American craft in Germany

Like Spaten, for example.

 

I'll let Stahlsturm address that one!

 

Anything good on Ramstien? When I left in 04, there were near zero craft options. I remember occasionally seeing some Sam Adams & that was it. I was happy with what I could get German & Belgian wise, but every once in a while, a nice IPA would've hit the spot. The best I could do was cans of John Smith & Boddingtons from the Brit's little store on base...

 

So how can my wife and I do that? ;-) We're at the point where we'd do something funky to get out of our rut....

But seriously, good for you.... And there are a lot of good Bier offerings popping up...

Prosit!!

 

When did I get promoted to "BA Enforcer" ?

 

In my mind always

 

The majority of Germans are an perfectly happy to drink the same beer their entire life and don't feel the need for adventure and experimentation. In the past 200 years pretty much every gene promoting adventure and experimentation has been removed from the German gene pool by waves of emmigration and two world wars. It'll take centuries to come back and when (if) it does I'm not sure it's a good thing, given the events of the past century or so.

There is a minority interested in small breweries and there are vast regional differences. In Bayern, especially the districts of Oberfranken, Mittelfranken and Oberpfalz you'll find breweries pretty much in every second village. Further up north you'll be searching for weeks and only come up with Fernsehbier. There are also areas in Germany which are Wine country and you won't find much beer (besides the accursed F-bier) there and vice versa. This diversion has grown over the past millenium and is part of our socialization. If as a beer lover you get dropped off in wine Germany by the US Army you're s... outa luck and vice versa. Trying to even question this will get you blank stares (if you're lucky) or you'll be thrown out. Things may change during the next Ice Age but I wouldn't hold my breath. As I pointed out earlier, Germans aren't exactly fond of change.

So, with this little background info on general German mentality maybe you'll understand why your hopes (As understandable they are to me, my wife is an ex-pat too and there's a lot of New England things she misses.) are in vain.

 

It still says "Member" under my name...

 

As I was taught in the military, there are formal leaders & natural leaders. I always had more success when I found the natural leaders to get anything done

 

I went to Braufactums website and looked at the beers they are selling and I can tell you that with a few exceptions most of their American craft beers aren't so great. Many US craft breweries are starting to sell equity to/partner with a BMC and become widely distributed. However, it seems that a few decent beers that have mass appeal are the ones that get the widest distro and make it to Europe. Also, like everyone has said ,the pricing is absurd. I can buy a six pack for the price of 2 beers. Given one will pay a premium because of transport and tariff (my fingers are crossed for a US EU free-trade agreement soon), I would personally not splurge on American imports unless it is the best stuff. The only problem with trying to get the best American stuff is that most of it isn't currently being produced in large enough quantities to meet demand in the US ( i.e Russian River, Cigar City, The Alchemist). Some will never try. Some will. You might see Cigar City. You will never see Hill Farmstead haha (similar mindset as Jean at Cantillon and I have tons of respect for that). Your best hope in the next few years is probably for Bells and Founders. There might be a trickle of the best stuff from Firestone and Brooklyn, but I can't imagine too much.

Breweries "selling out" or partnering with the big guys is an interesting dilemma. It is a good thing that investors and entrepreneurs can exit. This will encourage investors to take more risks in craft beer and put money into new breweries. I have actually seen this happen. However, investors will want their money back and some will push craft breweries to produce a product with broad appeal and invest a bunch in marketing so they can grow quickly and make as much money as possible. There will inevitably be more mediocre craft beer even from breweries that make some great beer (but these great beers might make up 10% of revenue for a brewery). But I am in favor of this happening for this reason: I drink enough good beer to tell the difference between mediocre craft, good craft, and world-class craft and would rather have more beers to chose from. There will inevitably be people that settle or think mediocre craft is great beer, or have been swayed by the marketing of BMC. But at least these people will be easier to transition into the really good stuff than someone who thinks Bud Light is awesome. Out of the 25 or so breweries in Georgia I would say maybe 2 or 3 are good and none are great...that should change soon and will change eventually. I can't wait to see more breweries and more competition. Eventually there will be a shakeout.

