The Raven:
First American Beer Brewed In Europe Before It's Debut In America
Before any of its beers are available in the U.S., Maryland brewery Baltimore-Washington
Beer Works is having its beer, The Raven, brewed under license in Germany. The idea for
this scenario was that of Wolfgang Stark, of House of 1 31 Beers in Hamburg, Germany, and
Stephen Demczuk, formerly of Beer Around the World in Luxembourg. Baltimore~Washington
Beer Works (BWBW) wanted its beer sold eventually in Europe, and it seemed logical to
commence the operations there while still residing in Europe. The American operations
would follow at some future date. The idea has worked out well. The Raven, a beer
dedicated to the genius of Edgar Allan Poe, is brewed by Anker Brauerei in Nagold, a small
town in southern Germany south of Stuftgart. Brewmaster Hans-Martin Walz oversees
production and packaging. House of 131 Beers, a major importer of specialty beers in
Germany, hadIes all European marketing for The Raven. The Raven is an amber premium
special lager with a distinct, rich hop aroma. It is full of flavor and has a lingering
finish. The beer has been presented at several trade shows, has aired on German television
and will be on hand at the U.S. Embassy for the July 4th celebration this year. BWBW
is now in negotiations with Hugh Sisson, founder of Baltimore's largest brewery, Clipper
City Brewing Company, to produce The Raven. U.S. production is in response to the demand
from importers wanting The Raven in typical American longneck bottles. Unlike other
American breweries with "brewed under license" agreements in Europe, this is the
first to do so before having its beer brewed in the U.S. BWBW will eventually add other
products in honor of Baltimore's genius poet, writer and critic, E.A. Poe.
Baltimore-Washington Beer Works is registered in Maryland, P.O. Box 9829, Baltimore,MD
21284-9829, 410-321-5977 and is marketed in Europe by House of 131 Beers, Karlshohe 27,
D-22175 Hamburg, Germany. American
Brewer, Feb. 1998 |
