2011 BCI-Info 1

EditorialDear Notable Friends, dear readers:Year after year ever since 1999—that is, for a total of 12 years—you have been able to read in this place the editorial keynote penned by our President, Dr. Fritz Schur. At this year’s 42nd Regular General Meeting of BierConvent International e.V. held in Tallinn, a new Board i.e., Presiding Committee has been elected, with a mandate for the next three years. Departing from Tallinn for our homes in an optimistic mood we were eager to start preparing our plans for BCI’s future activities.The allotment of tasks assigned me the role of BCI’s Vice-President.When unexpectedly, our President was stricken with a serious illness I have been confronted with the task of discharging the President’s duties until his recovery, and had to put all my effort into meeting the expectations you have expressed by having me elected.A joint session of the Senate, Consuls, and Board was to be held in August to address, inter alia, the issues of strategy, cooperation of Board with the Consuls, and finally, the recuitment of potential new BCI members. It is now up to the Board to carry on with these activities and, pending a consensus reached by all the stakeholders, to fix the agenda for the forthcoming meeting to be held next year.In January 2012, twoscore and three years will have elapsed since the first friendly meeting held by the then newly established BCI. Much has changed during the course of all these intervening years and

we have to be flexible in our response because the changes which concern all of us keep arriving at an ever quickening pace.Admittedly, much of the present-day growth of beer consumption per capita takes place outside Europe—in South America and in Asia.And also, this is where new rituals and customs relating to beer consumption and beer drinking arise. Some of them stem from traditions founded and long cherished in Europe.However, traditions hitherto unknown spring up elsewhere, specific to geographic regions and to nations for which beer is a relatively young beverage.The times well remembered by old-timers when breweries were eager to co-sponsor BCI’s activities and a secretary used to work at the BCI office—also, our Notables were somewhat more numerous then—are all gone for ever. Globalization in the beer brewing industry came at a dizzying speed, threatening to dispatch to a folklore museum the „Bavarian“ ambiance of small and medium sized breweries with their unmistakable character.The large, transnational breweries often boast of their mass production. Unimaginable volumes in terms of thousands of hectoliters produced hardly leave any room for individuality, differentiation, and distinctiveness.Within just decades, sweet-smelling brewery operations steered by the force of love were turned into factories run by figures rather than by tastes.BierConvent International e.V. at its inception, set itself the target of keeping alive the lovely traditions

BCI-Info 2011

Brief info on our next International WorkshopsMay 17–20, 2012 Marienbad, Czech Republic – 92nd International Workshop

Early in October, 2012 93rd International Workshop - soon to be determined

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In this connection, may I be allowed one more remark.Several examples in this issue attest to how different the activities of different Chapters can be. This is defined by the members’ personalities and attitudes, as well as by their regional representatives and the attractiveness of the joint events held.Observance of BCI’s guiding principles, fostering of friendships, and interesting activities tend to attract new members—because it is a pleasure to join BierConvent International e.V.There is no disguising the fact that the BCI members’ average age is proof enough that our Notables have had abundant life experience and value highly the positive and beautiful aspects of life—indeed, they seek them out. Which is best done when in company of individuals of the same disposition and sentiment.And this is my appeal to you, esteemed Notable Ladies and Gentlemen:Let us put our heads together and think hard of what strategies the BCI may employ to attract members in new countries and regions favorably inclined towards beer; let us seek contacts through our partner companies as well as by addressing ourselves to our friends’ friends.The formidable example of the Japan Chapter and its higher-than-average participation in our meetings indicates that this is a viable route benefiting all of us.May I take the liberty to wish all our Notables as well as their families all the best for 2012. We shall all be looking forward to a pleasurable reunion on the occasion of our next friendly meeting at Marienbad!

Yours Stanislav ProcházkaVice-President

connected with brewing and drinking this noble beverage dating back five thousand years.We have to give some serious thought to how and with whom we should best cultivate this tradition. The Beer Poster of the Year is one of the new steps taken.Following two years of preparations, the members of an international jury submitted their score points for the contest organized by BCI Board in cooperation with Hans Carl Publishing House, the publishers of Brauwelt Journal, ably assisted by Notable Dr.-Ing. Ullrich Heyse. During the ceremony held on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Brauwelt Journal the winning contestants chosen by the international jury were handed their diplomas by BCI representatives.This issue of BCI Info will also inform you of the activities of the various regional Chapters.How splendid that friendship and lively joint events flourish at all levels and that new enthronement candidates can be recruited from precisely such regional meetings.At the last international meeting in Trieste, an idea was heard which I gladly put at your disposal for discussion: Whenever new BCI members are to be adopted, they should be put through a „getting-acquainted run“ where each new candidate would participate in one friendly meeting at the same costs as any established member; here he/she would also meet members from other Chapters and mainly, would be able to get a clear picture of how the BCI communicates at the international level and how the meetings are organized.This might prevent situations where some new Notables once enthroned are never seen again.We wish to be an active, lively, and interesting fellowship, not just a virtual listing of personalities who at one time have become members.

