BRAUWELT International 2-2026
EDITORIAL
KNOWLEDGE
BEER AND BREWING HISTORY
INTERVIEW
OVER A PINT AT THE MAGPIE & MARTEN
MANAGEMENT
EDITORIAL - A fluid industry – always something new
One of the outstanding characteristics of our industry is that it never stops evolving, even if sometimes the reasons it does so are not always positive. Whether it’s a beverage trend or a technological innovation, necessary cost-cutting measures or a stopgap solution, the authors’ contributions, which are laid out before you, illustrate this point quite well.
CYCLING THROUGH NEW TRENDS IN RADLER – Do you happen to know, for example, the account of how Radler came to be? Over a Pint at the Magpie & Marten, Nancy and Christopher McGreger recount how, when confronted with the steep uphill climb of quenching too many cyclists’ thirst with too little beer, necessity undeniably served as the mother of invention, inspiring a legendary and enterprising Munich publican to concoct a creation whose popularity is still intensifying today. Radler continues to pedal away even now, relentlessly driving new trends (p. 103).
BUDDING SUCCESS – This venerable institution also emerged from a dire situation – and will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary: The Society for Hop Research. Together with Max Hayduck, the Society is the focus of the most recent installment in our series “The giants of brewing history” by Günther Thömmes. This institution has had an enormous influence on hop breeding in Germany and around the world (p. 60). And for many years, it has been addressing the issue of adapting hop varieties to our changing climatic conditions. In the second installment of our series “Huell Classic – The future of German hop nobility,” on p. 57, we examine more closely this newly approved hop variety and how it can be utilized in the brewhouse.
ENERGETICALLY SAVING – Costs associated with every type of energy are becoming quite expensive again, and thus, any novel means for conserving energy would most certainly be greeted very warmly by the industry. One year after making the decision to adopt new centrifugation technology, the Karlsberg Brewery of Germany is delighted to report that at this process step, it has achieved over 50 percent savings in its electrical energy usage. Plus, one fewer machine is now needed in its brewery operations. Moreover, the brewery’s water consumption has dropped precipitously, and the oxygen uptake in the beer is almost immeasurable. To find out more about the benefits of adopting this new technology, turn to p. 81.
SENSORY TESTING is highly advantageous, says our author, since with it, one can achieve satisfactory analytical results without having to invest in expensive equipment. The difficulty lies in distinguishing decidedly trustworthy results from those that are less reliable because the latter can quickly become costly for a company. On p. 96, in “Trusting sensory findings?,” the author explains how sensory analysis is linked to teamwork, where the pitfalls lie, and what practical issues can arise.
And now we’re looking forward to the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America 2026 in Philadelphia – or Philly as it is known in America – where attendees will be inundated for three full days with the latest about, from and for our industry. You’ll find a sneak peek on p. 76.
