EXPORT NEWS www.erdinger.com Available from May 2017 – The World’s Most Popular Wheat Beer. 2016 Anniversary: 130 years of ERDINGER Weissbräu Focus: Portrait of the Swiss beer market ERDINGER Dunkel: Our answer to NewNew craft beers CONTENT EDITORIAL Editorial Page 3 Cover feature 130 years of ERDINGER Weissbräu Page 4 Our brewery Beer market in Switzerland Page 6 Interview with H. Blickenstorfer Page 8 News Page 10 New promotional material for the on-trade ERDINGER available on ferry Celebration in the German Embassy in Madrid European Hospitality Awards London ERDINGER Training Center for Beer Serving Page 11 Our answer to craft beers: ERDINGER Dunkel Page 12 ERDINGER partners RDINGER celebrates Thanks to our long-serving sales partners Page 14 E Further Partner Highlights Page 15 130 years of wheat beer culture Sport Ironman Hawaii 2016 Page 16 Quality, continuity and reliability, as well as the responsibility these are the unshakeable cornerstones on which the Events with ERDINGER Alkoholfrei Page 18 of a private brewery for a region and its people, are the ERDINGER Weissbier brand stands. ERDINGER at the Ultra Triathlon in Brazil Page 20 factors which have characterized ERDINGER Weissbräu since its foundation in 1886. From its origins as a small Dear friends and customers, let us all raise a glass of Patty Peoples joins the Team Page 21 local brewery – with an output of around 6,500 hectoliters delicious and fantastically refreshing ERDINGER Weissbier Biathlon around the world Page 22 in 1950 – it has become a strong mid-size brewery whose and drink to a unique anniversary year. specialties delight beer lovers in over 90 countries, offering the ultimate in enjoyment and Bavarian lifestyle. Best regards from Erding, Imprint Page 23 Today, we can look back with pride on 130 years of wheat beer culture. As a down-to-earth and deeply traditional Historic brewery building of the private Bavarian brewery, we will continue to go our own way in Werner Brombach brewery ERDINGER Weissbräu future: deeply rooted in our home region on the one hand, and open to the world on the other. Respect for our employees, a love of brewing, and a strict quality philosophy – Page 3 COVER FEATURE 130 YEARS OF ERDINGER WEISSBRÄU ... brewed with passion. Time to celebrate 2016 is a special year for the German beer market: 500 years ago, the famous Bavarian Purity Law “My quality commitment: was issued – and still determines German brewing Every single ERDINGER comes from culture to this very day. German brewers will be the town of Erding (Germany). marking this unique historical law with numerous Brewed with only the best ingredients.” celebrations. And ERDINGER Weissbräu has a Your further reason to celebrate: the private brewery is 130 years old this year. On its foundation in 1886, nobody could have foreseen that this small local Werner Brombach brewery would achieve international fame with its Owner of the Private Brewery Bavarian specialty, wheat beer. Today, ERDINGER ERDINGER Weissbräu produces around 1.8 million hectoliters per year and wheat beer from Erding is available in over 90 countries. Just as important as this economic success, however, is what beer lovers associate with Weissbier: quality, a love of life and pure enjoyment. Page 4 OUR BREWERY FOCUS Grüezi – Hello and welcome to Switzerland Rugged peaks, lush green meadows, thriving old traditions and urban business hubs – Switzerland is a small but highly diverse nation. No other European country has four official languages, no de jure capital city and neutrality as a defining feature of its foreign policy. A look at the country’s beer market is sure to be highly interesting. With total consumption of 4.66 million the beer corporations Carlsberg and Heineken establishments in Ascona on Lake Maggiore, in the hectoliters, Switzerland is 21st in the European hold the largest shares of the Swiss beer market. canton of Ticino, which do not serve ERDINGER rankings. Per capita consumption is around 56 Weissbier. And an enthusiastic clientèle for liters a year. Until 1988, Switzerland was Specialty beer our wheat beers has recently sprung up in dominated by a beer cartel with 45 breweries Imported beers account for 1.22 million the metropolitan region of Geneva-Lausanne. sharing the market among themselves. The end hectoliters of total Swiss consumption. For over However, ERDINGER is particularly popular among of this cartel led to two opposing developments: twenty years now, wheat beer specialties from beer lovers in the canton of Graubünden – in Chur, firstly, a boom in the number of registered Erding have been marketed by our long-serving Arosa, Davos and St. Moritz. And what could be breweries – which has since grown to 563. and highly valued partner Heineken Switzerland