FUERST WIACEK - Beer from Berlin/Siemensstadt

As I walk along Wohlrabedamm in Siemensstadt, the unmistakable smell of mash hits my nose. The Berlin craft beer brewery FUERST WIACEK has been brewing its inimitable beer here since 2021.

The company has existed since 2016 and has developed a variety of craft beers with the most diverse aromas and flavors. There are now said to be a good 200 different beers, not all of which can be found in the portfolio all the time, of course. For example, they offer IPAs, stouts, APAs, Berliner Weisse, pilsners, and helles. When I then learn that the beer is exported to about 29 countries, it is also clear why we have already discovered it in Spain.

We drank the beer of the brewery for the first time not in Berlin, but in Spain. There we were completely amazed to get a Berlin beer that was one of the top beers there and we had not even heard the name at that time. The appropriate website was quickly found and after a little research we found that a new production facility had just been built. This was built in a location that I walk by regularly and is only about 7 minutes from our apartment.

Shortly before the opening, I emailed to ask if there would be factory sales and opportunities to visit the brewery. That was planned, but first the operation at the new location had to be settled in. So it was a matter of waiting…

Every now and then I would peek at the website and follow the Instagram posts, hoping to learn more. Yes, and then there was finally the opportunity to get a closer look at the brewery’s operations. For the first date that fit our schedule, I booked a brewery tour and beer tasting.

The brewery is located in a newly constructed building that offers a mix of storage space and office space. In a large warehouse stands the large modern equipment of the brewery FUERST WIACEK.

Lukasz Wiacek and Georg Fürst founded the Fuerst Wiacek brewery together. It all started when the two actually wanted to produce whiskey. The path to whiskey leads through beer, and so they first attended a brewing course. The whiskey that came out later was okay, but not good. The beer was much better and so the step to becoming a brewer was taken. In the beginning they brewed small amounts in their home kitchen. Later they found a brewery in Bavaria that brewed the “smallest amount” of 2000 liters. The first bottling was a Hazy IPA that was sold out after 4 weeks. For the next 1.5 years, the two brewers shuttled back and forth between their main jobs, brewery in Bavaria and Berlin. The demand grew and so came the plan to open their own brewery in Berlin.

Experience the brewery

During the tour between the tanks, we get an explanation of the brewing process. Some of the ingredients lie in large bags in the warehouse. Of course, the composition of the beer is not revealed. Only this much is said, each beer is developed individually and by hand and extensively tested until it has met the taste of the team.

In the hall there is also the bottling line of the FUERST WIACEK brewery. Unlike many other beer producers, they only fill cans here. There are several reasons for this. Beer in cans is protected from light and oxygen, and so the taste remains longer as the brewers intended. Another reason lies in the area of environmental protection. The company refers to a study by the University of Southampton, which analyzed the environmental friendliness of various beverage packaging. Without going into detail here, the study showed that aluminum cans came out best. This was also due to the fact that almost 99% of the cans are recycled.

The company pays attention to environmental protection not only in the bottling area. The equipment used here is so modern that it requires about 1/3 less energy and water than other breweries of comparable size. The brewery’s photovoltaic system generates electricity. This is used for cooling, especially in summer.

FUERST WIACEK has also sought cooperation with farmers from the region. These use the production waste, such as spent malt, as animal feed. With a “waste volume” of over 3000 kg per week, many animals are fed.

FUERST WIACEK beers

After the tour there is the possibility to taste two different beers of the brewery FUERST WIACEK and of course you can buy the current beers. In the meantime, we have also bought some beers online and picked them up at the brewery.

Our favorite beers are:

Berliner Landbier

The light Berliner Landbier has become my favorite. The hoppy slightly cloudy beer has an alcohol content of 5%. The brewers used the 3 aroma hops Spalter Select, Tradition and Mittelfrüh. It is more of a classic beer that tastes wonderfully refreshing with food.

After Party Hoppy Pale Ale

We also like the Pale Ale very much. Like all beers, the After Pary Hoppy Pale Ale comes in an eye-catching and colorful can. It is brewed with the aromatic hop varieties Citra, Sabro and Columbus.

In the glass, the beer shimmers cloudy and pale yellow with a white and creamy head. There is a slight whiff of tropical aromas of mango and tangerine, as well as refreshing citrus notes and grapefruit. I think the beer is wonderfully fruity and super quaffable.

Crowdsurfer IPA

We were particularly taken with the Crowsurfer IPA. It is brewed with the two aromatic hop varieties Citra and Columbus and has an alcohol content of 6.2% vol. The beer has a rich yellow and juicy color and doesn’t taste too bitter. I particularly like the fruity note.