Best Wishes for a Happy and Successful New Year 2012

Presidium of BierConvent International

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Annual Meeting of the BCI Chapter at Cologne on 9 July 2011This year the destination of North Rhein-Westphalia Chapter group’s outing was the city of Cologne, to attend the Cologne Lights magic night performance. The tickets for the grandstand on the Bastion had to be booked as early as one year in advance, since the demand for grandstand tickets for this event is enormous. On Saturday, July 9 at about 8 pm, some 20 Notables with their consorts assembled at Peters Brauhaus in Cologne, Mühlengasse 1 for dinner. Our President, Fritz Schur would not have it otherwise but that he arrived for this event from Switzerland. At around 10 pm we left the brewery to take our pre-booked seats in the stands at the riverbank Bastion. At about half past ten the vanguard of the great convoy of riverboats paraded past the Bastion riverfront, illuminating the entire Rhine panorama. This turned out to be the finest evening of a summer otherwise constantly plagued by rain; at 23.30 o’clock the half-hourly

fireworks display lighting up the sky synchronized to music began right in front of our grandstand. On the Rhine, the flames sparkled skywards from a pontoon of two large boats tied together, spanning a width of ca. 150 m in mid-river.The 2011 sky fireworks display was the eleventh held. This was one of the reasons why the „inflammatory“ music played included the songs by well-known Cologne bands De Höhner, Brings, Bläck Fööss, Trude Herr etc. Songs in which the loud voices of the visitors to Cologne also joined with great fervor during the fireworks performance. For our Notable Friends this has been an evening full of memorable impressions to take home with. It was generally agreed that such high-powered fireworks were never seen before. When the performance was over we all went back to have a final dram of Cologne beer at Peters Brewery. All in all this was a successful event so we intend to have another such reunion at Cologne again in the fall of 2012.

Hans Peters, Chapter Consul

North Rhine-Westphalia Chapter

Japan ChapterThe year of trial—a renewed hope for the future, and a reunion in Kyoto:All members of the Japanese Chapter would like to thank our notable friends of BierConvent International for the expression of concern and sympathy on the earthquake and tsunami which devastated the eastern part of Japan on March 11, 2011. Particularly, we would like to extend our gratitude to the Baden-Württemberg Chapter for their generous relief donation, a sum of Euro 2,550, which was gratefully sent to the most heavily hit city of Ishinomaki to help their citizens in the greatest need.The road to recovery is still far ahead, but we have received so much good will, support and en-couragement from our friends all over the world, and we are determined to come out of this crisis with our renewed hope for the bright future.The Japanese Chapter is planning an excursion to Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan on December 3-4, 2011. The Notables and their ladies, friends and guests are assembling in Kyoto for a weekend of foliage viewing and museum tours. Our Honorary Senator Notable Ted Suzuki and his wife Masako will be with us, and we are sure we will have a wonderful reunion.

Hiro Miki, Chapter Consul

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May I take the liberty to report on our Chapter’s activities during the eventful year 2011 now drawing to its close.For us the beer season always starts in April with the Spring Festival, which is the smaller version of the Stuttgart Folk Festival—Bad Cannstatt merrymaking. In response to an invitation by Hans Peter Grandl, the tightly-knit circle and some guests got together on 23.04.2011 at the festival tent and in his box therein. In happiest mood on a delightful spring day we had fine time together, accompanied by our ladies attired in their Sunday best. As always, Hans Peter Grandl who is well-known for his generosity has been an affable and genial host to all of us.

Carriage ride in the Rems Vineyards Valley on 21.05.2011Lothar Schaaf and his wife Gabi invited us for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the vineyards of the Rems Valley, near Stuttgart. Our Notables, many of them with their consorts, some with their kids, plus some guests and BCI membership candidates as well as our spiritual companion, Father William,

with music—back to Krebenstüble, there to be treated to a magnificent buffet and a cask of beer sponsored by Stuttgart’s Hofbräuhaus, which was tapped by Father William.We always seem to be granted the most magnificent weather for our outings, so we were able to sit until late at night in the garden enjoying an unforgettable day. Lothar and Gabi have proven to be the most generous hosts. Many thanks for your commitment! As every year in June a two-day Jazz Festival takes place at Olymp, the establishment owned by Eberhard Bezner. Here we are regular guests. On 14/10/2011 Eberhard Bezner had invited us to his new hotel and restaurant “Eberhard’s” in Bietigheim, to onion pie and new wine.The Ludwigsburg Brewing Days, organized and hosted by our Notable Andy Rothacker, are increasingly developing into a very well-attended regional beer festival. A small circle of our Notables has followed this event for years, and has been able to enjoy pleasant hours here with Andy Rothacker taking delight in good beer and special Swabian delicacies. Invitations to these gatherings have always been sponsored by Andy Rothacker. He simply cannot be dissuaded from inviting us over and again.During the period of September 8–11, 2011 our Chapter members set out for an outing at the Bohemian Forest. This trip was organized by myself and my wife, and on site by Stanislav Procházka and his wife Monika. We had a breakfast together and then, a luxury bus took us from Tamm to the Bohemian Forest. We had four days of merrymaking in happiest mood, with a variety of activities such as rafting, culture, Bohemian cuisine, plenty of beer, and Czech musicians who provided accompaniment each evening.

We about ourselves • Baden-Wuerttemberg Chapter

met at this wonderful spot in the “Krebenstüble”. From there we proceeded by horse-drawn coaches and wagons through vineyards to the Y-Castle, where we attended a highly original wine tasting session presented by Ms. Ott, a Rems Valley sommeliere. The Y-Castle now is very nicely refurbished, also featuring a collection of sculptures by the artist Karl Ulrich Nuss.Following the wine tasting session and brief vespers we were taken—in high spirits and accompanied