Sorry for the essay.

 

That first paragraph is hilarious. For a second I didn't know if you were serious. I think you are but am still unsure haha.

 

I can’t say that I disagree. However, one could say the same thing about Americans as well, the vast majority of whom drink fizzy-yellow beer their entire lives with no interest in beer diversity. And yet, diversity exists because a small minority demands it, and is willing to pay for it. Despite a native wife and nearly a decade of experience here to the contrary (at least with respect to beer), I think the same is possible (though perhaps not likely) here in Germany. Or, at least, in parts of Germany.

Nearly every Getränkemarkt or supermarket carries non-German wines and every decent-sized town has a variety of foreign restaurant choices. Germans may not be overly adventurous, but that interest in “other”, “new” and “different” does appear to exist in Germans in different contexts. That it might bleed over into beer seems to me a realistic possibility.

You may be right that I am hoping in vain, but perhaps I am more optimistic because I see an opportunity in the younger generation. They have turned away from beer because it is “boring”, but maybe breweries/distributors like Braufactum, Pax or CambaBavaria, etc... will show them that this doesn’t have to be true. Of course, at this point, I’d settle for just a few more restaurants offering diversity beyond your choice of different size glasses containing either a Pils or a Weizen...

 

The wife is German, and she wasn't that interested in living in the States, so here we are... It's only "more or less" permanent because every winter I swear it's my last. Of course, I've been saying that for 8-9 winters now.

 

My wife and I arrived in Germany in July, 2011. At that point the base still had the class six that you visited that was behind the dental clinic. For American craft you would see Rogue Dead Guy and they even had Yellow Snow IPA. Also included was SABL and the seasonal Sam Adams 12 packs. They also brought in some UK beers along with the full line of Chimay 750ml.

In August of 2012 they shut down the class six and gas station that was behind the dental clinic and opened a new one that was all in one place. At the grand opening they had West Coast IPA, Summit EPA, Lagunitas IPA, Anchor Steam, Dead Guy Ale and a couple other crafts. Craft beer geeks were in heaven. They sold through everything and brought back in more West Coast and Lagunitas along with Alaskan Amber and White. Sam Adams BL and seasonal beers were still coming in.

Fast forward to March or so of this year and it has stopped. Besides Sam Adams it is just Bud/Miller/Coors for US beers. They still have the same German selection, the Chimay line and have added Delirium Tremens. It is a shame I have no idea why they stopped as the craft beers sold. The Brit store is still an option and in the KMCC mall there is a kiosk that sells Belgian brews at a very high price. For non German beers I usually drive to the Cora in Forbach, France or up to Arlon, Belgium for a craft shop and a Carrefour market.

 

You sound like my wife. Even though one would expect that as a native New Englander she wouldn't be freaked out by an occasional snow flake

 

The guy who brought craft in rotated back stateside and the guy who's doing it now has no clue.

 

True. But then, beer is hyped up to the level of national treasure so...

You're in Germany, alright. Maybe you should make an occasional trip to neighbouring Bayern.

 

Serious or educated guess? Do you live in the KMCC area?

 

Educated guess. My wife works on base in Hohenfels so I'm not a complete stranger to the inner workings of an US military base and I also know they fill those civilian jobs. I live in Bayern, half way between Hohenfels and Regensburg in walking distance to the Brauerei Michael Plank.

 

And that's why I prefer to put the term "craft beer" into quotes...
While Russian Imperial Stouts or big IPAs can be nice and interesting (as well as many other styles connected to "craft beer") and nice to have now and then German beer doesn't have to be "non-craft". Look at Rauchbier, it's traditional, delicious and if you do not insist on having "highly hopped" in the definition - it's "German craft beer" (in my opinion).
I'd put it this way:
Independent, preferably small and traditional beer/breweries is what makes "craft beer". It doesn't matter if you've got machines to stir your mash or do that by hand, as long as you strive to produce a great beer (especially flavor-wise). Brew a pale ale? Do it, but don't forget, there's other beautiful things besides the styles "craft beer" has made popular!

Cheers.