Experience beer culture: BierConvent International heads to Freiburg for Summer Delight Tour

Having been forced to indefinitely postpone several trips due to the pandemic, BCI was this year again able to run its Summer Delight Tour in Freiburg, in the region of Breisgau in south-west Germany. The members of the BCI, the “Notables”, and their guests were invited to take part in a varied program from Friday, July 02 through Sunday, July 04, 2021.

Entertaining brewery tour of Ganter Freiburger Braukultur
Straight after checking in at a hotel in the center of Freiburg, the group of around 20 beer enthusiasts enjoyed an entertaining tour of the Ganter Freiburger Braukultur brewery with Professor Dr. Theobald Gerstenkorn as well as a get-together with Katharina Ganter-Fraschetti and Detlef Frankenberger, who together run the traditional brewery. Over dinner, the Notables and their guests also had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with a menu of around 20 beers and other drink specialties that the brewery offers.

Culinary city tour with unusual beers
A particular highlight for the participants was a culinary tour of the city which took place on Saturday morning around the cathedral, the Freiburg Minster, and down the city’s many quaint streets. The delegation from BierConvent tasted wine, cheese and the odd Mediterranean delicacy, as well as regional treats, fresh from the daily Minster market at the heart of Freiburg. The afternoon was free for the group to spend as they wished. With the sun shining high in the summer sky, Freiburg, a jewel in the crown of southern Germany, located a mere hop, skip and a jump from the French and Swiss borders, welcomed many visitors over the weekend who were keen to hit the shops before relaxing on the banks of the river Dreisam.

BCI social in Vienna 2022
At the Zum Roten Bären inn, guests whiled away the evening over a three-course meal. The BierConvent was absolutely delighted that Katharina Ganter-Fraschetti accepted an invitation to join the party. There were many reasons to make a toast – after all, there had not been many opportunities to celebrate such momentous occasions in the company of others over the past few months. The Notables also made a hearty toast to the confirmation of the upcoming social in May 2022 to be held in the Austrian capital of Vienna. The event will be attended by representatives of the regional European chapters from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland as well as Notables from as far away as Japan and the USA. They all represent a whole host of sectors and areas of interest connected to the cultural heritage of beer and they have been united through long-lasting friendships since the association was established in 1965.

BCI on the hunt for fresh talent: Open day at the end of October on the Chiemsee
So that BierConvent International can continue to act with just as much passion and panache all over the world in the years to come as a mentor for beer, which we regard as an object of genuine cultural value, the association is inviting membership applicants from all over the world to spend October 22-24, 2021 at Gut Ising on the Chiemsee, where a visit to a local brewery has again been planned. Meanwhile, a trip to the Fraueninsel promises to be an exceptional cultural and culinary experience. There will also be the chance to book a golf taster course, rent a horse for a round of polo, or simply relax with a classic wellness program.

If you are interested in taking part, please register by contacting sekretariat@bierconvent.info. All of the Notables are looking forward to getting to know one another on a short trip to the Chiemsee this fall – and representing the committee of BierConvent International are President Pia Kollmar, Owner and Managing Director of OeTTINGER Brewery, Committee Member Hans Gmachl, Owner of the Salzburger Weissbier Brewery, and Vice President and Treasurer Dr. Georg Bouché, Lecturer and Honorary Consul for the Republic of Gambia for Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.