Sudwerk is a brewery in Davis, California. It has been crafting German-style lagers since 1989.[1] It was a pioneer of lager in microbrewing,[2] following the strict requirements of the German Reinheitsgebot,[3] and it continues to specialize in craft lagers.[4]

Beer

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The beers made by Sudwerk include California Dry Hop Lager, which was created by replacing the German hops with Pacific Northwestern hops in the recipe of the Helles Lager; Northern Pilsner; Märzen Amber Lager; Hefeweizen Bavarian Wheat; Cascaderade India Pale Lager; and 3 Best Friends. Seasonal beers include Mai Bock Spring Lager in spring, Fest Harvest Lager in fall, and Doppel Bock Ulimator in winter.[5] The Helles Lager, Northern Pilsner, Marzen Amber Lager, and Hefeweizen are brewed using the same family recipes originally brought to California by Sudwerk's first German Brewmeister.[citation needed]

History

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Ron Broward and Dean Unger founded Sudwerk in 1989 as Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hubsch.[2] It was the first brewpub in Davis,[4] and the only one there until the 2015 opening of another brewpub, the Three Mile Brewing Company.[6] By 1993, when it went through a major expansion, Sudwerk had become the largest microbrewery in the US.[2] Jay Prahl was hired as brewmaster in 2003, and Broward and Unger sold off the associated restaurant in 2006.[2] After the two founders died in 2011 and 2013,[3] the brewery was sold to Unger's grandson, Trent Yackzan, and his friend Ryan Fry, who quickly promoted long-time employee Mike Hutson to brewmaster.[4] In 2015, they began distributing their beer to states outside California, beginning in Missouri.[7] The restaurant which operated independently from the brewery closed at the end of June, 2016.[8]

As of 2018, Sudwerk has won a total of 13 medals at the Great American Beer Festival including three gold medals.[9] In 2021, Sudwerk won the "Brewery of the Year" award at the Great American Beer Festival[10]

The brewery maintains close ties to the University of California, Davis, where Prahl and Hutson were educated, and its facilities include classrooms used by extension classes at UC Davis.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Sudwerk Brewery | Savor the session!". Sudwerk Brewery. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
  2. ^ a b c d e Brooks, Jay R. (2013), "Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hübsch", California Breweries North, Stackpole Books, p. 322, ISBN 9780811711586.
  3. ^ a b Robertson, Blair Anthony (May 18, 2014), "Davis-brewery Sudwerk thirsty to redefine itself and its craft lagers", The Sacramento Bee.
  4. ^ a b c Weitzel, Wendy (August 18, 2013), "Sudwerk's next generation: So much brewing in Davis", Davis Enterprise.
  5. ^ "Our Beer - Sudwerk Brewery". Sudwerk Brewery. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
  6. ^ Weitzel, Wendy (January 11, 2015), New brewery on tap for downtown, Comings and Goings, Davis Enterprise.
  7. ^ Terrill, Tessa (November 13, 2015), "Follow the lager leader: Sudwerk launches into Missouri", Davis Enterprise.
  8. ^ "Restaurant side of Sudwerk to close". Davis Enterprise. 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  9. ^ "GABF Winners". www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com. American Brewers Association. Retrieved 2019-07-12. Displaying search results for 'Sudwerk', including All Medal Winners from All Styles from All States represented during any year at the GABF. 13 Results found.
  10. ^ https://cdn.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/GABF21-Winners-List.pdf
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