OnTap Magazine

ontapmag.co.za | Winter 2025 | 21 In addition to the time spent in Chicago andMunich,participantsintheWBAprogram also go on a two week “study tour,” visiting breweries in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and so on. This made it possible not only to witness varying approaches to brewing, but also to see the differences in infrastructure. Here again Rafael saw a direct line between beer and political events. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Bavarian delegation pushed for East Germany to comply with the Reinheitsgebot as a prerequisite to reunification. East Germany had not been strictly Reinheitsgebot-compliant in 40 years. This requirement posedchallenges to theexisting brewery infrastructure in East Germany and in the end, Bavarian companies essentially took over the market, buying up many of those breweries for a tune. Rafael says that in speaking with East Germans, there are those who will tell you that they miss the beer that they drank once upon a time, which included rice lagers. “Was it a higher quality beer? I don't know, but again, it goes back to the fact that it is part of your community and your identity.” And as he points out, among the list of ‘serious issues’ that were central to the German reunification process, politically speaking, you can add beer to that list. UponcompletingtheWBAprogram,Rafael received a “master brewer” accreditation, although, he then adds, “I will never call myself that, seriously,” while chuckling. “I think ‘master brewer’ is something you become eventually and it has to do with the context in which you're operating…I know people without that formal training that are master brewers and I know people with advanced degrees in brewing that I would not call master brewer…” Regardless, this education did make the job hunt much easier on Rafael when he returned from Europe, soon landing a job at Kings County Brewers Collective in Bushwick. He found their brewing philosophy and management style appealing, wheremost employees have worked at the different stages of production, giving them knowledge of one another’s roles. This in turn creates something of a collaborative cycle to the work. He himself startedoff inpackaging, but has sincemoved on to brewing. A PIECE OF ART Moving forward, Rafael says that he’d like to keep studying, namely, he’d like to work on recipe development, as well as learn more about judging beer. He also remains committed to pursuing this ‘beer and politics’ approach. He hopes to make more information available, for and from the perspective of a beer consumer, where one is not only purchasing a good product, but also making that political and cultural connection. Rafael reminds us that something as seemingly simple as what's available on shelves “is a consequence of political decisions.” Most people browsing the wares in a bottle shop are not aware of the legislation that dictates what they are looking at. “Or the process for opening a craft brewery – how difficult it is for you to compete in that market, the impact that big interests have on not allowing something like craft brewers to be part of that market.” When considering the challenges currently facing craft beer in the US, he makes the argument that the future of craft should involve breweries focusing on and making fewer beer styles, instead of the whole every two months you will see ‘three new IPAs, a Gose and an Imperial Stout’ approach. In this alternative scenario, we would have highly specialized microbreweries that produce just a couple of styles, but do them well. One could see how such a model might in turn facilitate that opportunity to develop a relationship and deeper connection with those beers, as staples. Rafael is alsoadamant that theoccasionally perceived pretentiousness experienced in craft beer spaces be done away with. You can relay information about your beer that has depth, but is still straightforward, or as Rafael puts it, “It's just the idea of making information more accessible but of higher quality. If you're not able to explain the beer that you're brewing, however complex it might be, in simple terms, then you don't know enough about it to be doing what you are doing.” He goes on: “Just make it approachable, and then more memorable. The reason why [your customers] are going to your place to drink beer is because they want to have a good experience.” This argument, that beer is a reflection of politics, power, geography, culture – is not new. But it is often overlooked. “Even though all the information is there, and all the historical records are there, it’s not how we interact or socialize through beer. We see it and consume it as a product. And it is! But it’s both a product and a piece of art.” Celebrating the release of "Ruby Reaper," a Nuremberg-style red lager, and Rafael's first recipe at Kings County Brewers Collective. Doing lab work at the Doemens Akademie. Graduation night at the Agustiner Keller in Munich.