commemorative coin, in the center of which the image of the king was usually minted. This is particularly symbolic since the monk was an advisor to the country’s three monarchs. The saint’s profile is made in gold, further strengthening the association.
The circle has a dark red background, which was leftover from the flag of the last logo. The color has become darker and closer to a noble red. Therefore, it is associated not only with the flag but also with the times of kings.
On the edge of the circle is still a wide dark blue band, but already with a gold border. Germans associate the color blue with tradition. In addition, Francis was considered the patron saint of sailors.
On the blue band in white letters is written the name of the brand and city of production – Munich. The white color is a symbol of purity. The brewery still adheres to the 16th-century purity law, limiting the list of real beer ingredients. The company has an impeccable past. In addition, the purest artesian water from ten thousand years ago is used for production. The brewery also has its own “Paulaner engagiert” program, which cares about environmental protection. The white color is also associated with coolness. In 1881 Paulainer was the first to install an ice machine and start producing year-round foam. The company also owns the first recipe for a non-alcoholic light beer.
As the founding year, the emblem shows 1634. However, this is an approximate date. It is based on a written complaint of the Munich brewers about the competition of the monastery. This means that the beer was already known and popular before. The inscription is made in elegant monogram letters. Both the gold color and the antique font indicate the venerable age of the drink.
The brand’s name under the round emblem is written in large antique blue letters with serifs and gold edging. This shows a premium beer with a rich history. Like the first P, the center letter A is capitalized and has an unusual serif. This divides the word into two parts. The first part in German is the name of the city of Paola, Paula, and the word “aner” is translated as “record” and makes up the root of the words: heir. This division in the name emphasizes that the recipe for the beer was inherited from Paola and that it was brewed by the followers (heirs) of the saint from Paola.
Font and Colors of the Emblem
The brand’s main colors are royal blue, red, and gold.
- Blue is the water element, the depth of centuries, faithfulness to tradition.
- Red – country flag, people’s love, the triumph of Oktoberfest, where the beer deserved everybody’s approval.
- Gold – premium, golden color of beer, antiquity, value.
The font of the main inscription is Accolade EF Bold. To indicate the year of the beer’s appearance, the old English font English 111 Std Vivace was chosen.