Beer rebel in the heart of Berlin
House brewery Eschenbraeu, Berlin
Berlin is in, Berlin is trendy, that’s for sure. Yet, is it also true that the capital only offers the "Berliner Weiße" or commercially made beer for the masses, as many believe? No, it is not! There is an unrelenting brewer, Martin Eschenbrenner, born and raised in Karlsruhe, who does not cease to stand up to the capital’s giants of beer production.
Eschenbrenner has assumed the role of a true beer rebel with every part of his body. It was a friend of Eschenbrenner’s who suggested that he do an apprenticeship as brewer; a decision Eschenbrenner would never regret. After the journeyman’s examination, Eschenbrenner moved to Berlin to get his brewing degree. Besides Berlin’s subculture, it was the capital’s excellent study conditions that played a major role in this decision. Eschenbrenner had long been dreaming of opening his own house brewery. And as luck would have it, the hall of residence he lived in offered perfect conditions: a large vaulted cellar and a huge garden with a very old oak tree. At that time, Eschenbrenner’s idea of a house brewery was still something new in Berlin. In fact, he became one of the capital’s first house brewers. Today there is almost a dozen of them, and all are driven by a lot of idealism and personal commitment.
Eschenbräu’s beer cellar has been designed with lots of care and attention to detail. The authentic location has seats for 150 people. The beer garden, a green oasis in the heart of the district of Wedding, can host up to 200 people all of which are allowed to bring their own food.
Eschenbrenner’s enthusiasm is reflected in his beers. On a regular basis he offers Pils, brown ale and wheat beer. In addition, he also has different seasonal beers which are only available while stock lasts. Among them are illustrious sorts such as “Roter Wedding”, “Alter Schwede”, “Schwarze Molle” or “Scotty”. All these special brands contain different ingredients and are made according to different recipes. This way, Eschenbrenner can show the diversity of beers. Keg tapping at Eschenbrenner’s is a major event and seats need to be booked long in advance.
Eschenbrenner has always been driven by the endeavour to create the real, unaltered pleasure of beer drinking. The varying ingredients of his beers make sure that they are no mass products. One of Eschenbrenner’s main objections to the giants of beer production consists, in fact, in his conviction that beer loses its individual character, aroma and nuances through mass production and filtration. Mass produced beer is a boring average beer, made for average consumers.