Horse-drawn carriage has precedence over automobiles

Hofbräu beer being expertly tapped

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I can only recommend you to explore this gem in the middle of Europe once, and perhaps there will be an opportunity indeed to stop there when we set out for our next BCI trip to Marienbad. As always, we are greatly indebted to our sponsors Albert Schneider for the snacks he provided for our journey, Andy Rothacker for his great beer, Hajo Müller from Weiden whose generous donation helped to cover our travel expenses; and naturally, many heartfelt thanks are due to Stanislav and Monika who took pains to pre-view the target locations several times in advance and to organize the activities there.On the return journey the trip route led us through Spiegelau in the Bavarian Forest where we took a walk along the treetop path. After having been treated to a substantial Bavarian brunch against a musical background at a chalet accessible to only a privileged few we set off on our homeward journey. Right after that trip, the folk festival at Bad Cannstatt took place, called “Wasen” which translates to “wetland meadow”. This year again we found refuge in Hans Peter Grandl’s box. At this point I must not forget conveying our deeply felt condolences from all of us to Hans Peter Grandl who lost his wife Waltraud, and wishing him all the best and above all, a lot of courage for the future. Waltraud Grandl died two days before the beginning of the festival. We promise to keep her in our memory forever. To Hans Peter she had been the good fairy, always courageous, friendly and hopeful in spite of her serious illness.It is worth mentioning that our regulars’ round-tables take place on the third Wednesdays of the month at Rossknecht’s in Ludwigsburg, Andy Rothacker’s place. This has become established as the regulars’ purely stag-only get-together. There we enjoy interesting evenings, lively discussions, and much pleasure thanks to good beer and food and thanks to just being together.On 17.11.2011 an event was organized by our Notable Thomas Haas hailing from Baden-Wuerttemberg but now residing at Frankfurt, jointly with the Stuttgart

Stock Exchange. The event, organized for friends and clients, was held at the new soccer stadium of VfB Stuttgart.Now the Christmas bells can already be heard calling us to our Christmas party which traditionally takes place also at Rossknecht’s on 07.12.2011. Of course, our ladies will also attend, as well as our spiritual companion and several guest Notables from other Chapters, including Monika and Stanislav Procházka from Prague to whom our thanks are due.On our part, we also would like to convey the wishes for a speedy recovery to our President Fritz Schur. We do hope that the process of his recovery will stabilize. Indeed we cannot be spared fateful health afflictions. This only proves that we are not getting any younger.As you know, I have placed my Vice-Presidential office in Tallinn at BCI’s disposal, because I am convinced that BierConvent needs to be rejuvenated in due time. We here in Baden-Wuerttemberg are very pleased that Andy Rothacker was elected so the Board has now been strengthened by an innovative brewer and visionary. In my capacity of Consul for Baden-Wuerttemberg, may I express my thanks to Stanislav Procházka for his efforts as Vice-President standing in for Fritz Schur. All who have witnessed his engagement in Trieste, as well as those of us in Baden-Wuerttemberg who have taken part in the Bohemian Forest trip are pleased by his dedication to and concern for the BCI.Last but not least, we are always glad to have guests from the BCI circle visiting us, taking part in our events or coming to our regulars’ round-tables.This is my report from Baden-Wuerttemberg—it came off somewhat longer this time. From Swabia we join hands with all of you and now as the year is coming to its close we wish you all the best and of course, the best of health and prosperity for the next year.

K. Hagedorn, Chapter ConsulRaft crew on Vltava river

Visit to Český Krumlov Castle

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According to the latest census, the Switzerland–Liechtenstein Chapter now includes 21 Notables of whom 14 are quite active. Their homes are widely scattered over eastern Switzerland. So unlike Bavaria or Lower Saxony, it is difficult to organize any regular round-tables here.Official Chapter meetings are held once a year. In recent years it has become a custom that the venues for out get-togethers are alternately, Switzerland and Italy. Inasmuch as Italy operates no Chapter of its own, our trips to the South do not interfere with the activities of any other Chapter. For the fact that we venture abroad every second year we have to thank our friend Urs Rechsteiner to whom Italy is second home. Thanks to his experience and very good connections, he has organized great tours for us.This year on June 15-19, Urs took us to Piedmont. We met in Vaduz whence we were taken by luxury bus to Desana, our first destination. Desana is situated in the Po valley, Europe’s largest rice growing area; so we also visited a Riseria, which is a “rice mill” where the rice husks are separated and the rice is refined. In Italy, rice in the form of risotto is the most widespread side dish next to the national pasta, which however can also be enjoyed as a starter or a main dish. Then the trip took us to Serralunga d’Alba within the Barolo District where we stayed for two nights at the luxury hotel Il Boscareto, thanks not in the least to its good food and great views. On the following day we visited the winery Beni di Batasiolo, naturally with wine tasting and a sumptuous lunch thrown in. On Friday we went on to Torino, our second stop on this trip, where we were awaited by Ms. Margarete Berg, an expert on Italy and also, a travel guide of exceptional quality whom we already knew from our trip to Umbria. It was a warm reunion. Ms. Berg showed us around Torino for two days, a city which we primarily associate with large-scale industry such as Fiat; we have been able to view its baroque and architecturally interesting sights but also to experience its culinary delights and exclusive fashion district. We were particularly impressed by the miles of arcades where shopping is fun even in rain and snow. Also fascinating was the dinner at the Ristorante La Pista on the rooftop of the old Fiat factory, still the site of the company’s oval test track often shown in commercials. On Sunday our journey, interrupted by an excellent lunch, took us back to Vaduz. The 32 participants were enthusiastic about the trip, and if there were any complaints these were about a bit too much good food. On the occasion of our next outing we will endeavor to better attend to our Notables’ slim physique. At this point, I would like once again to say ‘Thank you

so much’ to our Notable Friend Urs Rechsteiner for his great commitment, the time he devoted to our welfare, and his excellent organizational skills.Our next meeting will take us to the neighborhood of Liechtenstein, namely to Vorarlberg. In this part of Austria, which years ago wanted to attach itself to Switzerland, we find everything we like to have for our annual meetings: fine restaurants, cultural attractions (the Schubert Festival), scenic beauty, specialized art museums, and towns whose history goes back well into early Middle Ages. We could easily spend an entire week here in the Rhine Valley but in fact, will limit ourselves to the period from June 21 to 24, 2012.In addition to the official annual get-together, the individual members of our Chapter also use to invite Notables on personal occasions. Frequently, these may be concerts ranging from modest to grand. Or we meet in small groups for a meal. Thus we maintain rather active contacts among ourselves throughout the year, on top of the annual meeting.

