| From Munich Germany I dropped off my Rent a car and took a bus to Leipzig the capital of the Saxony state of Germany several hours north of the Bavarian Capital. Leipzig is renowned worldwide for their rich culture, center for trade, arts and economic importances to the whole of the German economy. The city was home to famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was appointed Cantor of Thomasschule zu Leipzig (St. Thomas School) at Thomaskirche. To this day the Thomaskirche remembers the Bach family and the greatness of Johann Sebastian Bach with a statue The brewery at St. Thomas Church is brewpub is located in a beautiful open Platz in front of St. Thomaskirche along side restaurants and other local vendors. I visited the brewpub on a sunny sunday last spring and met with their Master brewer who was able to show me the lay out of the brewpub and guide me through their brewing operation and beers. The restaurant side of the the brewpub offers a little of everything anyone would every want. The menu items range from traditional to modern, with the restaurant having their own stone pizza oven, meat roastery, smoker and house made ice cream and sunday making station. The restaurant's floor plan hosts multiple seating areas both on the outside Platz and indoors with a centralized round island bar providing wine, cocktails, spirits and of course the brewpubs beer. The brewery side of the brewpub is mostly located in the basement of the building with only the brewhouse equipment on the restaurant floor. The modern fermentation room and finished beer cold rooms is located directly below the restaurants bar. The grain storage is located at the back of the lower floor and is organized perfectly to utilize the small amount of space available in the inner city location of the brewpub. The beers available at the brewpub at the the time of my visit were all very balanced, well thought out and brewed beers. One of their brews that stood out specifically to me was their spring seasonal wheat beer. The wheat beer has a great balance between its wheat malt base, bitterness and yeast esters that make for a great drinking wheat beer. The rest of the five beers on tap at the time of my visit were very well thought out and great brews. I personally look forwards to revisiting Leipzig and the Brewery at Thomaskirche. The brewpub at Thomaskirche also has a production size brewery outside the inner city that produces their bottled and kegged products for distribution. All the beers brewed by the Brewery at Thomaskirche are brewed by the standards the the German Purity Law put in place in 1516. Meaning that all the beers brewed at made only with; malted grain, hops, water and yeast, ensuring that their beers are made with high quality ingredients. They also do not pasteurize or filter their beers which keeps their beers natural proteins, minerals and probiotics properties intacted. So long story short the beers made by The Brewery at Thomaskirche taste better than your standard mass production beers. Not only due to the non-filtration and pasteurization of their beer but also due to their brew masters endless mastering of his craft. The Brewery at Thomaskirche is one of Leipzig's must visit place and top breweries. Make the time to visit the city and enjoy the beer at The Brewery at Thomaskirche. Visit the Brewery at Thomaskirche online at: http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/brauerei-an-der-thomaskirche/3649/ http://www.brauhaus-thomaskirche.de/unser-bier/ https://www.facebook.com/brauhausleipzig Visit The Brewery at ThomasKirche while visiting Leipzig at: Brauhaus an der Thomaskirche Thomaskirchhof 3-5 04109 Leipzig |
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Munich Germany is one of the cultural hubs of the world beer industry. Many of the modern brewing practices and brewing ingredients standards can be traced back the city Munich and the Bavarian region of Germany.
In 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria passed one of the brewing industries most important brewing regulations in the Reinheitsgebot law, also known as the Purity law. This restricted breweries to only use water, hops and malted barley to produce beer for consumption on market. This was pass before the knowledge of the existence of brewers yeast and that is the reason as to why it is not included in the list of ingredients. This law not only protected the consumers in the bavarian markets from low quality beer, the law also protected the other regions of Germany and through the following centuries, the territories of the Prussian empire. The Purity law is still in effect today and restrict all breweries in Germany to process their beers with only water, hops and malted grains with the exception of yeast being allowed. There are many innovative breweries in the German beer market are producing beers that include not allowed ingredients by the Purity law. These breweries are not allowed to sell their products as 'beer' but under some other product description such as malted beverage, etc. The current beer industry consumers in the German market are a diverse mixture of traditional beer consumers that will only consider drinking beers from breweries that brew under the guidelines of the Purity law and innovative brewery consumers that will consume beer brewed not under the Purity law. The German market is experiencing a fast developing market segment that is constantly demanding craft beer styles from across the United States and international innovative brewing markets. This developing market segment in Germany is encouraging more start up breweries to disregard the Purity law to meet the new local interest in innovative foreign beer styles. Breweries are now brewing instead with a selection of ingredients that are not allowed under the Purity law, by brewing with ingredients such as spices, herbs and other fermentable sugars. The new interest in international craft beer and other beers brewed not under the restrictions of the Purity law has inspired bars, restaurants and bottle stores to start up business in some of the more international cities across Germany. The growing demand for what many local breweries consider American craft beers has made a gap in the market for local craft breweries to make Germany their home. There is currently over 1300 breweries in Germany mostly brewing traditional beer that meets the standards of the Purity law and with a small percent that brew outside the confines of the Purity law. The overall number of breweries in Germany can be expect to grow, with the increase of breweries be started brewing beers without the confines of the Purity law. This is in part due to the local consumer support of locally made products and an increased interest in foreign craft beer market brands. Traditional breweries that brew under the Purity law will not start to lose popularity locally however and will continually find support by local consumers and regional tourism. These traditional breweries will be able to supply an ever increasing demand for traditional beer brands in innovating craft beer markets through exporting their products. The major six breweries of Munich Germany are a perfect example of how traditional German breweries brewing under the Purity law will continue to grow through business by supplying foreign markets with their brands. Spaten, Lowenbrau, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner, Augustinerbrau and Hofbrauhaus have all found lucrative demand for their beer in foreign markets and have a good deal of the brands sold in those non-local markets. This Lucrative exportation of traditional breweries brands from across the separate European markets will continue to be embraced going into the development increasing demand for craft beer to the traditional beer markets of Europe. As local consumers tastes change to a more diverse range of beers from multiple breweries traditional breweries will start to lose local market share and will have to subsidize foreign sale to make up for lessening local sales. While smaller nano and micro international craft beer inspired breweries will start to brew starting in more international cities and develop consumer followings in the coming years. These small breweries have already started to make their presence known across large German cities and their increasing embracement from local consumers will continue to improve their market share in the German beer industry. Even in the oldest of markets with the higher concentration of breweries the craft beer industry will continue to have a consumer market to support it. |
AuthorStarting working in the craft beer industry several years ago in Scotland UK, while research the marketing and management of craft breweries, Schuyler Ward continues to work in the craft beer industry while networking building the collaborative network to improve the beverage industry. Archives
June 2015
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