tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post2284193508951350826..comments2024-01-20T04:48:07.301+01:00Comments on The Bitten Bullet: Braukunst Live! 2012 - The Master ClassesBarry Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-36824201160028758172012-11-06T12:08:25.061+01:002012-11-06T12:08:25.061+01:00Well, there's another chance in March (8th to ...Well, there's another chance in March (8th to 10th) 2013 :)Barry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-54093287761623287142012-11-06T11:34:24.921+01:002012-11-06T11:34:24.921+01:00Bloody bloody bloody, wish they'd had this bef...Bloody bloody bloody, wish they'd had this before I left Munich.Beeronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02657819837673241949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-18231263367397597332012-04-28T12:07:33.999+02:002012-04-28T12:07:33.999+02:00Wolfgang, I know where you're coming from. Bee...Wolfgang, I know where you're coming from. Beer is certainly more accessible, and is an everyman's drink. Having said that, it can also be enjoyed at different levels, i.e., savouring and thinking more about the flavours etc. or just simply enjoying it from the bottle. The former can be done easily with the vast majority of decently priced beer, but yeah, even beer aficionados run the risk of being a little too snobby :). I do have issue with some beers being way over-priced simply from an "exclusivity" perspective (some of the Braufactum beers come to mind, which are horrendously priced, but very bloody tasty), but a lot of that is marketing, and trying to break into the "gourmet" market. Great beers are for everyone, and indeed, there are lots of whiskys that are very well priced and delicious :D<br /><br />Katja, yes, I hang my head in shame :D Beer and cheese is my go-to "pairing", in a very simple way. If I'm relaxing on an evening, I'll often cut slabs of different cheeses and gobble them with lashings of good beer (though I've had to cut down on the cheese recently). I'm not a big chocolate eater, but there's clearly a whole world of chocolate I've never explored! I'm doomed! :D I'm with you on the stout and chocolate cake thing. The Bull and Castle in Dublin used to do fantastic chocolate brownies paired with Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Death by chocolate! :)Barry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-52051242566076627552012-04-27T21:28:25.311+02:002012-04-27T21:28:25.311+02:00Having been to a few beer festivals, BKL was reall...Having been to a few beer festivals, BKL was really good... especially for the first time. I can't believe you've never had beer and chocolate. The combo is amazing and far better than wine and chocolate. Most girls I know got into beer after having a stout and chocolate cake...Katjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06065233586160484684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-81826270901639560702012-04-27T10:20:24.303+02:002012-04-27T10:20:24.303+02:00Went there on Saturday and enjoyed it tremendously...Went there on Saturday and enjoyed it tremendously.<br />However I think one shouldn´t overdo it with the Wine and Whisky comparison.<br />Berr is a lot more Straightforward Drink so having too much Sommelieres, special limited extra editions etc. will certainly chase off some of the public.<br />I Don´t mind paying 10Euro for an exeptional 0,75 ml Bottle but anything higher up is just too posh for me.Wolfganghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00353681972498654027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-63840777411303906902012-04-26T11:55:38.603+02:002012-04-26T11:55:38.603+02:00Maybe just one more view on the idea of guided tas...Maybe just one more view on the idea of guided tastings, that could also apply to the average beer drinker in Ireland. Beer has a special place in the hearts and minds of a large part of the German public, and some of the more "esoteric" beers, from the average German beer drinker's perspective, can sometimes do with some sort of context, or risk summary dismissal. The guys from Bier-Index did one such masterclass, as an attempt to put some of these new beer styles in context, referring to the US beer world as a comparison. By the same token, one could say taste and be damned, but as we know, a bit of conversation helps in many cases, and that could be equally be from the brewers at a booth, but that's quite a lot to ask with lines of thirsty punters demanding a fill.<br /><br />The other type of masterclass are those like the beer and chocolate one. I really enjoyed that, from an entertainment perspective if nothing else, as it was beyond the beer :DBarry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-81439001875180451212012-04-26T11:32:02.761+02:002012-04-26T11:32:02.761+02:00Hi Frank,