Heinrich Auwärter, Chapter Consul

Report from the Switzerland–Liechtenstein Chapter

... about to begin tasting

Piedmont landscape

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Bavaria Chapter attending Kaltenberg Knightly Tournament by Prince Luitpold of Bavaria.

It came to happen although expected by no one: King Arthur the noble knight suffered a crushing defeat in direct single combat at the hands of Black Knight the incarnation of evil.The nearly 15,000 viewers including the 45 participants in an outing of the Bavaria Chapter visiting the knightly tournaments held at Kaltenberg were powerless to act while watching the “horrific happenings”.Albeit it all began in a quite friendly fashion: Professor Wurm, the Chapter’s Consul, prepared a 12-hour program as part of the 20th Regular Guests’ Meeting of the Bavaria Chapter pivoting around this medieval spectacle of world fame. The visitors—also from Saxony and Austria—assembled here in response to an invitation of which the leitmotif was “Culture and the Knights”.They visited the baroque monastery of Fürstenfeld, the magnificent St. Mary’s church, and an organ concert played by Wolfgang Muhr as a cultural curtain-raiser for the reunion which then progressed in a noticeably more medieval and warlike fashion.The BCI group members were offered medieval dishes yet contemporary beer (Prince Luitpold Dunkel); the right setting and mood were established for what

was to come next: jugglers and showmen paraded about the arena. Not even the rain flurries could dampen the prevailing cheerful spirit. At the Ritterburg, medieval menus were served: roast joints, dumplings and cabbage medieval-fashion. The host of the event, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, welcomed our group.The chief event of the day began with lightning, thunder and heavy showers. The BCI participants shuddered to think what might happen but kept dry under the roof of the royal box.Yet, the inclement act of the weather god apparently did not trouble at all the performers and the viewers, nor the patron who drenched and soused lacking an umbrella was welcoming his guests to the arena.During the performance, turbulent equestrian games and sword fights followed one another at a breakneck speed. The dramatic plan set forth by the author and director, Mario Luraschi from France, had it that the final act was the duel—fought with a lance on horseback—between King Arthur and Mordred the Black Knight. To the dismay of his supporters, King Arthur was thrown from the saddle by Black Knight’s lance, thus losing his land. Mordred however could only clamor of his victory to the night sky while the crowd booed vigorously.An astonishing ending of the tournament, Part 2 of a trilogy about King Arthur, but also the culmination of a wonderful day in the Middle Ages.By the way: While the subsequent nightcap was drunk, rumors were heard that King Arthur would be given another chance next year and that he was judged by his people to be a great favorite.

Horst Wurm, Chapter Consul

King Arthur defeated • Bavaria Chapter

Professor Horst Wurm and Prince Luitpold of Bavaria

... who will refill my glass?

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Lower Saxony ChapterHailing from Lower Saxony we hold our ground, storm-proof and firmly rooted.

In line with our tradition, regular members’ meetings take place once a month. It came as a surprise to all of us that soccer fever has broken out in Hanover: The Hanover 96 team has established itself in the top group of the German Federal League. Even in our encounter with the Bavarian team (Bayern Munich) we’ve managed to “strip them of their leather pants”. And now we are also represented internationally in the Europe League. These surprising developments have been very much appreciated and amicably discussed by our regulars who attend the meetings.Several of our Notables have invited us on the occasion of their round or semi-round birthdays. We were treated splendidly and in festive atmosphere at Central-Hotel Hannover of our Notable Hermann Rüter and at Park Hotel Kronsberg of our Notable Ferdinand Bock.I feel it is my duty also to report on two other events: A special 15,000-ton hydraulic press was installed at the well-known enterprise of our Notable Karl-Heinz Funke, producing heat exchanger plates to meet worldwide demand and to deliver these products to the company’s own operations in Russia and China.The commissioning and startup of this remarkable plant has been attended in person by our Prime Minister David McAllister.At the same time, Karl-Heinz Funke has been appointed Senator h.c. for Economic Affairs.A special reunion was convened by Konrad Hinsemann, a friend out our country Chapter at his “Sausage-Bazaar”. We were shown around the enterprise and had a convivial get-together there, being spoiled with very tasty sausage specialties. I can imagine that right now, this piece of news has brought water to all our readers’ mouths. The “Sausage-Bazaar” ranks among North Germany’s largest enterprises turning out quality-crafted meat and meat products. Currently it operates 50 company-owned branch facilities.As to the international outlook, it is a great pleasure for us to recall the 88th Friendship Meeting in Münster as well as the remarkable 89th Friendship

Meeting in Vietnam and Thailand.Naturally, worth mentioning of course is also the 90th Friendship Meeting held in the Estonian capital Tallinn, the 2011 European Capital City of Culture. The marvelous old town has cast its spell on us. Moreover, we have been able to successfully conduct a new election of Board members there.The 91st Friendship Meeting took place in Trieste.The extensive agenda of this get-together has held us spellbound in this historic Italian city. We were enraptured by the spectacular view of the Gulf of Trieste from the balconies of the Savoia Excelsior Palace hotel.The organizers of all these friendly get-together events deserve our respect and our special thanks.At this point I am very happy to mention that at all the Friendship Meetings held in recent years, the attendance by members of the Lower Saxony Chapter used to be the most prominent.The dates of our monthly round-tables can be found online on the BCI website www.bierconvent.org.Guests are always welcome at our regular Chapter meetings.

