Inspiration

American Craft Beer Plans Its German Invasion

On the anniversary of a German beer law, American upstart Stone Brewing is making a foothold in Berlin.
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Courtesy Stone Brewing

Greg Koch won't name the international beer brands he obliterated with a forklift and a boulder a few years back. The way the Stone Brewing CEO sees it, not one noteworthy drop was wasted when he crushed a palette full of mass-produced bottles and cans at the century-old gasworks plant that will soon become the company's Berlin compound.

"The real harm was done at those breweries by making cheap, pale facsimiles of 'beer'," says Koch. "That's the insult."

Stone's publicity stunt—performed in front of peers from Poland, Hungary, Italy, Scotland, and Germany—was the first public step in the San Diego brewery's $25-million-dollar plan to become a true pioneer in the Berlin market. Upon its completion this spring, Stone's massive three-building campus (totaling more than 65,000 square feet) will make them the first stateside craft brewer to independently build, own, and operate a European branch.

This feels surprising given the industry's recent growth; After all, 2015 was the year Constellation Brands (the world's largest wine company, and the U.S. arm of pale lagers like Pacifico, Corona, and Tsingtao) staged an unprecedented billion-dollar takeover of Stone's beloved neighbor, Ballast Point. Meanwhile, major stakes in other leading craft breweries (including Founders, Lagunitas, and Golden Road) were secured by such behemoths as Heineken and Anheuser-Busch InBev.

However, the European market has been largely overlooked by craft beer companies outside of export orders. That includes Stone's bold signature beers (Arrogant Bastard Ale and several hop-heavy IPAs), which have landed in a limited number of overseas shops and bars despite its steadfast position as America's ninth largest craft brewer.

"It's difficult to ship the kind of styles Stone makes so far," explains Koch, "and have them arrive in the vibrant, flavorful condition that we love in the U.S."

The solution? Building two separate breweries in South Berlin's commercial Marienpark complex, including a 100-hectoliter system that'll spread the Stone gospel across Europe this spring and a smaller 10-hectoliter system that produced its first batch of fresh beer last December for such like-minded clients as Lager Lager, Brauerei Lemke, and Berliner Berg. Much like Stone's flagship location in Escondido, the setup will soon become the de facto draft line for an ambitious on-site restaurant: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, which will deliver popular dishes from their California location like BBQ duck tacos and a palate-stomping beer soup alongside Berlin exclusives like sausage links from a rising local butcher (wurstsack). Its soft opening is set for April 4, just weeks before the 500th anniversary of Reinheitsgebot, the infamous "Bavarian Purity Law" that limits beer's primary ingredients to water, barley, and hops. The irony is not lost on Stone.

Courtesy Stone Brewing

"The anniversary is getting a lot of [attention]," says Koch, "but I don't think it'll survive the spotlight because it's old-line thinking that has little-to-no relevance in today's world. The reality is a lot of commodity brewers follow that law, making cheap, crappy beer. And a lot of artisanal breweries don't follow that law, making expensive, highest-possible-quality beer."

One Stone style that stands in stark contrast to the simple water/barley/hops formula is Stone Xocoveza, a seasonal mocha stout brewed in Berlin with micro-roasted Five Elephant coffee and fermented cocoa from the "tree to bar" chocolatier Belyzium. Dr. Andrei Shibkov, the home brewer who founded Belyzium, was very happy with how hands-on the collaboration was, but says Berlin's small network of bottle shops and bars hasn't quite caught up with its burgeoning craft breweries.

"The beer scene is better than average in Germany," he explains, "but it has a lot of room for improvement as alternative styles have very limited presence… Drawing parallels with California, I think Berlin's scene is 10-20 years behind."

Stone isn't just concerned with expanding its own brand, either. According to Koch, their increasingly rare "camaraderie approach" means they "aggressively promote and build up other breweries," an assertion that was echoed by several of their new Berlin neighbors.

"We welcome them with open arms," says Vagabund Brauerei co-founder David Spengler. "The added spotlight that is being cast on Stone only makes the Berlin craft beer scene that much brighter."

"I am a firm believer that this will strengthen the rest of our scene as well," adds Berliner Berg brewmaster Richard Hodges. "I think their beers and philosophy will be right at home. Berlin is very diverse, very young, and very open. I can imagine them developing a loyal following here.... Personally, I'm really looking forward to it, since I'm about 30 minutes away by bike and have a growler with lifetime free refills."

A Day in Berlin