The university beer brewed by biotechnologists tasted great at this year's Environment Day.
The large lecture hall filled up slowly at first and then suddenly at 8 o'clock in the morning with no less than 200 students from our university. That's not quite so common for some lectures at this time of day. But it wasn't just any lecture, but the one on November 14, 2018 for this year's Environment Day "Beer from here - tradition and sustainability". And the topic lured many interested people out of bed to pay attention to two professors. Prof. Ender and Prof. Delakowitz gave a lively and eloquent presentation on the history and current status of beer. They explained beer production, discussed ecological and sustainable aspects in the production and distribution of beer, as well as the trends in which types of beer and mixed beer drinks are currently the most popular.
The Germans' favorite beer is undisputedly Pilsner, followed by wheat beer and black beer. Every year, around 8 billion liters of beer are drunk in Germany, produced in around 5,000 different types of beer and by over 1,350 breweries. Beer lovers could therefore theoretically drink or taste a different type of beer every day for 13.5 years! In a European comparison of annual per capita beer consumption, however, Germany is in second place with around 101 liters, behind the Czech Republic, which consumes around 143 liters per capita each year. Incidentally, the first Pilsner beer was brewed in the Czech Republic in 1842 and named after the city of Pilsen. However, recent archaeological excavations in 2017, during which researchers found an approximately 13,000-year-old alcohol production site near the Israeli city of Haifa, prove that this was by no means the beginning of beer. However, this earliest evidence of alcohol production to date must first be about the fermentation of grain and thus the basis of beer brewing. Beer production can therefore be traced back to fermented grain from bread production, and this was probably more of a coincidence because the bread dough was left in the sun for too long.
At 2:30 p.m., the lecture hall filled up again and the students, university employees and Zittau citizens present were joined on the podium by the highly anticipated representatives of the regional breweries. After the opening of the Environment Day by the Vice-Rector for Education and International Affairs of the university, Prof. Dr. Christa Heidger, and the Mayor of Zittau, Mr. Thomas Zenker, the professionally moderated discussion began together with the audience. There was agreement that the sustainability of beer and brewing is always linked to the tradition and regional connection of breweries.
From an economic and social sustainability perspective, breweries are a value-adding factor, employer, trainer and promoter of culture in our region. Traditional knowledge, a brewing culture and the art of brewing are passed on and preserved across generations.
Sustainability also plays a role for the breweries from the district of Görlitz if they can procure the beer ingredients from Saxony and therefore still relatively regionally. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to the types of hops and malt required for special types of beer, which are then also purchased from within Germany. Other sustainability efforts go hand in hand with the main distribution of the beer in the new federal states and, if it does go to the Far East, with export in cans. Depending on a brewery's strategic focus, this can help to reduce fuel, energy and the environmental impact of transportation. In this country, it can generally be said that it is sustainable and environmentally friendly if the beer reaches the consumer in returnable bottles and kegs and the containers are returned to the breweries. This saves raw materials and energy for new containers and avoids waste, recycling and disposal costs.
At the end of the day, all those present were able to quench their thirst for a beer, which had been stimulated by the presentation and discussion, with small samples that the representatives of the breweries had kindly brought along. The university beer brewed especially for this Environment Day by biotechnology lecturers and students was also tasted. After all, beer production is based on chemical and biological principles, which were illustrated and taught in a very practical way during a brewing seminar. And beer enjoyed in moderation and only on certain occasions, like the university beer, ultimately also has something sociable and social about it and should not be unhealthy.
On the following evening of November 15, there was even more to learn about beer, its history and production during a tour of the former Zittau beer cellars and the Landskron brewery in Görlitz. Both university locations can look back on many years of beer history and have preserved their beer culture and tradition to this day. With this in mind, it remains to raise a glass to good health and see you again on the next Environment Day.