May I convey our wishes of all the best, and extend our cordial biery greetings, to all the Notables of our international beer fraternity as well as their families.

Manfred Lindenberg, Consul

REFERENCE to a new treatise on legislation concerned with breweries and restaurantsThe standard handbook on brewery and hospitality industry legislation, published by the Senate Vice-President, Professor Dr. Udo Bühler, has reached its 13th edition so far in 2011. A reference to the treatise can be found on the internet, at www.rws-verlag.de/81965. This unique book offers to all professionals in the field as well as to anyone interested, an excellent overview of the pertinent legislation, also providing a number of tips and hints focused on the development of the case-law concerned with the beer-and-beverages branch.

Werner Staude, Prof. Dr. Ralf Schmidseder, Manfred Lindenberg, Lower Saxony Consul

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Saxony Chapter How fruitful may the smallest circle grow, if we the secret of its culture know. J.W. Goethe [Translation by Robert Alfred Vaughan, 1856]

On no more land than holds a root the smallest gathering can bear fruit.

[Translation of the same maxim by Isidor Schneider, bef. 1948, paraphrased]

Dear Notable Friends: The year draws to a close, the days are shorter—the beautiful beer garden season is over. It is getting dark sooner, the evenings are becoming longer again and, thus, the taproom can be thoroughly enjoyed. Everything has its own time.The year 2011 was very successful for our Chapter and we have fully dedicated ourselves to the above J.W Goethe’s maxim. That is, we have tried to make beer the centerpoint of our social life. In 2011 again, we found that beer, this cultured beverage, has had a supportive effect on our mind and body.

The following friendship meetings were held at the regional level:• The New Year was ushered in in our traditional

meeting rooms, and the dates were set for the forthcoming year’s events.

• Hence, in a great ambiance, a remorseless battle was fought and, subsequently, spirited conversations were led by the fireplace. In order not to get overweight, in March we have run an election for the Chapter’s bowling master.

• Since Leipzig is a city of cabarets (7) and there also is a first-class range of cultural events available here, we couldn’t resist being drawn to attend a performance of “Never stop laughing till the doctor arrives”. This exacted a heavy toll on our

wearied laugh muscles, and our dry mouths called for a swig of our home brand.

• The sunny month of May witnessed our tradition of asparagus-based dishes—since asparagus of excellent quality was being harvested right on our doorstep. As that time—as an exception—the focus is not on beer because this is a special celebration for our eyes and palates.

• Then of course, the beer garden time followed. At our most important gathering place, the “Bavarian station” known to many ever since the Leipzig Friendship Meeting. That is our best stop-over place where you can enjoy yourselves to the fullest.

• Came August we paid a visit to the Kulmbach Beer Week, on invitation, as always, by our friend, Notable Thomas Jaritz to whom to this is the home country. The slogan was: “Take note, all of you—this is your Beer Week—pure delight and enjoyment of life”.

• It is our „Classic Open“ that has all the right ingredients: taking delight in beer in company of our friends while listening to exquisite music. The best way to experience Leipzig.

• In preparation for all these festivities, special duck dishes were tasted, sampled, and eaten without end.

It’s great when beer lovers can enjoy the finer aspects of life together. The Saxony Chapter intends to preserve and carry on this tradition. Even J. W. Goethe lived by this prescript.

“If thou wouldst live unruffled by care, Let not the past torment thee e’er; As little as possible be thou annoy’d, And let the present be ever enjoy’d; Ne’er let thy breast with hate be supplied, And to God the future confide.”

[Translation by Edgar Alfred Bowring, 1853]

Best regards from Leipzig, Ulrich Trampler

We are a fine team

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The idea of organizing a Friendship Meeting in one of the Baltic republics was being considered for several years.It was only after having conducted a detailed exploration on site that Dr. Fritz Schur, together with Notable J. Strasser, made the recommendation to the Board that the 90th Friendship Meeting be held in the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. The list of members wishing to attend grew beyond all expectations, and definitely, it was the plentiful agenda of the meeting which lured the 89 participants, both male and female, to participate.Most of us arrived in Tallinn by plane—and it is such a short distance from the airport to the hotel compared to other cities.The Telegraaf Hotel, a refurbished post office building in a downtown location, offered a very pleasant accommodation.The first evening always has a particularly joyful atmosphere. The organizers have chosen an interesting venue, a restaurant furnished in medieval style, with medieval dishes on the menu. These indeed were truly unknown repasts for many of us, and thus the dinner became a tasting session almost exotic for most of us. We had an opportunity to sample beers brewed according to medieval recipes. And was it good beer?

The number of tankards drained was clear evidence of how the beer delighted our palates.On Friday after breakfast we broke down into small groups, to be taken on a sightseeing tour of the city by local guides. It had been brought to our attention before that sturdy footwear was advisable. This has proven to be a very foresighted advice.The roadways are cobblestone, not really conducive to walking comfortably. The entire old town district is part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage. During the last 20 years it has been subject to extensive reconstruction, thanks to co-funding from European funds and great efforts on the part of the city administration. Visit of the Saku brewery followed. I can easily imagine what must have been the conditions under which this brewery had operated 20 years ago and what was its range of products. The brewery is part of the Carlsberg Group now. Today it is a modern operation turning out a wide range of beers, mineral waters, and soft drinks. We have been able to taste some products of this abundant palette during the tasting session prepared for us by the brewery’s management. An interesting discussion ensued where we have been acquainted with the undertaking’s history and future development plans. To Carlsberg

Group, working at Saku brewery provides a good testing ground: whoever proves capable there, has a good chance for advancement anywhere within the Group.As in all the friendship meetings, the culmina-tion point on the agenda has been Enthronement, arranged to take place at Kadriorg Palace, boasting of a very interesting his-tory.In 1710 Russia under Czar Peter the Great, conquered Estonia from Sweden. In summer of 1718 the Czar had ordered a baroque palace to be built and a park to be set up between the Lasnamäe Clint escarpment and the Baltic, to serve as his summer residence.

