BREWING IS AN ART
Why did you choose this particular profession?
I was introduced to the world of brewing after having finished my food technology studies. As it is often the case, it takes love and knowledge to practice this type of profession. Sincerely, when I first started my studies, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be making beer and would become a brew master. While I was studying, I slowly realized that food technologist profession is very interesting because it allows merging knowledge from various areas.
How long have you been making beer?
The art and craft of making beer is at the heart of Pivara Skopje’s existence and of all of us who are involved in the production of this magical drink in one way or another. And it has been so for 90 years already, and I’m sure that that will be the case in the future.
I have been part of Pivara Skopje for almost 30 years. I acquired my first working experiences with great support of my more experienced coworkers who transferred me all their knowledge. I managed to get the most valuable experiences and assistance at the moment when Pivara Skopje became member of Heineken’s global family.
To what extent are important beer ingredients, the recipe and the technology?
In the world of brewing craft, it means finding the perfect balance of the four natural ingredients giving life to the best of beers. The main ingredients are water, yeast, barley and hops. Around 90% of beer consists of water, meaning that beer is excellent for hydration. Barley provides the core and gives beer its nutritional value. That is why, the majority of brew masters have nice complexion, shiny hair… The ingredient that defines the aroma and flavor of beer is hops. Hops have both male and female flowers. And only female hop plant flowers are used in beer production. The fourth ingredient is the yeast, which gives beer its soul. Usually brew masters think that yeast has its own soul and feelings. It may sound as a superstition, but I believe that the good mood and joy brew master feels during the process of brewing is transferred to the yeast and it contributes to producing better beer. To get good beer, the quality of its ingredients does matter. My team and I are constantly committed to selecting the best ingredients used in the production of our beer. And there is no room to compromise. Just like there is no room to compromise when it comes to the recipe.
Beer production by strict application of our standards is of ultimate importance. SKOPSKO has been first produced back in 1924 by an original recipe using the basic production methods implemented by Czech brew masters. We have been nurturing the very same recipe and the very same spirit of brewing for many years. Moreover, we have launched many innovations always paying due and special attention to the recipe. Preparing the perfect recipe is a long process composed of several stages of researching in order to find the ideal combination of these four ingredients to produce a certain type of beer. I remember that we have been working on Gorsko’s recipe, which was launched a decade ago, for almost a year. For us in Pivara Skopje, it all revolves around quality. We never launch a product on the market unless we are sure that we have the winning combination.
Brewing is a complex process which is now more easily controlled thanks to the latest beer production technology. Now, we are producing beer with the help of computers. All operations are executed through a central computer: mixing the ingredients, process regulation, standards verification, production line, packaging line etc. Nevertheless, we still rely on personal checks and involvement. Our brew masters always run personal checks of the ingredients upon arrival at the production floor, the bottling and pouring line … This personal touch is still of utmost importance.
So, if you want to know what the most important thing for making beer is, as an experienced Pivarec, I will tell you that what matters the most are both the ingredients and the recipe, but I must confess that modern technology has largely contributed to perfecting the brewing process.
What does the title of brew master mean to you? What it takes to get a title like this?
Brew master is the person managing the brewing process, from the very beginning to the very end. The job of the brew master is to choose the best ingredients, to know and follow the recipe, to ensure all required conditions for standard production, to control the quality starting from the supply of the ingredients by suppliers, up to the distribution to the final beer selling points. The job of the brew master is to be well-familiarized with brewing technology and constantly try to perfect it in order to improve all processes. When I first started working, I was lucky to get the entire knowledge generated by the previous generations of Pivara employees and of course, my extensive experience has helped me perfect my skills. In addition, Heineken always organizes formal training for all brew masters, providing step-by-step insight into the brewing process. Being a brew master means learning continuously. The brewing process is complex and there is always room for improvement and perfection, and there lies the true beauty of my profession.
Together with your team, you bring beer industry innovations to our market. What is your main inspiration when it comes to new flavors and beer types, and how do you prepare new recipes?
Innovations are a response to our consumers’ needs, constantly creating new needs. I would say that our market has relatively traditional position when it comes to accepting new flavors. Consumers are generally used to their tastes and they find it difficult to adapt to a change. However, if we are to realize our mission of creating a more dynamic beer market, we have to rely on innovations as a key segment. Macedonia’s beer consummation rate per capita is among the lower in Europe, if not the lowest, with only 26 liters per capita. In that regard, we are far behind, not only compared to the developed beer markets in Europe, but also in the region. As a leader on the domestic market, our intention is to impose a trend of constant innovation for the final purpose of constantly exciting our consumers. Few years ago, we started with SKOPSKO Radler; in 2014, we launched SKOSPKO dark; and just few months ago, we launched the last member of our family, SKOPSKO cherry. These new flavors brought a breath of fresh air on the domestic beer market. Radler has been Heineken’s largest global investment in the last few years. In Pivara Skopje, we were bursting with enthusiasm, since our market was among the very first markets in which this flavor was launched as a seasonal option. We were the first on the market. Everybody was buzzing around about the first dark beer on our marker, and although all trends show that standard dark beer is usually consumed in countries with colder climate, we have still decided to go though with it and launch this innovation as a winter alternative. Although the new flavors we have launched on our market, on other markets are seen as a standard offer, it does not mean automatically using someone else’s recipe. We needed to adapt the standard recipe to the local preferences, local climate and of course, local beer drinking rituals. And above all, I need to mention that since new beers were launched on the market as SKOPSKO’s brand extensions, they are produced based on SKOPSKO’s original recipe, since the flavor of the basic brand must be an essential part of what the new brand extension actually is. Otherwise, innovations would not possess the authenticity everybody expects. And once the recipe is defined, the most important thing is to ensure standard production, irrespective of how many times the brewing cycle is repeated.
What are the most dominant beer types in Macedonia? Do you think that there is room for other beer types on the Macedonian market?
Lager style beers are usually the most dominant on all global markets, and in the case of Macedonia, there are hardly any other options. As a market leader, it is our obligation to launch new types of beer on the market in order to give our consumers the opportunity to experience something new. That was our logic behind launching Radler, SKOPSKO dark and SKOPSKO cherry. In any case, beer drinking routines and preferences of our consumers remain largely connected to lager style beers.
As a consumer, do have personal preference for a specific type of beer?
I think that lager style beers are the most pleasant to drink. Having in mind the local climate, the foods that we combine our beer with, as well as our lifestyle, it is logical that lager style beers are the most popular in Macedonia. But, whenever I travel abroad, I like trying new types of beer. I personally prefer dark lager style beers, since they have pronounced aroma, and they still are pleasant to drink.
