FREEDL

FREEDL was founded in 2019 by Maria-Elisabeth Laimer and her brother Max Laimer in Lana, South Tyrol, presented as Italy's first handcrafted alcohol-free beer. The company was built up initially in Italy before launching in Germany. It is a craft brewery in the Italian Alps, focused on non-alcoholic beer from South Tyrol.^[1]

The name is derived from Fred (short for Alfred), with the double 'e' incorporating the English word 'free'; a male name was intentionally chosen to counter the perception that alcohol-free beer is only for pregnant women.^[1]

Maria-Elisabeth Laimer — Founder. Maria-Elisabeth Laimer is a founder and co-founder of FREEDL, described as its creative force. She grew up in an entrepreneurial gastronomic family that ran a hotel, a restaurant, and an in-house brewery, and experienced all roles from dishwashing to service. She studied communication and economics in both Germany and Italy, worked in the start-up industry after periods abroad, and had experience at Best Nights VC prior to founding FREEDL. As of April 2024 she was training to become a Sommelière, and at her first exam she surprised her examiners with a non-alcoholic beer presentation. As of July 2024 she was noted as one of few women in the beer industry, with a focus on non-alcoholic beer.

Max Laimer — Co-founder. Max Laimer co-founded FREEDL alongside his sister Maria-Elisabeth Laimer in 2019.^[1]

Götz Spieth — Brewmaster. Götz Spieth is FREEDL's brewmaster.^[1]

FREEDL describes its approach as rethinking the entire beverage category from the ground up, rather than merely imitating traditional alcoholic products. It produces all-natural, handmade craft beverages.^[2],[3]

Beyond beverages, FREEDL operates a merchandise line called 'Dolce Club' that extends the brand, and it has created a curated non-alcoholic bar guide for South Tyrol, positioning the region as one of Europe's hubs for high-quality culinary experiences and mindful drinking.^[4]

FREEDL focuses on non-alcoholic craft beer produced in South Tyrol. Its craft beer lineup includes FREEDL Classic, FREEDL Calma, FREEDL Citrino, FREEDL Carica, and a mixed box called FREEDL Tutto Misto. FREEDL describes three core beers as 'Casual Biere'.^[5],[6],[7]

FREEDL builds its beers around a brewing method in which alcohol never forms, using specialized yeast, alpine spring water, South Tyrolean grain, and hop and herb additions to preserve aroma and body without fermentation to alcohol.^[8]

Functional Brewing. FREEDL uses a Functional Brewing approach in which alcohol never forms during the brewing process, rather than being removed at the end, which the producer states preserves the beer's aroma and flavor. The beers are made in a specially developed brewing process using what the producer calls innovative recipes at the small family-owned brewery in Lana, South Tyrol.^[8]

Special yeast organisms. FREEDL uses special yeast organisms that had previously been used by only a handful of breweries in Europe, developed with technical support from the Technische Universität Berlin.^[1]

Production scale & circular economy. FREEDL tripled its brewing capacity in the winter preceding early 2024, while remaining at a low production volume compared to industrial breweries. As of April 2024, its beer had been sold out for three months because all tanks were pre-sold, after which larger tanks were purchased. Beer waste is incorporated into a vegetable garden as compost as part of a local circular economy initiative.^[1],[5]

FREEDL produces small upcycled bags made from discarded malt sacks in collaboration with the Berufstrainingszentrum (BZG), a vocational training center in Bolzano. The BZG empowers individuals with mental health challenges to reenter the workforce and produces the FREEDL Bags through its Textile Department.^[9]

FREEDL was selected as one of the top 10 highlights at Taste 2024 in Florence.^[10]