90th International Friendship Meeting at Tallinn on 12–15.05.2011

Beautiful Tallinn

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As late as in 19th century, Kadriorg was a low-class Tallinn suburb, in spite of the palace and park there.It also hosts the famous Estonian song festivals. The monument Russalka, by Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson, was inaugurated on the Baltic in 1902.Kadriorg today is a preferred urban residential district with numerous elaborately decorated wooden and stone houses built during the 19th and 20th centuries. Kadriorg Palace now houses the Estonian Museum of Foreign Art. In what had been the small former residence of Czar Peter I there is a museum dedicated to his life. Invited to the rostrum has been Dr. Mart Laar, Minister of the Estonian Government, who on the occasion of the Enthronement ceremony, has presented the keynote address on ‘The history, culture and beer culture of Estonia’:First of all I have to say that the history of Estonia is very interesting. Everybody says so, because Estonia is located at the interface of the greatest civilizations, the Russian and the Western civilizations. And also on trade routes reaching from East to West and from North to South – hence it is a very active location. Naturally one must add that the history of Estonia is particularly interesting for historians. If you have to live in this country, the word “interesting” is not particularly good. Because you always get attacked, conquered, burned down to ashes, rebuilt, burned down again and then rebuilt again, just to give a short overview. Until the 12th century we existed as Estonians. We had a good Viking period. The Swedes and Danes were christianized and attacking them was very convenient. We took everything away from them, burned down their churches, took away their valuables, dragged away their women and then, for some reason, we would wonder why Christian Europe did not approve of our behavior. Then we had the crusades. For two decades we fought against the whole of Europe, the Danes, the Swedes, the German crusader knights. When this period was over we became more civilized though. So you do not any longer need to harbor any fears in this connection. But it was back then that our beer culture started to develop, at the time of the crusades. The most important battle took place right in Tallinn, where the historic city centre is located today, in close proximity to the Telegraaf Hotel. The pope in Rome charged the Danish King with the task of christianizing Estonia. The king summoned a huge army, one of the biggest of that time, and led this huge armed host to Tallinn. We, the Estonian people, behaved very friendly—you must have realized that we are incredibly friendly people—and we told them: “No war, let us live together in peace, everything shall be nice and peaceful”, and we brought them many gifts. And if our historians are to be believed, some of these gifts were beverages. Beer especially, to be precise. A very strong beer. And once you give this beer to the Danes,

the party can get started. Within two days all the Danes were drunk and we paid them another visit. This time, however, we did not bring any beer as presents; instead we came equipped with everything you need to kill. We summoned an army of our own and attacked at night. It was a good battle, we killed almost everyone. But then something happened: a professional squad of the Danish army had not been drinking. They were asleep that night and had set up their camp a little aside. Unfortunately, we did not see that in the dark. It was a detachment of heavily armored knights. They had some time to get prepared and so our situation took a turn

Dr. Fritz Schur, BCI President, in medieval attire takes the floor

“Saku Mõis”—beer tasting begins.

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for the worse. After this very incident we Estonians do not like any people here who won’t drink enough beer. Because we lost that battle. But all that is history now. After that the German time commenced, than the Swedish time, than the Polish time and then again the Swedish time, then the Russian time and then, for a short period, the German time until, in the 20th century, the Estonian independence followed. We were independent for the duration of 20 years and we developed very well. Then the communists came, thereafter the national socialists, then the communists again, then independent Estonia for two days, then the communists again. This time they stayed for fifty years, and after that we had our independence back. So that was a very concise overview. Four times we have been on the verge of ceasing to exist as a nation because so many people were killed in these wars. Under the last Soviet overlordship we lost 20% of our population, among them our German minority. Back then we had a very active German minority in Estonia, but we lost them all. A part of them went to Germany; the other part went to Siberia. Not voluntarily, of course. That also was a part of our history. At the beginning of our independence we were not doing well, the country was in pieces. The situation was so bad that people would not even drink beer, it was that bad. One had to be of very strong nature to drink a beer in Soviet Estonia. Saku was the first brewery to start brewing beer. It even became a symbol of Estonia’s resurrection.During the course of twenty years our country has changed a lot. Our development standard ranked among the highest of all the former communist countries of Eastern

and Central Europe. We are a full-fledged member of NATO, we are a full-fledged member of the European Union, we are a member of the Eurozone; our country is very well integrated. And we are fine. And part of this “feeling fine” is the fact that Saku continues brewing better and better beer.At this point, unfortunately, I have to end my overview of the Estonian culture, Estonian history and Estonian beer tradition. May I wish you wonderful days in Tallinn, and I am sure that you will have a great time here. I wish you all the best and apologize for having to leave on such short notice.

