Hüpscher Werkstatt Bräu
“How do you come up with the idea of brewing your own beer?” we are asked again and again. What kind of “crazy idea”?!?!?! But no, it was definitely not a crazy idea, and if it was, then please a “beer idea”!!!
The idea, you could say, was born in Robert Kathöwer and Jens Hölzel’s basement. Robert and Jens run their own brewery (www.robens-kerkerbraeu.de) and we went there with the first men’s football team in February 2013 for a brewery tour. Since we like drinking beer and were so fascinated by the brewing process, we thought, “We have to do that too!!!”.
No sooner said than done! The next day, in a boozy mood, this idea grew into a firm plan to put it into practice. We quickly ordered the most necessary things from eBay and Co., Robert provided us with the ingredients, and then we were almost ready to go.
At this point we would like to thank Robert and Jens, who were there to help us with advice and support, especially in the early days, and who also helped us out here and there with brewing equipment. Without you, the first brewing process would have been doomed to failure.
On March 2nd, the time had finally come! We brewed our own beer for the first time! After more or less twelve exhausting hours, we had finished brewing. We were excited to see if it had worked, but we were only able to see and taste the result after almost four weeks. To our general surprise, the beer turned out quite well, and that after the first brewing process. That’s how the whole thing developed and we are delighted with the many positive feedback!
Author: Caroline Porsiel
Caroline Porsiel is a master distiller and liqueurist based in East Ellijay, Georgia. She founded House of Applejay, a fine spirits and liqueur distillery, in 2022 with her mother, Sabine, crafting award-winning products like Applejay from Ellijay, Mt. Frozen Knob Vodka, and Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. The distillery won a 2024 Best of Georgia Award and a 2025 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. As a founding member of the AMBRU Campaign, launched in 2020, Porsiel advocates for the global recognition of American Brandy and Rum. She continues to drive innovation in the craft spirits industry from her active distillery in the heart of Georgia’s apple country.
