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"Nuremberg has more to offer than its Imperial Castle and bratwurst."
The yard of the Schanzenbräu brewery on the outskirts of Nuremberg is bustling with activity. Regular customers are stocking up on their favourite beers for the Easter holidays, someone from a local radio station is picking up crates of beer for a listener raffle, a drinks supplier's truck has to be loaded - in between, managing director Stefan Stretz takes a quick sip from his coffee cup and jumps from one appointment to the next. "It's like this every day here," he assures. No wonder, Stefan Stretz describes himself as "impulsive" and anyone who knows him knows how busy he is, that he pursues clear goals and always has one or two new ideas in mind that need to be implemented as soon as possible. His latest project: ambassador for Bavaria as a travel destination. In this role, he recently went to advertise new flight connections with Nuremberg Airport and present his hometown as well as his beers in both Dublin and Tallinn. We talked to him about his commitment to Nuremberg's brewing culture – a historical and at the same time newly created beer landscape.
Fresh from the tank: Stefan Stretz with a Nuremberg Rotbier (red beer) Stefan, you are very committed to Nuremberg and Nuremberg beer culture. What does Nuremberg mean to you?
Stefan Stretz: I am a Nuremberg native through and through and feel very connected to the city, especially to my district of Gostenhof. Nuremberg has great potential, there is so much more to this city than Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) and bratwurst: Creativity, innovative spirit, culture and subculture. I would like to play an active role in shaping this and communicate it to the outside world. Since the 15th century there has been the saying “Nuremberg’s trinkets reach every country.” We can revive that and I would like to contribute to that.
And Nuremberg's beer culture?
Stretz: It's unique. Since my heart beats for Nuremberg and for brewing, it is naturally a special concern of mine to show the world that we here in the greater Nuremberg area are getting a lot going in terms of beer. On the one hand, with BrauBeviale we have a very important international trade fair for beer culture. In addition, we have the highest density of breweries in the world practically at the gates of Nuremberg. There are 18 registered breweries in Nuremberg alone. Beer is a natural product; we brewers influence the character of the beer with the parameters of time and temperature. Countless combinations are conceivable. Each beer is therefore unique. It is very close to my heart to improve Nuremberg's reputation when it comes to beer and to show its true value.
The beers reflect the spirit of the brewery: close to tradition, but always open to new things. You do this with your brewery Schanzenbräu, but also in other projects beyond that.
Stretz: Right. The important thing is that beer has a home, and my home is Nuremberg. The brewery started in 2004, in the cellar of a backyard workshop on Bärenschanzstraße in the district of Gostenhof - hence the name and logo of the brewery. In 2007, we moved to Adam-Klein-Straße in Gostenhof, became more professional and opened the pub (“Schankwirtschaft”) just a few metres away in 2008 – it is a neighbourhood pub, a meeting place for the diversity of people in Gostenhof. We then completed the new brewery building at the beginning of 2016. With Schanzenbräu, we want to be pioneers of urban beer culture. We are bound by tradition, but not dusty, but strong in character and always open to new things. We make high-quality products that reflect exactly that. We are present at city festivals, support local projects, have created the Schanzenbräu & Friends evening event at BrauBeviale and are always coming up with something new.
Like the Nürnberger Brau Gemeinschaft e. V. association, for example?
Stretz: Exactly. The Nürnberger Braugemeinschaft (Brewing Community Nuremberg) came into being in the Corona Year 2021. At that time, I wanted to do something against the slackness in the industry and get involved. That's how the beer "Zusammen Halbe" (“Together Beer”), jointly developed and brewed by nine Nuremberg breweries, came about. Then we wanted to take a longer-term approach and so all nine of us founded the Nürnberger Brau Gemeinschaft e. V. association with me as the first chairman. We brew with Franconian ingredients and work together to promote and preserve Nuremberg's brewing culture. For example, we want to launch joint events and brew something special every year on German Beer Day. That's why we are launching the "Gründungs-Seidla" (“Founding Beer”) on 23 April this year.
But that's not all. Recently, you have also become an ambassador for Bavaria as a travel destination and are on the road internationally promoting Nuremberg beer culture.
Stretz: This role combines everything that is important to me: Nuremberg, beer culture and the exchange and view beyond one's own plate or city limits. For example, I recently had the honour of working with Nuremberg Airport to promote new flight connections. In Dublin, there was a presentation of Nuremberg and Nuremberg's beer culture in a Dublin brewery. Their brewmaster tasted my beers during the event. In Tallinn, I was also able to present my hometown, the brewing culture and my own beers. Successful events – I hope they attract more international audiences to Nuremberg so that we can present the beauty and creativity of our city in all its fullness.