In these splendid surroundings, with musical accompaniment by the Estonian Ensemble ‘Edelweiss-Quartet’, the BCI President Dr. Fritz Schur ushered the three novices to the decorated festive hall. In his introduction, Dr. Fritz Schur reminded the audience of the present-day objectives of the BCI and of the obligations to be shouldered by the new members – BCI Notables.This was followed by the ceremonious admission act. Called were in succession, Mr. Bernd Geldmacher, for whom the Laudatio was presented by Notable René Faessler; Mr. Christian von der Heide, with Laudatio by Notable Dr. Willy Buholzer; and Mr. Erich Wimmer, with Laudatio by Notable Professor Horst Wurm.With music sounding, Notable Heiner Jordan was called to receive the golden lapel pin from BCI’s

Enthronement ceremony is about to begin

Thomas Haas, Emöke Rohner, Gerda Rißman

2011 BCI-Info 13

Withdrawal from the BoardThe President of BierConvent International, Dr. Fritz Schur, declared his intention to withdraw from the office of the President of our Association, as of the end of 2011. His current health condition is the reason for his resignation. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible for him at present to actively fulfil the duties of this office of honor. Surely, it could not have been easy for our worthy President of many years to arrive at this decision. He is deserving of the respect of us all.

With regard to his outstanding record, it is anticipated that our dear Notable Friend Dr. Fritz Schur will be appointed to Honorary President of BierConvent International on the occasion of our next General Assembly to be held at Marienbad in May, 2012.

Right now, may we all convey to him our wishes for speedy recovery that come straight from the heart.

Prof. Dr. Udo Bühler, Senate Vice-President, BierConvent InternationalThe Board, Stanislav Procházka, Vice-President

Dr. Fritz Schur congratulates Mr. Erich Wimmer.

Erich Wimmer, Hans Gmachl, Dr. Fritz Schur, Christian von der Heide, Bernd Geldmacher, Heiner Jordan

President Dr. Fritz Schur in recognition of 25 years of his BCI membership.This was followed by Notable Hans Gmachl being awarded a silver lapel pin in recognition of his work for the BCI.This gala affair was concluded by traditional picture-taking and by the new Notables being congratulated by all those present.The item on the agenda scheduled for Saturday afternoon was yet another culmination point of our Friendship Meeting—the 42nd Regular Annual Meeting of the BCI.The meeting was held in the ‘Crown Hall’ of ‘Teachers House’, with 42 Notables attending; there are 145 Notables with voting rights. Every BCI member received his/her copy of the Minutes of the meeting and, therefore, just as a reminder: A new Board has been elected, consisting of Dr. Fritz Schur, Paul Greineder, Andreas Rothacker, Seinosuke Kuraku, and Stanislav Procházka.In conclusion the organizers have succeeded in exposing us to a marvelous cultural experience. As a body we went to the Estonian National Theater, to watch and listen to an opera performance of ‘Tosca’. During the two intermissions the BCI visitors were invited to the Blue Room reserved for them, with tasteful refreshments. But when the curtain fell the evening was not over yet. The less extensive but the more pleasant premises of the Telegraaf Hotel provided an inviting ambiance for us to remain sitting for a while in friendly chat. In the opinion of those present there, this was a successful evening indeed.I trust that after this friendly encounter we had in Tallinn, nice recollections will linger, and pleasant memories will remain of this beautiful and, in the past, rather severely tried country.

Stanislav Procházka

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It was so beautiful in Trieste! From beginning to end the international meeting of all the Chapters in Italy was blessed with wonderful weather. The sun bid a cheerful welcome to the 85 participants from many countries, and thus we were able not only to become impressed with the breathtaking architecture of the city but also, right at the first glance, to become imbued with its distinctive atmosphere.„Have a beer“ has become a ritual, once again encompassing—this time, in the lobby of the Savoia Excelsior Palace hotel—the „welcome back“ hugs and friendly discussions among the Notables.And, in order not to spend the whole day traveling, the participants set out for a sightseeing tour of the Miramare Castle some 10 km north of Trieste, the beautiful little seaside castle, built in the 19th century by Maximilian, the brother of Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria. The Empress Elisabeth (“Sissi”) also liked to sojourn here.The castle was built by order of archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria, brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I who chose as his home the seaport of Trieste which at that time had been part of the Austrian empire. Later he was crowned the last Emperor of Mexico.Also, the castle is surrounded by a magnificent park where the guests could enjoy the sunset, taking a walk at a measured pace towards Grignano Bay to

sip an apéritif on the terrace and, finally, to move over to the „Principe di Metternich“ restaurant for their dinner.Friday was the day set aside for Trieste sightseeing, the cityscape attesting to the city’s moving history.From 1382 until 1919 with only brief interruptions, Trieste was part of the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria, and naturally, those 500 years have left their imprints. Taking a walk through the downtown area one could easily forget that this is Italy if it weren’t for the typical southern flair of the locals (and also, the chaotic traffic so typical of Italy...). Frequently the architecture of the palatial buildings of the city center remind one of Vienna, Prague, or Budapest rather than of Venice, Rome, or Florence.The heyday of Trieste was the 18th and 19th centuries, at which time this city with its extensive seaport was Austria’s prime point of access to the Mediterranean. At that time, Trieste took over from Venice as the city possessing the leading role in trade. Around 1900, Trieste was recognized as one of the literary hotspots of Central Europe.That changed abruptly in the 20th century. Because of the cold war the city of Trieste which formerly had held a peripheral position became locked in a blind channel, a backwater due to the fact that the nearby border with Yugoslavia left it deprived of virtually any economic hinterland.

