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Portrait: Dr. Brauwolf

At the craft brewery Dr. Brauwolf from Zurich, brewing is an exact science. Everything is recorded in detail and they experiment with new ingredients and fermentation techniques. Why Zurich should take Basel as an example, you can read here.

Brewery information

Name of the brewery

Dr. Brauwolf

Links

Webseite: drbrauwolf.ch
Facebook: www.facebook.com/drbrauwolf/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrauwolf

Name

Stefan Wolf, owner and founder

Founding year

2017

What is the philosophy of Dr. Brauwolf?

We have two slogans, ‘fresh local craft beer’, which means that we brew without preservatives and do not pasteurise. We are positioned locally with the brewery situated in the city. We make handcrafted beer, brewing it ourselves and not a computer. 
The other slogan is ‘where beer meets science’. We are both scientists in the brewing team. It is important to us to record and analyze everything in detail and we attach great importance to accurate work. We also often experiment with new ingredients and fermentation techniques. 
I also have a scientific project on the subject of beer in my head, but for that we first have to get funding via a research propsal.   

How much do you produce per year?

In the first full year, i.e. 2018 310hl. The volume is trending upwards.

Where can we buy your beers?

In 25 restaurants and bars in Zurich, plus 15 more all over Switzerland.

Who do you sell the most beer to?

Our urban partner Intercomestibles.

What two development steps will you take in the next 6 to 12 months?

We want to be represented in more restaurants and bars, especially locally in Zurich and throughout Switzerland.

In five years…

To be known throughout Switzerland outside the craft beer scene and to expand our network of sales outlets throughout Switzerland. 
Possibly we will open a second brewery outside the city to simplify our logistics.

Information about the beers

Which beer (incl. beer style) is your top seller?

At the moment this is Boho (Czech Pils), but in the summer it will be competing strongly with Summer Ale (light wheat Pale Ale) and in the near future it may be replaced by APA (American Pale Ale).

Top seller’s share of total production

Last year this was about 20%.

Meaning of the name of two of your beers

We don’t name our beers. Perhaps the H2OP, our hop water, is interesting here. The name is composed of ‘H2O’, the chemical formula for water (yes, water is also chemistry! ;)) and ‘Hop’, English for hops. 
We call our Pils Boho, which stands for Bohemian Lager, because we are not allowed to use Pils in Switzerland.

Beerscene and #beerlife

Which Swiss brewery or person would you like to make a collab with?

We are currently doing our second collab with Dr. Gab’s. The idea is to overcome the Röstigraben, so we make a beer with Rösti or potatoes. 
We are also planning a collab within Zurich to wake up the almost non-existent Zurich beer scene. 
We’re also planning a collaboration with a brewery in Basel, because for me as someone from Lucerne who lived in Basel and Zurich, it’s also about overcoming this imaginary hurdle. The Baselers not only have the tallest skyscraper in Switzerland, but also the bar with the most taps and the highest draft beer. In my opinion, Zurich should take that as an example.

Name a perfect pairing of a beer from you and a menu (ideally with a recipe)

One of the most interesting experiences I had with the Black IPA and a ‘Chicken Waffle’. The beer tastes different after the sweet waffle. The chocolate notes stand out and the beer completely loses its bitterness.

My advice to hobby brewers

Don’t start with complex beers. Each ingredient increases the level of difficulty and the risk of mistakes. Start with a ‘simple’ beer style, for example with a blonde. 90% Pilsner, 10% Caramalz, 60 min Magnum, possibly 20 min Cascade in the Boil. If the beer is made flawless, you can build on this basis with other hops and other ingredients.

Beer variety is…

When different beer styles from different breweries are offered in a bar or restaurant, also on tap. Unfortunately, we are still light years away from this in Switzerland.

What do you hope for for the CH beer scene

More free market and less monopoly. In most Zurich bars and restaurants, the same beer is served on tap, and exclusively. There is also a need for many more bars. In Zurich there is only a handful of them, while there are 200 cocktail bars.

What do you hope for for the industry

It would be nice if the industry focused on the actual product and its quality rather than on financing bar and restaurant inventory through tied house contracts and extensive marketing campaigns.

Which of your beers would you have served to beer hunter Michael Jackson?

Definitely the two beers that just took first place in the Brau & Rauch Beer Contest: The Maracuja Sour and the Chocotonka Imperial Stout. I would also offer him a Summer Ale and our flagship APA.

What 5 beers should everyone have tried before dying?

  • Brewski Mango DIPA
  • BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien
  • Maryensztadt Blackcurrent Sourtime
  • Creature Comforts Galactic Space Circus
  • Stone & Wood Pacific Ale

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