On the island of Rügen there are not only picturesque chalk cliffs, a small colony of majestic sea eagles, pirate festivals and long beaches with snow-white, powdery sand and magnificent dunes. You can also find rare beers here. These rare specimens come from the pen of beer sommelier and master brewer Markus Berberich. The expert has specialized in the production of forgotten or little-known beer styles and not only delights the islanders with his special creations.
The expression "rare beers" includes a range of twelve beers that Markus and his team have created, refined and perfected over many years of work. The focus of the Insel brewery is not on the common styles of the beer and craft beer scene, but rather on unusual specialties, unconventional varieties and historical recipes. The brewers have developed a unique brewing method and only use hand-picked raw materials. This includes, for example, natural cone hops: Instead of pellets or extracts, the Rügen brewery only works with whole, dried cones of freshly harvested hop blossoms. In order to elicit the full potential of the green gold, the brewery has developed a tempered hop dispenser. This transports a maximum of aroma into the beer. All brews are traditionally fermented in an open vat and undergo a three-stage fermentation process that includes secondary fermentation in tanks and aging in the bottle. In the last step, the brewers add an extra portion of yeast, which ensures a deep taste, stable foam and sparkling carbon dioxide. Before the bottles go through the last fermentation stage, they are packed in opaque natural paper using a specially developed technique. The paper ensures long-lasting freshness and optimal storage conditions for the fine wines.
The gates of the brewery in Rambin are always wide open: the team warmly invites visitors to take a tour of the brewery. Those who are curious can convince themselves of the high quality standard on site and chat with the brewers about their work during a walk through the brewhouse. The raw materials can be checked and the fresh beer can be admired in the open fermentation vats. After the excursion, there are tastings that quench your thirst for beer and provide an insight into the brewery's range. In addition to this maximum level of transparency and hospitality, the Rügen brewers also care about the environment. The electricity for the beer bottling is generated in the brewery's own photovoltaic system and the Insel-Brauerei also promotes the flora and fauna in its immediate vicinity. With a generous donation in 2017, for example, they supported a project to protect the Rügen sea eagle, which has become rare.
Would you like a short holiday on Rügen? Buy your ticket here!
11 Artikel
* Prices include statutory VAT. plus Shipping plus Deposit plus excise duty