Congratulations, first of all, on runni...Hi Frank,<br /><br />Congratulations, first of all, on running such a great-sounding event.<br /><br />I wasn't criticising the extra charge for the tasting sessions -- I was just curious about the amount of time they took and how customers reacted to it. I've been called on to arrange tasting sessions at festivals in the past and it's always good to see how someone else has chosen to do it, and what the customer thought. <br /><br />The whiskey festival parallel is interesting, but one conclusion I'm rapidly coming to is that beer doesn't work the same way as wine or whiskey when it comes to paying for things other than the liquid. Wine and whiskey are expensive hobbies, and people appreciate guidance more. With beer, it seems to me, people are happier to just jump in, buy the stuff, and get their education that way. Maybe that will change. If you had a good turnout for your masterclasses, perhaps it's already that way in Bavaria.<br /><br />I still think a comparison between our beer culture is very valid here. Ireland and Bavaria are both <i>very</i> new at providing the drinker with a beer perspective that's different from the standard styles from the big breweries. In both places you have to do your research if you want other-than-normal beer.<br /><br />Anyway, well done again, and best of luck for future years!The Beer Nuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-86831879632241667362012-04-26T10:31:52.422+02:002012-04-26T10:31:52.422+02:00Hi Frank, and thanks for commenting.
It was defin...Hi Frank, and thanks for commenting.<br /><br />It was definitely a success! Well done for making a brave move.<br /><br />I certainly don't expect free beer at a festival, and with most beers costing 50c for 100ml, I thought it was quite fair. Likewise, €5 for a guided tasting was, I felt, good value. The master classes add another aspect to the festival that I really enjoyed, and I'd love to see these continue next year! :)<br /><br />I have to admit, although I know Germany as a fairly conservative beer nation (I'm generalising, of course), I was shocked to see the kinds of reactions in press, <a href="http://www.braukunst-live.com/2012/03/ich-brauch-kein-anderes-bier-oder-innovation-als-bedrohung/" rel="nofollow">as you wrote about here</a>. Those kind of people will never change their opinion, but I think with these kinds of events, that allow a broad, varied selection of beers to be tried under one roof, are a good step towards opening up minds and tastes to the variety of beers that are slowing spreading across Germany. Sure, we're "behind" trends in other parts of the world, but quality German beer has a quiet dignity (if that doesn't sound too strange) that serves us well, even though I for one welcome more choice and flavour experiences on my doorstep :DBarry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-27817430717096300722012-04-26T09:55:06.515+02:002012-04-26T09:55:06.515+02:00Hi everyone, this is Frank (= organizer Braukunst ...Hi everyone, this is Frank (= organizer Braukunst Live!)<br />@Barry: Thanks for the interesting post!!!!<br />This was a premier event....and we are very glad to have managed a "safe landing". Though there's a lot to think and work on now: We had excellent exhibitor- and visitor feedbacks - it was, I guess, a great success.<br /><br />@ extra pay for Master Classes: The talks (Open Stage) were free, only the Tastings costed 5 - 10 EUR each. This was for three reasons:<br />1. Munich is very expensive. Events in Munich are very expensive - and (to cut it short) we can't do it "for free".<br />2. This was our premiere. We didn't know what kind of people we'd attract - beer in Bavaria usually has to do with mass consumption. Beer is often handed out for free. I wanted to signal: there is NO such thing like "Freibier" (beer for free) at this show.<br />3. Paying moderate (or even not so moderate) fees is totally accepted practice at e.g. whisky festivals. I want to signal - right from the start - that beer can (and should!) be presented on exactly that very same level....which indeed implies a certain risk. <br /><br />Please bear in mind: Don't compare your beer culture with ours! You are far ahead. As to the specialty segment: Germany still is developing country: Most Germans don't even know that beers we saw last weekend even do EXIST. So we have to EDUCATE them (= most important mission of the show) which implies guided tastings at highest possible level....at which you get, what you pay for: 4 to 6 excellent beers in 45 minutes in an almost one on one situation with the guys who MAKE them.