A chat with brewer Jasmin Winterer
By People Reporter, November 2, 2019By Adalla Allan
We recently shared what we feel (or the palate feels, ha!) about the recently introduced Hop House 13 Lager, and Jasmine Winterer, the pilot plant manager and African beer specialist for Guinness Brewery, Dublin presided over the launch.
At 30, Jasmine has made quite the moves in her brewing career, including working across 13 different beer innovations.
As one of the masterminds behind the newest lager in town, we caught up with her on her journey in brewing, the innovation of Hop House 13 and its launch in Kenya.
What inspired you to brewing?
I grew up in Black Forest, south-western Germany, one of the world’s most vibrant beer markets and at 14, I discovered I was developing the passion for becoming a brewer. My dad was a brewer, so I would see how he was working. One day, while we were learning biology in school talking about yeast and how it works, we used beer as an example. I got interested in the microbiology behind beer, though I never sipped it at any point while in school (laughs). I yearned to work for Guinness at the time, and I am elated to be now living my dream.
When did you join Guinness?
In 2016 after completing my brewer qualifications. I had learnt a lot about beer and the brewing process thanks to an apprenticeship in Germany before pursuing further studies to become a fully-fledged brewer.
Take us through your journey in the innovation of Hop House 13 Lager?
At the Guinness innovation brewery in Dublin, Ireland where I work, we were so much into experimentation with my colleagues. Our purpose was to make a lager with lots of character and flavour. That’s how we came up with the drink, which has 4.1 per cent alcohol content. After the innovation, we started brewing it at small scale in Dublin and did the commercialisation. We never expected such a great response from Guinness enthusiasts. It has been my favourite beverage so far since I started brewing.
How does it taste?
It is a distinctive lager brewed with Guinness yeast, Irish barley and a mixture of hops – Galaxy and Topaz from Australia, and Mosaic from the US. It is full flavoured while still being crisp and hoppy (but not bitter), with a refreshing finish.
Why the name Hop House 13?
The names comes from a 1900s hop store building at the St James’s Gate stronghold, where hops are still stored to this day.
Why did you select Kenya to be the first African country where the lager was introduced?
We have always loved the fact that it is an open country. People are into innovation. They are cheerful and open, so we knew that bringing an international premium lager would be the right thing. Guinness has been in Kenya for almost 50 years and it has won a large fanbase, and Hop House 13 should too, considering it is a Guinness brand.
What’s its retail price?
It is available at alcohol outlets for $2 (Sh210) per 500ml bottle.