IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS BEER
By René Baumgart
Beer is in fact so old that many archeologists believe that the early societies were more interested in making beer than making fire due to our desire for intoxication. Food of course can be made on the run but beer on the other hand, is something that needs time and love.
Not too much has changed in the centuries in regards to the brewing of beer, especially when we refer to Bio-beer. One of the best of these beers on the market today, is one produced by the small Bavarian brewery, Unertl who base their bio-beer on the German-wheat known as "Dinkel". "This beer is good for the blood, the mind and cheerfulness." The recipe's ingredients of hops, malt and dinkel are all chosen by junior-chief, Wolfgang Unertl. The water used for the beer stems from the brewery's very own well that produces a clear and healthy water whilst the dinkel used comes from an area close to Straubing.
The second that one of Unertl's bio-beers is poured into the glass, scents of nuts, chocolate and freshly ground coffee can be detected. The head is solid and powerful. The bubbles rise gently to the top and with the first sip, you experience the rich tones of yeast coupled together with a refreshing hint of citrus.
The first sip only makes the drinker desire one thing; a second mouthful and upon taking this sip, the drinker starts to completely appreciate the prestige of this full-bodied beer. So, all wheat-beer drinkers need now to make it a perfect afternoon is a great group of friends, a sunny beer garden and a few shady trees. The shadows we know will be there but we can be sure that the sun will come out for us this summer.

A PROUD BALANCE
The Munich leader in fine gastronomy, Gerd Käfer, puts it quite simply: "If you don't drink Unertl, it is your own fault." The suggestion that the traditional brewery's wheat-beer is of the highest standard, can be proven alone by the sales figures. In 1993, 3900 hectolitres were produced. By 1998, the brewery was producing 9000 hectolitres and is forecast in 2004 to produce an amazing 14000 hectolitres. The turnover too has been escalating rapidly "In 1993 we earnt close to one million Euros, in 2003 that figure has jumped to two million" Explained the delighted brewery-owner Wolfgang Alois Unertl whose great uncle happened to be the legendary lower-Bavarian CSU parliamentarian Franz Xaver Unertl who was one of the last original members of the Bonner government.
This sustainable growth didn't just "happen". Unertl Brewery KG (With 13 employees) has made an impressive name for itself through providing a market that reaches from southeast-Bavaria to Munich, with a number of different wheat-beers. A major advantage the brewery enjoys is the delivery of extremely fresh raw products from the local areas, and with the help of this product they can in-turn deliver what beer drinkers really want: freshness. Apart from this "freshness", the Mühldorfers have also got a few other specialties to offer. Ingrid Unertl, the mother of the family business, has been providing the finest gastronomy Munich has to offer in her delicatessen 'Köstlicher Kiste'.
The family business goes all the way back to August 1929. The founders, Philomena and Alois Unertl, had by this time already established themselves as specialist brewers of wheat-beer and possessed a factory equipped with the most modern technology: during this time in Germany most breweries were operating using wood, coal and oil heating, the Unertl brewery on the other-hand was pioneering the use of gas-fired operations.
After the end of WWII, things quickly regained pace. Beer was no longer just seen as a means for curing thirst but has also become popular as a semi-luxury good.
With the sale of the family's hotel 'Jägerhof', Wolfgang Unertl Sen. and his wife Ingrid, were able to finance the redevelopment of the brewery. A redevelopment that was badly needed. "Our beer production was really falling away during the 80s," recalls the 39 year old brewery boss. Quality to was up an down as a result of the aging technology. So between 1989 and 1991 heavy investment took place. Altogether close to € 1.8 million was spent updating the brewery's technology including a new Fermenting cellar. Unfortunately however, the sale of the hotel was not enough alone to pay for this gigantic redevelopment so creditors were required as well. "The outlay for the redevelopment took a long while to amortise" recalls Unertl who has been making a solid profit since 1998. "Our figures are really positive currently," cheerfully quotes the brewery boss, "Even though we were never given any great subsidies."
The fact that he is continuously on the path success has a lot to do with his product philosophy. "We maintain the life of the beer" he explains then further quoting the aspects he believes allow him to differentiate himself from his competitors "In our brewery we do not pasturise, we don't over-heat, we don't filter and we don't try to stabilise." In this way the true freshness of the yeast is maintained.
The "natural" way of doing things at the Unertl brewery delivers the much loved freshness but also means that the beer has a much shorter shelf-life than its competitors, lasting on average between four and five months. Thankfully though, a longer shelf-life is not required as his beers are delivered to an area within a 100km radius of the brewery, which means that long transport time is eliminated. Nowadays the technically trained brewer supplies 180 stores: close to two thirds of the beer production goes to retailer with the rest being supplied for gastronomy.
On the topic of beer quality, the brewery benefits from yet another advantage: the brewery has its own 120 metre deep well. The water in the well is of amazing quality. It is said to have been coursing directly over a layer of "Tertiärgestein" for over one million years and has never been used as a source for water. For this reason explains the chief brewer "it has not lost any of its strength and it holds a vitality that can not be duplicated on other layers of the earth including the surface. And it is this water that allows Unertl to optimises their fermentation process by eliminating any chance of taste-change.
The fact that Unertl is spot-on with its brewing process is highlighted by the annual Mühldorf folk-festival. Here, each year, the Unertl brewery has its own wheat-beer tent and as the entrance figures show, it is getting more and more popular every year. Tradition too plays a huge role within the tent. When guests arrive in the tent Ingrid Unertl isn't happy to have them being entertained in a run-of-the-mill tent, instead the public find themselves in a beautiful wood and canvas tent. "The freshness principle doesn't't just apply in the brewery" explains Mrs Unertl, who has now been organising the beer-tent since 1964 and even has her own Oktoberfest-style kitchen on site which manages continuously to impress whoever may be eating from the menu.
Apart from being responsible for such a massive event, since 1989 Mrs Unertl has also been running "Köstlicher Kister", a superb shop specialising in gourmet food. She never ceases to blow her customers away with amazing treats ranging from wheat-beer jelly to wheat-beer truffle. Even amongst the leading gastronomy outlets in Munich, the Köstliche Kister has a phenomenal reputation and as a result the shop supplies top restaurants such as Tantris, Käfer, and the Bischof am See hotel in Tegernsee; "And our beer is drunk there as well!".

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