<br /><br />But it's a road that develops as we walk it, detours and dead ends included. So thanks to everyone for the kind support. Last weekend, we gave birth to a little "beer baby". It's a healthy boy/girl....but still needs a lot of love and support from beer family and friends. Please tell everyone that some lunatics try to establish an international beer specialty festival in Munich....networking and advice among the international "scene" helps us ESSENTIALLY (!!!!) to get the baby grow and prosper.<br /><br />Cheers<br />FrankFrankhttp://www.facebook.com/Braukunst.Livenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-86937259695313441162012-04-25T22:36:45.815+02:002012-04-25T22:36:45.815+02:00Yeah, I reckon it will :) Next time, I should plan...Yeah, I reckon it will :) Next time, I should plan on more than one day!Barry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-39227915428762084792012-04-25T13:07:35.638+02:002012-04-25T13:07:35.638+02:00Rest assured it will happen next year again :).
It...Rest assured it will happen next year again :).<br />It was an awesome experience for the brewers and a great opportunity to get to know a lot of nice and interesting people.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17811554675695763638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-20007743401158415872012-04-24T23:37:38.287+02:002012-04-24T23:37:38.287+02:00Yes, very professional and well organised. I hope ...Yes, very professional and well organised. I hope the breweries had a similar experience so that it can happen again next year, even bigger.Barry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-4402677439357647192012-04-24T23:33:06.403+02:002012-04-24T23:33:06.403+02:00I guess nine hours would be a lot of festivalling ...I guess nine hours would be a <i>lot</i> of festivalling without having the, er, drinking breaks of the talks. List or no, it sounds very impressive for a first go.The Beer Nuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-47369192041265945502012-04-24T23:31:56.282+02:002012-04-24T23:31:56.282+02:00Oops! Thanks, spell-check friend ;)
I guess you&#...Oops! Thanks, spell-check friend ;)<br /><br />I guess you're upgraded since we met in person :DBarry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-13484008913024467382012-04-24T23:30:47.174+02:002012-04-24T23:30:47.174+02:00When I saw the list of talks, I was a little taken...When I saw the list of talks, I was a little taken aback by the additional fees, and I think that might have kept some of the attendance low. But they were quite good, and I didn't feel my drinking time was being eaten into too much. There were five to six beers in these two session (and I only paid for one of them, being "invited" to the chocolate one), so there was enough to keep me ticking over.<br /><br />I definitely missed some beers that I originally wanted to try, and I could blame losing three hours out of the nine hours I was there to the master classes, but I've only myself to blame :) Well, that and a lack of a complete festival beer list, but I understand it was difficult to get the brewers to submit lists.Barry Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367655129107699025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-41586829257107960922012-04-24T23:30:19.144+02:002012-04-24T23:30:19.144+02:00It's “Giesing”, Twitter-friend. :)
Other than...It's “Giesing”, Twitter-friend. :)<br /><br />Other than that, my thoughts exactly, only more eloquent, as usual. Looking forward to following installments!Gerrit (@geo21481)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8943606491780538470.post-26268609334980724682012-04-24T23:18:30.985+02:002012-04-24T23:18:30.985+02:00Nice write-up. So, you paid an extra €5-10 for the...Nice write-up. So, you paid an extra €5-10 for the talks and they took an hour each. Did you not feel your festival drinking time was being eaten into?<br /><br />I've always thought that when people have paid into these things they're immediately on the clock to get their money's worth -- I know I am. When organising talks I've always kept them to 20mins tops for this reason. Just wondering if you feel you were missing out when you were at the tasting sessions?The Beer Nuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com