That’s the opportunity 21,000 beer lovers enjoyed in September 2008 when Carlsberg hosted the first European Beer Festival on behalf of the Danish Beer Enthusiasts.
Besides the infinite varieties of lagers, pilsners, stouts, porters, wheat beers, bocks and ales, they sampled beer brewed with chillies, with stinging nettles and with coconuts, and they sipped beer schnapps and hot beer liqueur with whipped cream.
Many came just to have a good time and taste some new beers, but there were also many serious beer connoisseurs, who made notes on every brew they sampled and discussed their finer points with the brewers.
Innovative & International
The event was organised on Carlsberg’s behalf by Rune Jessen and the premium brands marketing team. And they took full advantage of the chance to ‘show off’.
“We want to make beer for all,” says Rune, “but festivals are the perfect occasion to demonstrate the skills of our Innovation Centre and let people try something new.”
Among 12 brews produced just for the Festival was Jacobsen Hopeless, made with four common Danish herbs instead of hops. And for the connoisseurs, the Carlsberg brewmasters brewed the same wheat beer using four different types of yeast to show the difference it made to the taste.
Carlsberg group companies were also invited to provide beers, giving local visitors their first chance to taste international brews such as Danish Royal Stout from Malaysia, Okocim Porter from Poland and, the most popular, Baltika No9 and No7 from Russia.
Friendly & Fun
Carlsberg reorganised the whole Danish beer distribution operation to make room in the main Copenhagen warehouse for the Festival’s 99 stands and made its exhibitors and visitors very welcome.
75 employees, more usually found working in offices or driving beer trucks, volunteered to work on the Carlsberg stand and had a great time telling consumers about their company and its beers. And the smaller brewers soon discovered the best place to go if they needed extra equipment – or some chocolate milk to ease a hangover!
“Everyone enjoyed getting out to meet our consumers,” says Rune, “and it was great to build friendships with the other brewers. We can all learn from each other and benefit from working together.”