91st International Friendship Meeting in Trieste (Italy) from 29 September to 2 October 2011

Trieste, September 30, 2011

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Nowadays, Trieste has embarked on the road to recovery, and even more: the city now has begun to perceive its geography as an advantage and indeed to exploit its position of Italy’s gateway to Eastern Europe. The city’s attractiveness for visitors is due not only to the abundance there of evidence of the Habsburg and multi-cultural past but also to this past becoming blended with the city’s Italian presence.Small groups were able to enjoy the sights of the city of Trieste. Be it the old town of Trieste with its Piazza dell’Unita d’Italia or Piazza Verdi, or the San Silvestro church or the Roman theater, the Orthodox church and the port district of “Borgo Teresiano” with the Grand Canal, the “Sant’Antonio Nuovo” church and the beautiful Serbian Orthodox church “San Spiridone”, all these constitute a part of European history. You could literally feel the skirts of Sissi still swinging around. You could also have your fill of cultural enlightenment—including a guided tour of one of Italy’s foremost ranking art galleries—the Revoltella Museum and Joseph’s district.Teatro Verdi and its Sala Ridotto ballroom witnessed the enthronement ceremony.It was the first time in the 42-year history of BierConvent International e.V. that the installations to the throne were not conducted by the BCI President. In view of Dr. Fritz Schur’s serious illness this task was entrusted, pursuant to Statutes, to Mr. Stanislav Procházka, the BCI Vice-President.Four new members were accepted: Ms. Diana Wünschek, Professor Dr. Eckhard Hertel, Mr. Shin Iwakami, and Mr. Heinrich Waiblinger. The silver lapel pin of honor was handed over to Notable Johann Christoph Beindorf in recognition of his 10-year membership.In line with tradition, the ceremony was accompanied by music. The reputation of the Hemiolia Quartet consisting of Trieste Conservatory students as a body of outstanding Italian musicians has once again been vindicated.The festive finale of the day took place at the famous Harry’s Grill on Piazza Unita, unforgettable with its illumination.The last evening had a special experience in store for the participants in this successful get-together: the Scheriani country house, in a magnificent location on the hills above Trieste and a stone’s throw from the border with Slovenia. The seaside panorama at sundown was breathtaking, cuisine was excellent with local delicacies and wines, and on top of this—in the presence of Signore Michele Campagnolo, owner of Campagnolo Ale Productions—the tasting of his special ales was one of the highlights of the evening.Unplanned but the more welcome was the spon-taneous performance of Notable Carlos Alvarez who

From left, Heinrich Weiblinger, Stanislav Procházka, Diana Wünschek, Prof. Dr. Eckhard Hertel, Shin Iwakami

having sung the Guantanamera received the standing ovations from all those present. The crescent of the setting moon provided the most splendid backdrop for the atmosphere of the evening.Just as I said—Trieste war a successful blend of culture, history, and friendship, very much in the line of what the members of BierConvent International e.V. would wish for.

Monika Valéria Javorková

Wilfried Geissler-Sahm, Senate President, in conversation with Mrs. Hedda Gmachl and Mr. Hans Georg Gmachl

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Beer Poster of the Year 2011For the first time this year, BierConvent Inter-national e.V. (BCI) has called and followed out an international competition of beer posters.

The posters should be of distinguished design and should address the various target audiences with sayings or maxims that could be of an altogether humorous, amusing nature. They should praise beer as a traditional, tasty beverage well-suited for many life situations as well as for a variety of consumer groups but also as a valuable beverage based on natural raw materials that has to be given adequate care before reaching the glass and even the palate.A total of 35 breweries, organizations and/or agencies took part, resulting in the submission of 89 poster projects. These 35 participants hailed from six different countries: Germany, Austria, USA, Mongolia, Italy, and Denmark.The international jury included BCI members, representatives of various professional associations and organizations, and specialist press. Assessment of the posters took the following criteria into consideration: attractiveness, design art, originality, alluring relation to, and enjoyment of, the beer. The winners’ awards were handed over on 8 November 2011 in Nuremberg, as part of the gala program to mark the 150th anniversary of the beer brewing magazine „Brauwelt“ (The World of Brewing).

■ The bronze medal went to Pott’s Brauerei GmbH, Oelde. Here the award was due to the motif „Muenster Land Originals: Wallach Nobelstar“, positively rated

in the first three evaluation categories—attractiveness, design art, and originality.

■ Another bronze medal went to the “White Wheat Beer Brewery (Weiße Weißbierbrauerei)”, Salzburg in recognition of a motif of the “White Salzburg” series. This poster came off well according to the same criteria of attractiveness, design art, and originality but also because of its theme’s relation to beer.

■ The silver medal was awarded to the private brewery Gaffel Becker & Co. of Cologne. The excellent theme of a “Cultivation community” received very positive assessments according to all the criteria except the “enjoyment of beer”. It has successfully portrayed the existing link to the raw material. Indeed, a former slogan of a generic beer advertisement which unfortunately, is no longer used in this form, read “All the way from stalk to glass”.

■ The gold medal award was bestowed by the jury to Huber-Bräu, St. Johann in Tirol. This brewery was represented in the competition by a number of image and product advertisement submissions. The ruling by the jury was not in favor of any single poster; instead, it has recognized the value of the over-all concept which it found worthy of the gold medal having rated it best according to all the five criteria.

The competition has demonstrated for one thing how creative and unique the promotion of beer can be. The rich diversity of the posters is confronted with an ever greater diversity of tastes.

Karl-Ulrich Heyse, BRAUWELT Journal

Publisher: BierConvent e. V., Brauerhaus, Oskar-von-Miller-Ring 1, 80333 Munich (Germany)S. Prochazka, Vice-President BCI, Strunkovská 1421/7, 153 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic, Tel.: +420-257810720

Paul J. Greineder, CEO, Pharmos Natur - Green Luxury GmbH, Hechenrainer Str. 14, 82449 Uffing am Staffelsee, Germany, Tel.: +49-8846 9213 0

Kitzbühel-Special:

From left, Stanislav Procházka, Günther Huber, Huber-Bräu, St. Johann in Tirol, Hans Georg Gmachl, Hans Gmachl, „Die Weiße“ Weißbierbrauerei, Salzburg, Dr. Karl-Ullrich Heyse, Brauwelt