Brewery tour with tasting at the Usedomer Brauhaus

Out and about in Usedom’s imperial spas and fancy a beer? Then head to Heringsdorf to the Usedomer Brauhaus. With its central location in the seaside resort of Heringsdorf, it is easy to reach and an ideal stop after a walk along the beach promenade or a visit to the impressive villa architecture of the imperial spas.

Culinary delights meet beer enjoyment

The Usedomer Brauhaus is located in the Ostseeresidenz Heringsdorf and is certainly one of the most popular restaurants in the town. The 180 seats in the dining room are always full. You should definitely make a reservation at typical meal times so that you can enjoy the beer and the really good food in peace.

The chef creates culinary surprises with creative dishes that harmonize perfectly with the house beers. Whether hearty brewery classics or seasonal specialties – every palate is spoiled here. We enjoyed two very good and, above all, hot soups here after a winter walk. Patrick opted for the fire pot. If you’re worried that the name says it all, rest assured. The soup was well spiced but not too hot. My Usedom fish pot was exactly to my taste. I was particularly pleased that there really was a lot of fish in the soup and not just vegetables. The components of the dish were well balanced and left me with a warm and cozy feeling.

We drank the naturally cloudy light beer from their own brewery with our meal. A drinkable beer, but more on that later.

The rustic furnishings and warm atmosphere make the brewery a place where we immediately felt at home.

Brewery tour at the Usedomer Brauhaus

If you would like to find out more about the Usedomer Brauhaus and its beers, you can take part in the regular guided tours of the brewery. Registration is possible on the brewery’s website.

The brewery has existed since 2004 and the current brewer has found his way back to Germany after a few years in Mexico. On Usedom, he now brews beers using the classic brewing method based on the principles of the German Purity Law. We went to the brewery with him.

Part of the system is located in the dining room. Two gleaming copper kettles are clearly visible to the guests. One kettle is the mash kettle, the other is the wort kettle. This is where the brewing process begins, for which only water, malt, hops and yeast are used, as stipulated by the Purity Law.

The brewing process in these kettles includes

Mashing and lautering: first you grind the malt and mix it with water to convert the starch into sugar. This process, mashing, is decisive for the subsequent taste of the beer. The mash is then filtered to obtain the so-called wort.

Boiling and hops: The wort is boiled and hops are added. The hops give the beer its characteristic bitterness and provide the aromatic notes. Depending on the style of beer, the amount and type of hops are adjusted to create different flavor profiles.

Once this process is complete, the wort is transported through pipes to the basement. Here there are large tanks in which the beer ferments and matures.

Fermentation: After boiling, the wort cools down. Yeast is then added. During fermentation, the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process takes several days to weeks, depending on the style of beer.

Maturation: After fermentation, the beer is stored in tanks to mature. During this time, the aromas continue to develop and the beer acquires its final taste.

Here, at the tanks with the beer that is still maturing, was definitely my “favorite stop” during the tour of the Usedomer Brauhaus. At one of the tanks, the young Zwickel was poured directly into our glasses. What could be better than a young beer? I think a Zwickel still tastes the best!

After maturation, the final stage of the beer production journey begins.

Bottling and serving: The finished beer is either served directly on site or filled into kegs and bottles.

The beer, which is served directly on site, is piped into the guest room and freshly tapped. At the Usedomer Brauhaus, you can buy the beer in small party kegs, siphons or perforated bottles (I’ve memorized the word!!!!).

The beers

The brewery offers a selection of six different types of beer, which vary according to the season.

Usedomer Inselbier Naturtrüb

Naturtrübe is the heart of the brewery and a classic that perfectly reflects the philosophy of the brewery. This beer is unfiltered, which gives it a slightly cloudy appearance and a particularly full-bodied taste.

Usedomer Inselbier wheat beer

Usedomer Brauhaus’ wheat beer pays homage to the Bavarian brewing tradition, but with a North German twist. It impresses with its fruity aromas of banana and clove, which are typical of this beer style. The tangy carbonation and soft, slightly sweet taste make it an ideal summer beer that goes perfectly with light meals or a day at the beach.

Usedom Island Beer Dark

For lovers of dark beers, the brewery offers a malty dark beer that impresses with its caramel and chocolate notes. This beer is full-bodied and has a pleasant sweetness that is balanced by a slight roasted bitterness. It goes perfectly with hearty dishes such as roasts or game and is a must for fans of strong, aromatic beers.

Pilsner

Pilsner is a typical pilsner with an unmistakable taste. It is characterized by its tart, hoppy taste. Compared to other types of beer, the malt aroma of pilsner takes a back seat. This makes it less sweet and rather dry on the finish.

Seasonal specialty beers

The Usedomer Brauhaus regularly surprises its guests with seasonal beer specialties. These include the fresh Maibock, which heralds the arrival of spring with its strong malt flavor and higher alcohol content, or the winter beer, which is refined with spices such as cinnamon and cloves. These beers are limited and offer an exciting change for regulars and new discoverers.

There is also a distillery

The brewery also has a distillery. Liqueurs and spirits are produced here for the restaurant.

The range varies, but the liqueurs on offer include black beer, red vineyard peach, sea buckthorn and noble cherry. Liqueurs are always a little too sweet for me, so I was very pleased to see that Usedomer Geister is also on offer. Here, for example, there are the flavors sloe, sea buckthorn, herbs and hazelnut. My favorite was definitely the herbal spirit.

About the tasting

We had already done part of our tasting before and during the tour. After the brewery tour, we returned to the restaurant. A hearty snack was already waiting for us there.

We drank the dark beer from the Usedom brewery and I learned something completely new: beer spiking.

What is beer poking?

Beer poking is an old German tradition in which a red-hot metal rod is dipped into a glass of beer. This technique has its origins in the time when people drank beer, especially in the cold winter months. The technique was originally used to warm the beer slightly and give it a special flavor.

Beer spiking involves dipping a metal rod, in this case heated by a Bunsen burner, into the beer glass. The hot rod causes the malt sugar in the beer to caramelize, giving the beer a sweeter and slightly roasted note. At the same time, a particularly creamy head is created, which intensifies the drinking experience.

Not every beer is suitable for beer spiking. Beers with a higher malt content work particularly well, as these contain more sugar, which can caramelize. Typical beer styles that are suitable are

• Dark beer
• bock beer
• strong beer
• Malted lager beers

Beer tasting is only available on prior request.

We really enjoyed the tour of the Usedom brewery and can only recommend it to beer lovers.

The visit took place as part of a billing trip with Usedom Tourism.