better than to enjoy a refreshing ERDINGER on the Mostly small, innovative and independent, these AG. Sales have made good progress in this time; beautiful terrace of “Muottas Muragl” with a breweries have names like “Our Beer”, “Aare according to our importer, Swiss consumers fantastic view of the Engadin mountains. Beer” or “Oeufi Beer” and seek to exploit the have a growing thirst for ERDINGER Weissbier trend for “domestic beers”. On the other hand, due to its premium quality. There are few Page 6 Page 7 OUR BREWERY EXPORT TEAM Hansueli Blickenstorfer for ERDINGER Weissbräu in Switzerland From chef to sales expert for beer: Hansueli Blickenstorfer has been in the beer business for culinary skills of my wife Helga, but a good book What’s the most beautiful place in over 28 years – seven of which he has spent as a passionate and dedicated ERDINGER Area Sales in the evening with a glass of Pikantus can also Switzerland to enjoy ERDINGER be relaxing. Weissbier? Manager for Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Blickenstorfer lives with his family in Ried bei Kerzers There are so many: in the Alphitta (Zermatt) at in the canton of Fribourg. If you could abolish one thing, what 2222 meters. But also at the Bolgenplaza in Davos would it be? for après ski. At the foot of the Jungfrau mountain Beer contracts. In my opinion, they no longer fit in the Bernese Oberland, on the Kleine Scheidegg, What do you appreciate most about there’s the difference between a private brewery in the current market environment. I’d prefer a or in Ascona on the terrace of the Seven Easy. An ERDINGER Weissbräu? and a corporation like our valued sales partner free market, but 85% of Swiss pubs and ERDINGER in the Lausanne Palace also has a It’s printed on every business card: “private Heineken Switzerland – that also requires a restaurants are bound by such contracts. certain appeal. And lots more! brewery”. It starts with the open communication certain amount of tact every day. style and runs through the entire company, up to How is non-alcoholic beer getting on in and including quality. In addition, we have a What gives you a sense of achievement? Switzerland? well-organized international team in the Export Winning new customers or boosting sales in a Very well. We have a very good cooperation department. There’s always a lively exchange new region. But also, of course, a successful agreement with Migros (Swiss retail chain) and a with our colleagues in Marketing and Sales. And event where the customer pats you on the back prize draw this year to win a starting place for the of course, there’s the “fairy godmother” of the and says: “We’re going to do this with ERDINGER Berlin Marathon. ERDINGER Alkoholfrei is also back office, Sigrun Coulon, who’s always happy again next year.” represented at four major marathons and other to help with forecasts, orders and processing. running events where we serve participants at the She’s become my “right-hand woman” for What would you least like to forgo? finishing line. Switzerland. As Country Manager, I make my own appointments, plans and schedules for events. Is craft beer a topic? What do you advise your compatriots Whether it’s a marathon in Zurich, a Ski World As I see it, this term is massively overrated. I try to when it comes to wheat beer? Cup race in Lenzerheide, an Oktoberfest or a explain to people that with our 130 years of Hansueli Blickenstorfer Look carefully people. Not every beer claiming beer garden festival. It’s the sheer variety which brewing experience, the Purity Law, our brand to be a wheat beer is a true top Weissbier. Bottle I find so exciting. diversity, and our innovative strength, we can Mr. Blickenstorfer, how did you come to fermentation, the Purity Law and quality all have certainly hold our own in this field. The success of join ERDINGER Weissbräu? their price. What should you not have in your Pikantus served in a wine glass or ERDINGER I changed to the beer business in 1988. Soon position? Dunkel speaks for itself. after, I got to know Karl Heinz Schwander who How is ERDINGER positioned in Fear of change. I think you have to be open to was working for ERDINGER in Switzerland at the Switzerland? What are the major events? new ideas and reach out to people. Since the What do Bavaria and Switzerland have in time. We’d always had a lot of contact through ERDINGER Weissbräu stands for a love of life. We collapse of the euro against the Swiss franc, the common? our respective jobs. When he retired in 2008, therefore host a whole range of great Oktoberfest Swiss HORECA sector is undergoing considerable The mountains, the lakes and our traditions. With ERDINGER Weissbräu were looking to recruit a celebrations in Switzerland. It all started 17 years change.