Beck & Co Brewery
Bremen's beer is known all over the world. Take a look behind the scenes at the brewery.
© Michael Ihle / AB Inbev, Brauerei Beck & Co
Beer brewing is a centuries-old tradition on the Weser
For a brand like Beck's to remain on-trend, it is vital to be one step ahead of their prospective customers. The founding fathers of the brewery embodied this pioneering spirit over 140 years ago. On 27 June 1873, local master builder Lüder Rutenberg, master brewer Heinrich Beck and merchant Thomas May established the brewery Kaiserbrauerei Beck & May o.H.G.
Today, some 3,000 bottles of Beck's beer are opened every minute around the world. And they all carry the Beck's logo, normally a red shield with a white key, but some also have variations on the theme. This key to the kingdom of heaven belongs to St Peter, the patron saint of St Peter's Cathedral in Bremen.
And there are similarities with the city's coat of arms, upon which the logo was based from 1876 onwards. In their search for an appropriate symbol, the brewery founders originally wanted to use the city's coat of arms, but the idea was resisted by the local authority as it did not want to be associated with the production of alcohol. In the end it was decided to alter the logo a little and flip the key vertically. The result was acceptable to both parties and has been used as the logo for the brand and the brewery ever since.
Tour of Beck's Brewery
A tour of Beck's Brewery provides a wealth of fascinating information about the art of brewing and the Beck's and Haake-Beck brands. As well as looking round the museum, visitors can see the ingredients store and brewhouse, the malt silos, and the fermentation and storage tanks. Two ten-minute films and a cinema presentation complete the tour. Afterwards, there is an opportunity to sample the beers.
'Alex' - ship with green sails
A brewery tour can easily be combined with a visit to the Alexander von Humboldt, the iconic three-masted ship used in promoting Beck's beer. German TV viewers will recall the advertisement with the bright green sails and the distinctive sound of 'Sail Away' by Joe Cocker. The Alexander von Humboldt has done more than 500,000 nautical miles, crossed the Atlantic several times and circumnavigated Cape Horn. Nowadays the ship, known as Alex, serves as a floating hotel and restaurant.
Beer dinner on the "Alex"
© Francesco Carovillano / DZT Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus e.V.
