Portrait: Veronika Dambacher, Brewer
PROFILE
- Site: Oettingen
- Qualification: Apprenticeship as a Brewer and Maltster
- Department: North Production
- At OeTTINGER: since 2006
WHEN I HAD SOME FREE TIME I OFTEN HEADED UP TO SPEAK TO MY FATHER IN THE BREWHOUSE
I have been working as a Beer Brewer at OeTTINGER since September 2009 and I mainly work in the brewhouse, the fermentation and filter cellar. I was familiar with life in the brewery as I grew up. My father worked at OeTTINGER – he started at the company when he was 14 and has now been there for forty years. I often visited him in the brewhouse after school. We talked about the brewery and beer in general and I watched him over his shoulder. You learn a lot that way about the processes and about the day-to-day work of a brewer. When I visited him, I quickly realized an important fact: one day I would follow in his footsteps. And so it came to be – if you like, he introduced me to brewing when I was still in the cradle. Only literally of course! And still today everything revolves around beer in our family. When he tells me what things were like many years ago, I realize how much has changed since then. In our fully automated brewhouse, we are primarily concerned with monitoring things. By contrast, more hands-on work is called for in Filtration and the beer passes from there to the bottling plants along a pipeline. This requires good planning and coordination between the Master Brewer and Brewers as it takes the beer nearly an hour to get from Production to Bottling and we have to ensure that our colleagues over in Bottling never run dry.
FROM THE PROVINCE TO BECOME GERMANY’S MARKET LEADER
I feel as if I have known the brewery from its earliest beginnings from listening to my father. It really impresses me how a small provincial family-owned brewery, with an output of around 10,000 hectoliters at the end of the 1950s became the market leader in Germany with an annual beer production of some 10 million hectoliters. I am especially pleased that OeTTINGER has retained its friendly character and, in spite of this or maybe specifically because of this, has become economically successful. Members of staff know each other really well, we pull together and never forget to have fun at work. You’re not just a number here – you’re part of the team. Our joint brewery outings strengthen this cohesion. Even during my apprenticeship, when I worked in Bottling, Production and the Laboratory, I really enjoyed this quite unique and pleasant atmosphere. When I happen to bump into former colleagues, it’s great catching up with them again. I really believe that this describes our relationship within the workforce perfectly.
I ALSO HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF BREWING
Of course in my free time I also have other interests alongside my passion for brewing. I love getting out into the countryside for a walk or cycle and in the evening enjoy meeting up with friends and family.
FINE TART WITH HOPS
I simply like the fine tart taste with the aroma of hops that you get with an Original OeTTINGER Pils. You really don’t need anything else to have a great evening.
