Pia Morgenroth of G’Bräu from Berlin, Germany makes a cold-fermented, lager-type gruit beer with wild herbs like alehoof, stinging nettle, yarn, and artemisia. Under the German Reinheitsgebot she can’t call it beer.
Morgenroth is also firm in her belief in the healing and nourishing power of these herbs. As she uses no hops she falls afoul of Germany’s restrictive Reinheitsgebot or beer purity law. The rules limits ingredients to only water, barley and hops, with some exceptions.
Germany’s craft beer revolution is being held back by these rules, and Morgenroth has pushed her beers past the limits. That’s why she calls the beers “G´Bräu”, but is currently forced to change the name to “G’BROI”.
Morgenroth brought the following beers to Leuven Innovation Beer Festival 2019:
- Wilde Nessel, Gruit beer, 4.9%. A lager with nettle.
- Stolze Blüte, Gruit beer, 4.9%. A lager with elderflower.
- Schwarzes Schaf, Gruit beer, 4.9%: A lager with yarn and artemisia.
- Brüllender Bock, Gruit beer, 6.5%: a bock beer with a hint of wild herbs.
Link
Leuven Innovation Festival 2019: Pia Morgenroth owner of G.Bräu/G’BROI, Berlin, Germany.
See the other fantastic Beer Idiots interviews at Leuven Innovation Beer Festival 2019
- André Janssens of Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal, Belgium
- Pekka Kääriäinen of Bryggeri Helsinki and Lammin Saht, Finland
- Philippe Minne of Brasserie Minne, Belgium.
- Patrik Hellström of Bryggverket brewery, Sweden.
- Casper Vorting and Gitte Holmboe own Bøgedal Brew in Vejle, Denmark.
- Julien Bretheau of À Tue-Tête, Switzerland.
- Iacopo Lenci, brewmaster and owner of Birrificio Brùton, Italy
- Pim Zomerdijk of Brouwerij De Moersleutel, the Netherlands.
- Paul Herbert of UK-based Kent Brewery.
- David Cohen of Dancing Camel Brewery, Israel.
- Robin Barden of Edge Brewing, Barcelona, Spain.
- Breandán Kearney of Siphon Brewing, Damme, Belgium.
- Stephen McGirr of Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville, North Carolina, USA.
- Vasyl Mikulin of Varvar Brew, Kyiv, Ukraine has been mixing his experimental beers.
- Botond Prischetzky, brand manager at Monyo Brewing, Budapest, Hungary
- Pia Morgenroth, founder of G’Bräu, Berlin, Germany.
