06/12/2023
Coming to a tap and shelf near you in 2024!
The new Braupakt with St. Bernardus: when Belgium and Bavaria come together
The Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan and the St. Bernardus brewery from Belgium launch the second edition of the Braupakt in 2024. Weihenstephan collaborated with the Californian craft beer pioneers from Sierra Nevada in 2018, creating the first Braupakt ever. Now, almost six years later, this collab gets a sequel: with a Blonde Ale, brewed in Weihenstephan.
What do the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan and St. Bernardus have in common? The faces of both breweries are monks - and what could be better than having the two historical figures Korbinian and Bernardus toast each other? Not only symbolically through the creation of the Braupakt, but also literally on the label. It shows the two monks having a first sip of the Blonde Ale. The two breweries have been friends for a long time - after all, St. Bernardus is the official importer of Weihenstephaner beers in Belgium.
The idea behind this unique collaboration was to brew a filtered, strong, top-fermented beer. This wonderful specialty is the combination of two brewing philosophies - this seems crystal-clear when you take a look at the raw materials: Hops from Belgium, from the immediate area around St. Bernardus, Weihenstephan yeast, Bavarian malt - and water from Freising. The beer is of course brewed in accordance with the Purity Law of 1516. Spicy, with a characteristic yeast note, fruity and strong with 6.5% alcohol: Braupakt 2024 flatters the palate with these characteristics.
The matching glass gives the Collab a further Belgian touch: the bulbous shape allows the diverse aromas of the brewing pact to fully unfold. The beer makes a particularly elegant and stylish impression in this glass with its strong, deep golden color.
Marcus Englet, Head of Export of the Weihenstephan brewery, is delighted: "In St. Bernardus, we have found a perfect partner for the second edition of the Braupakt. A brewery that, like us, puts the quality of its beers above all else and has thrown itself into this project with great attention to detail. With Braupakt 2024, we have succeeded in creating a collaboration in a class of its own: a beer based on a Belgian style that was created not only with ingredients from both countries, but also with the great expertise of two brewing philosophies."
Marco Passarella, Sales Manager at St. Bernardus, can only agree: "We really put an emphasis on quality over quantity. Both of us were convinced that we should not settle for a beer which we are not 110 percent satisfied with. But we succeeded in creating a wonderful brew that is up there with the best beers. This project was unknown territory for us, this is our first collaboration ever. But we absolutely loved it – that is why we are going to brew another beer with Weihenstephan in 2025, but this time in St. Bernardus."
Braupakt 2024 will be available in several countries, starting in March. The Blonde Ale will be bottled in 0.33l-longneck-bottles and sold in six-packs, 24x0.33l crates as well as 30l- and 50l-kegs.
