BUSINESS MONDAY: German Ambassador approves of Bajan beer

GERMAN AMBASS-ADOR to Barbados & the Eastern Caribbean, His Excellency Lutz Görgens, an aficionado of international fine ales, was so pleased with his first taste of the Ragged Point Red Ale made by the Barbadian microbrewery, The Brew House, he made his last act on his last trip to Barbados in mid-June an official, if informal, visit to Barbadian businessman Charles Mackenzie’s microbrewery in Gibbons, Christ Church.

Four years ago, Mackenzie began home-brewing the Indian Pale Ales, English summer & pale ales and dark stouts that he loved as a student in England but could not find in Barbados. When friends and relatives began ordering ales from him, Mackenzie’s hobby turned into a business that now has two dedicated brewmasters producing a range of seven hand-crafted fine beers. Apart from the Ragged Point that caught Ambassador Görgens’s attention, Brew House produces South Point Summer Ale (an English summer ale designed to appeal to Bajans, accustomed to only lager beers), Round Rock IPA, Silver Sand Pale Ale and Brew House’s two darker beers, Sam Lord’s Smoked Porter and Mahogany Bay Stout.

But Lutz Görgens looked forward most to sampling the Long Beach Wheat Ale, The Brew House’s German-style ‘Hefeweizen’ (wheat ale), based on the traditional Bavarian recipe. Görgens was as delighted with the taste of Long Beach Wheat Ale as he was with the idea that Barbados’ only locally-owned brewery is run by a Bajan and has perfected recipes developed by German and American brewmasters.

“This sort of partnership is what we aim for,” he said, “and few results that arise from these aims are as tasty.”

Görgens pronounced The Brew House’s English and Indian pale ales and their darker beers to be as good as any he has tasted anywhere in the world, and better than most. However, Ambassador Görgens, perhaps diplomatically, remained silent on whether the Brew House’s Long Beach Hefeweizen was better than the ones he has tasted at home.