When you think of Germany, you think of beer, and that's absolutely correct. In some cases, it can even be cheaper than bottled water, and many Germans drink it like water. A look at the supermarket shelves reveals a huge variety of bottled beer (bottles, not cans, are the norm in Germany), and many bars around the city keep several types of draft beer on hand.
The capital, Berlin, has transformed in recent years with the proliferation of trendy establishments, and food is booming among young people. Of course, beer is no exception. A growing number of microbreweries are taking root in the heart of this beer-producing country, producing beer incorporating new ideas and design. To learn more about this next generation of German beer, we visited young brewers based in Berlin.
Sanni, Andre, and Sebastian run BIERFABRIK. The staff are all young, in their 20s and 30s.
Our first stop was BIERFABRIK, a brewery often found in Berlin's Späti (a German-style convenience store). Located on the outskirts of the city, it is a local brewery run by a small team. The staff members all have different backgrounds, including a former university student who majored in microbiology and a former winemaker with experience in alcohol production.
"We've commercialized over 10 types of beer to date, using around 25 types of malt and around 20 types of hops. We use malt that is all from Germany, and we select malts that are smoky and rich in flavor," said Andre, one of the founders of Beerfabrik. He also explained the production process at the factory.
Beer being transferred from the storage tank to the barrel
1. After measuring the malt, it is crushed.
2. The crushed malt is gradually mixed with water at 50-77 degrees Celsius.
3. It is then filtered. The liquid at this point is very sweet.
4. Hops are added. Beerfabrik, which also produces flavored beers, sometimes adds ingredients such as walnuts, maple syrup and lemon at this step.
5. Boil, cool, then add yeast and ferment.
6. After fermentation, let it rest further at low temperature. The period varies depending on the type, but on average it lasts for about two weeks. Some beers even require the flavor to mature for up to eight weeks.
The label design is also one of their attractions.
"We brew two to three times a week, producing 1,000 liters at a time. We hand-bottle and label our beer, and we're a small brewery where the staff and their friends are responsible for label design. Until recently, we knew all our customers, but that's not the case anymore (laughs)."
Since its founding in 2013, the brewery has steadily gained a fan base and gotten its business on track, currently wholesaling bottled beer and draught beer to bars and shops across Germany. They also frequently collaborate, demonstrating a strong creative spirit of challenge, such as jointly developing a chili beer with an Israeli brewer last year.
Next, we visited StraBenbrau, which serves original craft beer brewed in a small brewery on the premises. Owner Timo, a former businessman in the financial industry, made a career change and opened this popular beer bar in the Friedrichshain district of central Berlin last year. There are currently 12 staff members, four of whom are brewers.
The interior of the store was renovated on the first floor of an approximately 100-year-old building.
Timo delivers beer kegs on a carrier by train.
"A few times a week, after hours, we brew in the system tanks next to the entrance, ferment in the back yard, and store the beer, which we then serve in the store. We also supply several kegs to bars in Berlin. I don't drive, so I put the tanks on a carrier and deliver them by train (laughs)," Timo said, bashfully showing us a photo of himself transporting kegs by train.
The alcohol content varies depending on the type. The lineup changes almost daily.
They use German malt, and use specially filtered water because tap water contains too many minerals. The bar has more than 10 different types of beer on tap at any given time, with a focus on ales and IPAs, and they rotate daily. They also strive to brew original beers, such as a beer with the aroma of sauerkraut, which is made using the same fermentation techniques as beer. Business is going so well that there are days when they can't keep up with the brewing. It will be exciting to see how the young German owner will lead this locally rooted beer bar in the future.
The capital, Berlin, has transformed in recent years with the proliferation of trendy establishments, and food is booming among young people. Of course, beer is no exception. A growing number of microbreweries are taking root in the heart of this beer-producing country, producing beer incorporating new ideas and design. To learn more about this next generation of German beer, we visited young brewers based in Berlin.
Sanni, Andre, and Sebastian run BIERFABRIK. The staff are all young, in their 20s and 30s.
Our first stop was BIERFABRIK, a brewery often found in Berlin's Späti (a German-style convenience store). Located on the outskirts of the city, it is a local brewery run by a small team. The staff members all have different backgrounds, including a former university student who majored in microbiology and a former winemaker with experience in alcohol production.
"We've commercialized over 10 types of beer to date, using around 25 types of malt and around 20 types of hops. We use malt that is all from Germany, and we select malts that are smoky and rich in flavor," said Andre, one of the founders of Beerfabrik. He also explained the production process at the factory.
Beer being transferred from the storage tank to the barrel
1. After measuring the malt, it is crushed.
2. The crushed malt is gradually mixed with water at 50-77 degrees Celsius.
3. It is then filtered. The liquid at this point is very sweet.
4. Hops are added. Beerfabrik, which also produces flavored beers, sometimes adds ingredients such as walnuts, maple syrup and lemon at this step.
5. Boil, cool, then add yeast and ferment.
6. After fermentation, let it rest further at low temperature. The period varies depending on the type, but on average it lasts for about two weeks. Some beers even require the flavor to mature for up to eight weeks.
The label design is also one of their attractions.
"We brew two to three times a week, producing 1,000 liters at a time. We hand-bottle and label our beer, and we're a small brewery where the staff and their friends are responsible for label design. Until recently, we knew all our customers, but that's not the case anymore (laughs)."
Since its founding in 2013, the brewery has steadily gained a fan base and gotten its business on track, currently wholesaling bottled beer and draught beer to bars and shops across Germany. They also frequently collaborate, demonstrating a strong creative spirit of challenge, such as jointly developing a chili beer with an Israeli brewer last year.
Next, we visited StraBenbrau, which serves original craft beer brewed in a small brewery on the premises. Owner Timo, a former businessman in the financial industry, made a career change and opened this popular beer bar in the Friedrichshain district of central Berlin last year. There are currently 12 staff members, four of whom are brewers.
The interior of the store was renovated on the first floor of an approximately 100-year-old building.
Timo delivers beer kegs on a carrier by train.
"A few times a week, after hours, we brew in the system tanks next to the entrance, ferment in the back yard, and store the beer, which we then serve in the store. We also supply several kegs to bars in Berlin. I don't drive, so I put the tanks on a carrier and deliver them by train (laughs)," Timo said, bashfully showing us a photo of himself transporting kegs by train.
The alcohol content varies depending on the type. The lineup changes almost daily.
They use German malt, and use specially filtered water because tap water contains too many minerals. The bar has more than 10 different types of beer on tap at any given time, with a focus on ales and IPAs, and they rotate daily. They also strive to brew original beers, such as a beer with the aroma of sauerkraut, which is made using the same fermentation techniques as beer. Business is going so well that there are days when they can't keep up with the brewing. It will be exciting to see how the young German owner will lead this locally rooted beer bar in the future.
