THE FIRST BREWVENTURE
Opening this week of seven posts in seven days, let’s start big! As described in the “About Me” section of the blog, I enjoy exploring the world of beer in an adventurous way. And today, I have a tale that has the potential to become epic! Because sometimes the stars align, and we have to seize the moment. Let's break it down. First, I had already planned to go to Prague, the capital of Czech Republic. I would be there with my partner in crime, March next year, as she has professional commitments (someone’s got to work, right!?). Adding some context, Czech Republic has long held the title of the highest average beer consumption per capita in the world! For this and other reasons, it’s been on my radar for a long time, and the possibility of going there was already thrilling enough. But wait, there’s more. Of course, I had also planned a trip to Pilsen to visit the Pilsner Urquell brewery, which is considered The Pilsner of Pilsners (Spoiler alert for tomorrow’s post 🙈).
As you also know, I’m studying to become a certified BJCP judge. I know I owe you a post about the certification process itself, but for now, just know that it involves two exams. One is an online test to filter those who truly understand beer and the BJCP evaluation process. The other is a practical exam where candidates evaluate beers alongside already certified judges. While the online test can be taken at any time on the website, the practical test requires physical presence at an event organized by the BJCP community. I’ve been having trouble finding available dates and even considered going to Brazil to take the test. Since September, I’ve been searching, and so far, I’d received about 4 or 5 responses that had no open slots. Thus, I had booked a practical test date for as late as November 2025—a year away, which wasn’t exactly motivating. But as I said, sometimes the starts align, and finally, a new date appeared on the BJCP site: March 8th, 2025, in Romrod, Germany.
Romrod? Never heard of it, but who cares? I emailed the organizer and, fortunately, got a reply that there were spots available. What’s more, the organizer told me the exam would be held in the middle of a Homebrewers Convention and that I should consider registering for the convention too. I was a bit skeptical since I figured everything would be in German, a language I don’t understand at all. Once again, the organizer reassured me that most of the convention attendees speak English, and there would even be lectures in English. To top it all off, the convention is held in a castle, likely built in the 12th century (source: Wikipedia, sorry, it is what it is). Things started to look even more interesting: I’d be going to Prague one weekend, and the following weekend, I’d finally be taking the BJCP exam in Romrod. Now, let’s look at the map. As you can see in the image below, Romrod is on the left in Germany, with Prague and Pilsen on the right, in Czech Republic. For scale, keep in mind that the drive from Prague to Pilsen takes about an hour.
If you take a close look at the map, you’ll spot Nuremberg (or “Nuremberga” 😜) as one of the largest cities in the region, and a bit further up, the small town of Bamberg. Let’s dive into the beer facts, starting with Bamberg. You might not have heard of it, but I had already marked Bamberg on my radar because it’s home to Schlenkerla! I’m a huge fan of smoked beers, and here in Greece, Schlenkerla is available pretty much everywhere. This is probably the most famous brand of smoked beer, and I’ll be sharing a post soon about why smoked beers even exist. But besides being a small town with over ten breweries, Bamberg’s historic center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, giving me even more reason to visit.
And what about Nuremberg? Well, there’s a cheap flight back to Thessaloniki (where I live) from Nuremberg, so I’d have to go through there anyway, haha—that’s a big lie! Nuremberg is a historic city associated with a particular beer style that almost disappeared. Rotbier (red beer in German) was typical of this region and was traditionally brewed with rye. Unlike barley, rye has no husk, making it a bit more challenging to use in brewing. Plus, Germany is known for the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law). This law, dating back to 1516, stipulated that only barley malt, hops, and water could be used in beer production (they didn’t yet understand the importance of yeast back then). As a result, rye beers were impacted by this law as early as that time. Moreover, WWII bombings caused significant destruction in Nuremberg, and the harm also affected the local brewing industry. Fortunately, the city’s rebuilding preserved its traditional medieval architecture, and the German brewing tradition has allowed some local brands to thrive again. It’s probably a place worth visiting, and I’ll be checking it out for you—don’t worry.
So, with Bamberg and Nuremberg added to our itinerary, we’re in for a week filled with beer adventures. Our first Brewventure kicks off in Prague and heads to Pilsen. Then we’ll venture into Germany toward Nuremberg, pass through Bamberg, and finally reach Romrod. At the end, I’ll return to Nuremberg to catch my flight home. March can’t come soon enough! Who’s coming with me? Let’s go!
