Micro-brewery to brew with the best in Germany

Namibia Breweries Limited Brewer, Stephan Koepp makes sure everything is in place at the Swakopmund Brewing Company (SBC) as he and other brewers prepare to take part in the international Best Brew Challenge set for next week Friday.

NBL this week announced, that its micro-brewery ‘Swakopmund Brewing Company’ (SBC) will represent Africa at the international annual ‘Best Brew Challenge’.

The Best Brew Challenge is the World’s Largest Simultaneous Collaborative Brew with brewers from all corners of the world that participate in the competition that judges strictly on the quality of the products entered.

Initiated and hosted by the BESTMALZ Malthouse in Kreimbach, Germany, NBL Head Brewer, Christian Müller regards this as an opportunity for NBL, and SBC in particular to make its mark on the international craft beer market.

“Participation in an internationally renowned competition for craft brewers will boost both the status and quality credentials of NBL, the Swakopmund Brewing Company as well as Namibia as a country. Whether we win this challenge or not, is not the most important to us at this stage. The opportunity to measure our craft beer brewing standard against the best in the world, holds more meaning to us on this venture,” he said.

“Our brewers will push their limits when we brew the beer which we will enter into the challenge. Such a challenge will allow us to view ourselves within the ‘snapshot’ it provides and indicate to us where we are now, it gives a concrete base/result that we can test ourselves against in the future. And lastly – it is a whole lot of fun!,” he added.

All participating brewers across the globe will brew simultaneously on the same day after which their products will be sent to the Bestmalz Malthouse for judging on 10 July. An international jury of beer sommeliers will do the taste judging, and the brewers of the best rated beer wins a trip for two people to Heidelberg, while the winning beer will be presented at drinktec 2017 in Munich.

NBL Global Marketing Manager, Rene Duffy said, “While our beers have already received numerous international awards for quality which of course stems from NBL’s unwavering commitment to the Reinheitsgebot; the 500 year old Beer Purity Law, we are excited and also anxious to know how well our SBC craft beers measure up against other craft brewers in the world,” Duffy said.

“We trust that this platform will amplify interest in the growing craft beer segment and inspire more consumers to come and experience the diverse beer styles available exclusively at Namibia’s first micro-brewery; the Brewer and Butcher at the Strand Hotel,” she added.