The beer enlightenment

PART 2: LANDGANG BREWERY

Hamburg is craft beer country: these liquid explosions of flavour are hugely popular, having secured a firm place in bars not just in the Schanze or the Kiez. No wonder, given that the Hanseatic city is also home to a host of creative brewers. In our series, we introduce you to the most popular independent brewers – today we’re dropping anchor in the west of the city and taking a look behind the scenes at Landgang Brewery, where we spoke to co-founder Sascha about amusing mix-ups, the difficult search for premises and the sense of community within the scene.

When it comes to craft beer, it doesn’t take long before the name Landgang comes up. The beer lovers from Bahrenfeld have firmly established themselves on the market and have even won awards; the young brewers have already collected ten international titles. Seven varieties with brightly coloured labels and eye-catching names such as ‘American Dream’ or ‘Dark Force’ are available all year round, whilst seasonal specials occasionally expand the range.

From passion to profession

But how does one even come to experiment with legally regulated ingredients in such a way that ever-changing nuances tantalise the palate – and turn the “standard drink” into a source of enjoyment rather than merely a means to an end? Head brewer Sascha has to smile; originally, he had little interest in any type of beer apart from Pilsner and wanted to become a shipbuilder. After dropping out of university, the idea took root of making money from his passion for alcohol; after all, he had already produced his first apple cider at the age of 16 and is a huge whisky fan.

After a few detours, the North German found himself in the capital. No sooner had he arrived in Berlin than he drank his first India Pale Ale in a small brewery – and was “immediately blown away”, as he puts it today. As the company was looking for an apprentice, he bought himself some wellington boots the very next day, started his training straight away and soaked up everything he could about the interplay of water, hops, malt and barley. Armed with this knowledge, Sascha wanted to travel from Canada to the American West Coast to discover new breweries and beer styles.

Helle Aufregung in Hamburg

But things turned out differently: by chance, he met marketing professional Lars and restaurateur Tim, and together the dream of a brewery with a restaurant in Hamburg began to take shape. The lager “Helle Aufregung” marked the launch in 2015, whilst they were still contract brewing; at the same time, the search for their own premises was underway. “But either the properties were unaffordable or in the middle of nowhere,” recalls Sascha. Furthermore, due to the small scale of a brewery, the team would have remained dependent on external suppliers for beer production. So the plan was scrapped once again, and the idea of opening their own brewery was born.

Risk of confusion on the beer shelf

Around a year after arriving in Hamburg, they finally found their new home: since 2016, the beer has been flowing in the tanks and the integrated bar – a decommissioned shipping container clad in wooden planks from a Reeperbahn establishment – on a former Kühne factory site in Bahrenfeld. However, up to that point, only their own Pils was called Landgang, as the start-up had named itself Hopper Bräu. It sounded good, but there was a catch: in southern Germany, Hoppe Bräu – founded by Markus Hoppe – was already established.

“Both breweries were relatively small; we were based in the north, Markus in the south. What could possibly go wrong? But over time, we both sold more and more beer, which led to increasing confusion,” explains the bearded owner of Landgang Brewery. Until this confusion became too much for a major retail chain, which issued an ultimatum: either one of them changes the company name, or both are dropped from the range. “As neither of us has the surname Hopper and Markus had been on the market longer, we were at a disadvantage,” Sascha recalls. Long brainstorming sessions followed, fuelled by plenty of beer, until they settled on Landgang.

Toilet blocks and awareness-raising

Today, the now eleven employees are simply looking for names for the many creative ideas that Sascha jots down in a book and gradually tries out. Innovations from Bahrenfeld are still put through their paces at public tastings – with feedback that can vary wildly. “Some people drink their first India Pale Ale and a light bulb goes on. Others say, ‘That tastes like a toilet block!’” laughs Sascha. The fact that he had to persuade die-hard Pils drinkers to try unfamiliar beers during brewery tours is part of the self-image of the beer pioneer at the Landgang Brewery.

That’s why mutual support among craft beer brewers is all the more important to him in order to hold his own against the industry giants: “We see each other regularly, drink beer together and swap ideas, because sooner or later we all face the same problems. We help each other as best we can.” Ultimately, customers benefit from this too, as Sascha says: “I believe that only by working together can we grow the scene and our customer base – because you’re not just delivering beer, but also educating people at the same time. It’s all about getting people excited.”

Is your thirst for knowledge still not quenched? Read the story of the Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei here.