Project Details

#beerdiplomacy

Short Description and Goal

In the fall of 2018, Fort Worth Sister Cities International, Wild Acre Brewing Co. and the city of Trier, Germany partnered to introduce the first-ever collaborative beer at the 5th annual Oktoberfest in Fort Worth. The brewmaster from German-based Kraft Bräu brewery in Trier attended and tapped the keg of the collaborative beer called Wild Acre Kraft Haus Lager.The goal of the beer project was to encourage and grow business opportunities between Trier, Germany and Fort Worth, Texas

Detailed Description

In the fall of 2018, Fort Worth Sister Cities International, Wild Acre Brewing Co. and the city of Trier, Germany partnered to introduce the first-ever collaborative beer at the 5th annual Oktoberfest in Fort Worth. The brewmaster from German-based Kraft Bräu brewery in Trier attended and tapped the keg of the collaborative beer called Wild Acre Kraft Haus Lager.

With the craft beer industry growing in both cities, Christian Luxem, director of Trier’s Business Development Council, envisioned this “Bier project” – the opportunity for a craft beer collaboration that could provide an international idea and product exchanges.

The recipe for Wild Acre Kraft Haus was developed by Trier-based Kraft Bräu brewery and brewed by Wild Acre Brewing Co. in Fort Worth. The two brewmasters stayed in constant contact for months to ensure the beer was brewed in Fort Worth but stayed true to the German taste and standards. The beer is 5.3% ABV and combines traditional German lager brewing techniques, and some American hop varietals to blend the two cultures in the form of a hoppy lager.

The two breweries were able to connect and share ideas on exchange and commerce. They were able to showcase the Fort Worth Sister Cities partnership with Trier through news and media with a press release, eblast, news coverage and recognition at the two special events (reception at Wild Acre Brewing Co. and Fort Wurst, a 3-day festival in Fort Worth). The addition of the beer collaboration to Fort Wurst added an authentic component to the event.

Exchange of culture and information for Americans and Germans yields incredible results. There are many benefits involved. Our students gain understanding and mutual respect though regular contact and interaction, and they learn American and German teenagers share many commonalities. The adults gain an appreciation for the German culture, the people, and day to day German life. Stereotypes about Germans and Americans are eliminated through the interaction and exchange.

Source: © 2020 Sister Cities International, https://sistercities.org/posts/fort-worth-trier

 

Learnings

Through the beer collaboration, an easy way to create brand recognition and sales of products was created. Exporting a lager from Germany to the US is a costly process and there are many hurdles you must overcome but exchanging recipes between breweries was easy. Being able to promote the product alongside a partner’s brand reached new markets the German brewery could not be able to access. This collaboration also created interest in Fort Worth to visit our sister city of Trier, creating even more potential for citizen diplomacy activities.

Initiated by

  • Fort Worth Sister Cities International
  • Wild Acre Brewing Co.
  • Kraft Bräu brewery

Initiators are

• Public institution
• Private individual(s) / Civil society

Funded by

• Corporation(s)
• Foundations

Project Website(s)

Contact Info

Beth Weibel
Senior Program Manager
817.632.7105
Email

Danielle McCown
Exchanges & Outreach Associate
817.632.7106
Email

Project Topics

Business

Level / Project Complexity /

Small

Participating Cities

  • Trier
  • Fort Worth

Sizes of Participating Cities

• 100.000 - 500.000
• 500.000 - 1,5 Mio

Participating Countries

  • Germany
  • USA

Project Region(s)

• Europe
• North America

Media Credits

Cover Photo by Elevate on Unsplash