Brauerei Kemker Kultuur Winter

REGION: Alverskirchen, GER
SIZE: 750ml / ABV: 7%

Jan and Nicole used rosemary from their family garden, which lend the beer its herbaceous and woody aroma. This blend matured on average 10 months in red wine barrels.

For Jan Kemker and Nicole Marzec of Brauerei Kemker Kultuur, what started as a homebrewing experiment in 2017 has led to the revival of the local brewing tradition of their small village, Alverskirchen, near Münster, Germany. Jan and Nicole brew very small quantities of beer with old heirloom oat and barley varieties they grow themselves, and they partner with neighbouring organic farmers who provide their spelt and other aromatics that they infuse in their beers. They also make naturally fermented cider from heritage apple, pear and other fruits.

The Kemker Kultuur house culture was developed from Jan’s homebrewing days—when he would pitch in dregs of his favourite beers—showcasing the yeast strains of his favourite beers at the time. It has now evolved into the unique flavour profile that their beers are known for, reinforced by Jan and Nicole’s tendency to age most of their beers in old wooden barrels to add complexity—just as tradition would have it. The resulting beers tend to be less acidic than the well-known Belgian lambic, but not as light and lifted as other farmhouse beers from northern France—they are contemporary riffs on classic, lesser-known Münster styles that we’re very excited to bring to Australia. While these styles faded into obscurity for a while with the onset of mass agriculture (which still largely dominates this part of Germany), brewers like Kemker Kultuur are championing the revival of old farming and brewing methods—and the positive benefits for their local environments and economies, not to mention us drinkers, are plain to see.

Kemker Kultuur’s long term plan is to make their own farm entirely closed-loop, with the beers just one (wonderfully delicious) part of a broader, regenerative system.