BrewDog Berlin

Who knows, maybe a place like this will create "buzz" about new styles (for most Germans) and embody things very untraditional about beer as most consumers know it. From my perspective either complete bomb or huge success, very little in between.

 

The "buzz" is already in Berlin. A few "craft" brewers, the new Beer Acadamy, Mikkeller's pop-up bar, etc.
But Berlin is Berlin and not representative for the rest of the country. Only because some folks in the capital now drink IPAs won't bother the next guy somewhere in the hills.

 

My own two cents is I probably wouldn't go unless it was convenient to where I was staying. I'd sooner seek out some of the Berlin Craft-esque breweries that @EvanRail had mentioned in his NY Times piece that was posted here earlier, but more power to BrewDogs if they can make it work.

@Zimbo do you have an idea of when it's opening? And in which neighborhood it'll be?

 

I think it's a good thing. Only knowing about them from what I read in BA or other non-beer outlets about BrewDog, I can't say their beers would be a bad thing for Germany. I'm sure they'll add other craft beers to their lineup, hopefully British, American and maybe even a German or two. Germany has a severe lack of choice in beers anywhere, and most bars have only 2 or 3 possibilities of different brands, most of them either local or one of the conglomerates. So yeah, it's a great thing. Anything that gives us more choice rather than the same ol' Pils/Weizen is a great thing.

MJ was right, Berlin has become the tip of the spear in non-German styles, but it's still the tip. I'm sure if you asked 100 people in Berlin about craft beer, 95 would look at you as if you asked about food from Mars. So yeah, there are a few places, but not anything I'd call a movement, yet. Also, Berlin has always the tip of the spear fashion-wise, and anything else alternative and new, so I'm not surprised it's starting in Berlin. All it takes is one or two success to make everyone copy them.

Zimbo
Don't know what you have against BrewDog, except I've heard they're way out there, arrogant, and use lots of hype, and why the hate? And what's so bad about their bars? Having never been to one, what's the problem there?

 

A quick Google search and I landed here. Nice article, a bit older and in German.

http://www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/mikrobrauereien-in-berlin-brauer-und-brew-pubs-a-937451.html

 

Berlin deserves it.

 

Thanks for the update, Zimbo — that's kind of crazy news from one point of view, but it makes sense for BrewDog. More power to them.
To me, what Berlin deserves would be something more like Zlý Časy here in Prague: a great bar with a bunch of taps featuring smaller and regional producers, not necessarily top-fermented. Actually, I bet Zlý Časy serves more beers from Franconia and the Oberpfalz than any bar in Berlin, to say nothing of great small producers from Bohemia and Moravia. Weird, huh?

 

I cannot publically post what I actually think Berlin deserves...

That's not surprising given the fact that the people of Franconia and the Oberpfalz think of the Czech as our dear neighbours while they would rather pour their beer into a sewer than ship it to Berlin.

 

That is a very nice pc and family friendly way of characterizing Berlin as a whole. BrewDog places fits the place perfectly.

 

Your hate for Berlin distresses me. It's my favourite city in Europe.

 

I am with boddhitree on this.

I am not a Brewdog fan, but I do not hate them as many seem to, some of their regular beers such as 5am saint are pretty solid and I always enjoy the Brewdog bar in Edinburgh. I think it will probably do quite well in Berlin, especially with the growing intrigue in craft beer.

side note - we should keep a running tab of things stahlsturm hates: americans, american beer, berlin, sour beer

 

Far from my favorite city in Europe, but I do love the city. Do not worry Stahlsturm loves to hate things...

 

Well I do need to get out more. London might have taken my #1 spot if I had gotten to stay longer, and I have yet to make my way east to places like Prague, Vienna, and Budapest, all of which I've heard such good things about. So take it for what it is, but as of right now, for me, it's (1) Berlin and (1a) Paris.

 

My "hate" for Berlin mostly stems from the fact that it's been the capital of Imperial, Weimar, **** and now Federal Germany and before that it was the Capital of Preussen for centuries. From a Bavarian point of view nothing good has ever come from Berlin. Ever.

For centuries we (= Bavaria) were wedged between a rock (Preussen) and a hard place (Austria), trying to keep them both out of our business and then they manage to lure our insane king into joining Germany (= Großpreussen) and what did that get us ? World War 1, a communist riot (including a civil war) in 1919 followed by inflation. Another inflation in 1929. Another World War after that, started by an Austrian who after having been gunned down when he tried to take over Bavaria went to Berlin and succeeded. And now, after all that is finally over and done with (although Bavaria and the rest of Germany are still paying for the aftermath) those brilliant people in Berlin are selling off our future to the European Union.

Then, Berlin is it's own state within Germany and the country of Berlin, let's just say, you've read about Greece and Ireland and Cyprus and all those countries needing help because they are too dumb to collect their taxes and use them without wasting too much. All these guys went to Berlin to take lessons on how to best squander public money by the billions. When you look at the german tax map you'll see that the only countries holding their own are Hessen, Baden Württemberg and Bayern while Berlin is this big deep red hole into which all our taxes disappear... They are having the party and we're stuck with the bill.

Man, how can any sane person NOT hate Berlin and all it symbolizes ?

 

You do not understand me at all, do you ?

 

I do, just love giving you a hard time

So we should hate any entity for its past deeds, whether we were around for them or not? By that logic we should hate just about every country in the world, in which I truly agree with, and understand, any ire you direct at the US (do not worry, I have quite the contempt for many things American), but to hold true to your abhorrence of past indiscretions we must also burn Germany at the proverbial stake.