PRESS RELEASES BCB

Brew Berlin 2018

This is where the creative brewery community meets bar owners, restaurateurs and bartenders: Brew Berlin stands for new beers, local and international breweries, and endless expert know-how on product selection and the craft. As a part of the Bar Convent Berlin, the trade show will take place at Station Berlin from 8 to 10 October. Here, restaurateurs will find out how the new diversity of beers can become the USP for their business and what they should consider when putting together their selection. More than just being optimally embedded in Europe’s leading trade show of the bar and spirits industry, Brew Berlin is also at home in Berlin, in the midst of an up-and-coming environment of new breweries and beer bars. The German capital, after all, is increasingly becoming Europe’s beer city. This is where the local beer craft meets international diversity, be it from Scotland, Russia or Italy.

Orientation in diversity

Quality and image – when it comes to the new diversity in beer, one can’t exist without the other. With the number of breweries and beer varieties growing, competitive pressure is ratcheting up. Increasingly important factors for customers beside the quality characteristics of the product are brand and image. “Consumers these days care very much about the quality and freshness of beer. Moreover, the personality and values of a brand are getting more and more important”, says Richard Heerink, managing director of the German branch of Asahi Brands Europe/Pilsner Urquell. “As a pilsner pioneer, this is exactly what we bring to the table: tradition, a powerful history and the highest quality standards. The focus is shifting to freshly brewed, unpasteurised tank beer and tapsters – specially trained bartenders that enable a perfect taste experience.” For the brewmaster and managing director of BraufactuM, Dr. Marc Rauschmann, quality and brand provide orientation in the diverse world of beer. For eight years, the BraufactuM team has inspired the German craft beer market with their fresh ideas. “From the very beginning, we’ve wanted to take all beer lovers on a journey of discovery – because craft beer is what allows them to really experience the diversity of German beer in the first place. That said, some people are overwhelmed by the increasing number of brands and varieties. That’s where it becomes our task to make it easy and convenient for interested consumers to enter the world of craft beer and provide them with guidance. In my view, quality, reliability and brand awareness are just as important as creativity and innovation in this regard”, says Rauschmann.

Highlights at the Bar Convent Berlin

Brew Berlin will be located in Hall 1 of the Bar Convent Berlin. And Union, Asahi Brands Europe with Pilsner Urquell, Aval Cidre Artisanal from France, Berliner Berg, Brauerei Lemke Berlin, Bräugier Craft, Braukunst Berlin, Bulwark Craft Cider from Canada and Die Internationale Brau-Manufacturen GmbH will present themselves there. Additional exhibitors include Duderstädter Braumanufaktur, Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei, Landgang Brauerei, Mahou from Spain, Rügener Insel Brauerei, The Wimbledon Brewery Company from the UK, Weldebräu and Wolfscraft. Among others, Marc Rauschmann from BraufactuM has already revealed what visitors can expect: “In addition to Palor and Soleya, which were recently recognised as ‘Country Winners’ at the World Beer Awards, and our classics like Progusta and The Brale, we’ll also introduce two new members of the BraufactuM family: Hoppy Kellerpils and German Pale Ale, which will be offered in cans for the first time. Both are easily accessible and provide all beer lovers with the perfect entry into the world of craft beer.” Richard Heerink from Pilsner Urquell has also given us a taste of what’s to come at Brew Berlin 2018: “Among the highlights Pilsner Urquell will bring along are freshly brewed tank beer and tapsters from across Germany showing their skills. Visitors will get a chance not just to sample the three draughting styles hladinka, mlíko and šnyt but also to try their own hand at tapping some beers under the watchful eyes of the pros. Kozel is bringing something new for trendsetters: dark beer with a fine, caramel-like sweetness and mild bitter notes – enjoyed with a cinnamon rim on the glass edge and the cinnamon image of Olda on the foam.” 

Valuable knowledge for restaurateurs

On all three trade show days, visitors will get valuable input on the new diversity of beer on the Beer Stage. One example is the presentation by cocktail and beverage author Peter Eichhorn at 4:00 pm on Monday. The informative tasting will guide attendees through the most important beer styles and show restaurateurs the ideal way to use each individual beer specialty. Additional beers and beer styles will take the spotlight on the second day of the show: German beer innovations at 12:30 pm; IPA, gose and Co. at the Taste Forum A at the same time; and sour beer, the wine sommeliers’ favourite, on the Beer Stage at 2:00 pm.

On the first show day at 2:00 pm, brewers, distributors and restaurateurs will get together for a panel discussion exploring how to turn this beer diversity into a USP in the restaurant industry. Additional important presentations for restaurateurs will follow on Wednesday when Peter Eichhorn, for example, will discuss the importance of regions and seasons for making product selection decisions. He’ll talk about products, regional philosophies and experiences revolving around exotic and local brew specialties at the bar. In his presentation titled “Beer for restaurants, bars and hotels: Challenge and Opportunity” at 3:30 pm, Eichhorn will also explore product selection, food pairing, employee training, the right glass and the ideal concept for boosting the diversity of beers in restaurants. The restaurateur and beer sommelier Sven Förster will also be at the BCB to share his experiences. Together with Daniel Schock from the German Brewers Federation, he’ll speak on “Beer care and beer mistakes: Challenges at the bar” at 2:00 pm on Monday.

The beer culture of Italy, the trade show’s Country of Honour this year, will also be featured on the Beer Stage. While the country has an excellent reputation for its wine and food, beer used to play only a minor role in the past. However, Italian beer culture has undergone a rapid transformation. The new “birra artigianale” fits seamlessly into the existing food and beverage culture, creating completely new beer styles such as grape beer. The presentation by brewer Agostino Ariolo and the founder of the Bir & Fud Bar in Rome, Alfonso Strianese, on BCB Monday will highlight what other countries can learn from this change.

About Brew Berlin

Beer for bars – that’s what Brew Berlin is all about. The annual trade show provides a platform for manufacturers and distributors of international premium beers to meet directly with restaurateurs, importers and specialist wholesalers. The Brew Berlin brand has been a part of the Bar Convent Berlin, Europe’s leading premium trade show for the bar and beverage industry, since 2013. In 2018, the Bar Convent Berlin will take place at Station Berlin from 8 to 10 October. About 14,000 trade visitors are expected to attend.

www.barconvent.com

Download

Press Release [doc l 800 kb]

Photo Brew Berlin (Credit: BAR CONVENT BERLIN) [jpg l 2.2 mb]

Photo Tapster Teodor (Credit: Pilsner Urquell) [jpg l 2.5 mb]

Photo Hoppy Kellerpils (Credit: BraufactuM) [jpg l 2.3 mb]