Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest collaboration – Bitburger

Discussion in 'Germany' started by JackHorzempa, Mar 21, 2019.

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  1. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    It appears that this year Sierra Nevada is collaborating with Bitburger to brew their Oktoberfest beer.

    Is Bitburger considered to be Fernsehenbier?

    Cheers!
     
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  2. Redrover

    Redrover Grand Pooh-Bah (3,676) Jan 18, 2003 Illinois
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    I like the Bitburger portfolio of beers, so will give this a try. But it seems like a strange collaboration choice.
     
  3. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
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    OK, was ist Fernsehenbier? Ah haa ha, nevermind.... TV beer.
     
  4. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    So Jim, what are your thoughts here since you have been to Germany a number of times? Are the beers produced by the Bitburger Braugruppe considered "TV beer"? Is this the sort of brewery(s) that you figured Sierra Nevada would collaborate with to produce their Oktoberfest beer?

    Cheers!
     
  5. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Bitburger is definitely Fernsehbier. Quite a... surprising collaboration to me as well...
     
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  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    Thank you very much for answering my question.

    I am fortunate that you are willing to participate in the Germany forum.

    Prost to you sir!!
     
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  7. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
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    Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I'm not familiar with the Bitburger Braugruppe beers but I can attest to the fact that not all German beers are of the best quality; they have plenty of lower tier priced beers. I've been calling them bahnhof beers but fernsehbier makes just as much sense.

    As to why Sierra Nevada would collaborate with them I'm not sure. Perhaps it has to do with wider distribution in Germany and Europe?
     
    #7 NeroFiddled, Mar 23, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2019
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  8. spartan1979

    spartan1979 Pundit (970) Dec 29, 2005 Missouri

    Or perhaps it has to do with better name recognition in the US. Not many many in the U.S. are familiar with names like Mahrs or Riegele.
     
  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
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    Now that makes sense. Partnering with a more popular German brewer (i.e., broader name recognition) potentially could increase beer sales?

    Cheers!
     
  10. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
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    Last figures I saw (2017) had the Bitburger Group the third largest brewing company in Germany:

    # 1 The Radeberger Group (Radeberger, Jever, DAB, Berliner Pilsener)
    10.8 million hectoliters
    # 2 Anheuser-Busch InBev (Becks, Diebels, Hasseröder, Franziskaner and Löwenbräu and others)
    6.6 million hectoliters
    # 3 The Bitburger Brewery Group (also Köstritzer, Licher and Wernesgrüner) -
    6.3 million hectoliters

    (Total for entire country - 85 million hectoliters of beer in 2017.
    If one adds the production of non-alcoholic beers, the total sales volume is 101 million hectoliters.)
     
    #10 jesskidden, Mar 24, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2019
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  11. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    What's even weirder about this to me is that's it's an Oktoberfest collaboration and Bitburger aren't exactly known for their Hefeweizen/Weissbier, I don't even think they make one at all, their most prominent brand in Germany is their Pilsner. This is kinda like collaborating with Coors for an IPA...
     
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  12. wspscott

    wspscott Pooh-Bah (1,958) May 25, 2006 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm confused, what does a hefeweizen have to do with an Octoberfest beer?
    I'm puzzled by the Bitburger collaboration, but hefeweizen has nothing to do with my confusion :slight_smile:
     
  13. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well, they don't brew a Märzen, Vienna Lager or Helles either, their main brand is still a Pilsner, which certainly doesn't have anything to do with an Oktoberfest beer either.
     
    #13 Snowcrash000, Mar 25, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2019
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  14. einhorn

    einhorn Savant (1,175) Nov 3, 2005 California

    This would be a bizarre move. Bitburger is a pure pilsner brewery, has limited connections to any hefeweizen brewer (my go to brand Licher added hefeweizen years ago, but it's simply a crutch for their contract-tied gastronomy), and having anything to do with Oktoberfest would be almost unheard of within Germany. The only reason would be non-Euro distro channels, even then it's a "jump the shark" moment.
     
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  15. Shanex

    Shanex Grand Pooh-Bah (4,960) Dec 10, 2015 France
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    @JackHorzempa Since this is pretty “big” news, may I suggest you start a similar thread in the Beer News & Release forum?

    https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/forums/beer-news-releases.37/

    This need visibility.

    If you also can provide a link and source to it, our BA community will appreciate. Thanks.
     
  16. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    @JackHorzempa how did you hear about this anyway? I cannot seem to find any kind of official news release on this.
     
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  17. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Big long thread here with the question answered by SierraTerence toward the last pages.
    As was said in the thread linked above, maybe SN is going to show Bitburger how to make an Oktoberfest. :wink:

    Here's a direct link to the "announcement."
     
    #17 steveh, Mar 25, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2019
  18. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Where did I miss some connection to a Hefeweizen? The collab is for an Oktoberfest, as far as I know.
     
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  19. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that one of Sierra Nevada's biggest recent collaboration brews with a Bavarian brewer was a Hefeweizen and also that Hefeweizen, or Weissbier, is probably the style that is most commonly associated with Bavaria.

    You are right of course though, when you say that a Hefeweizen isn't really an Oktoberfest beer.
     
  20. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Maybe over there... :wink:
     
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