INALE: a carefully planned concept married to passion
“A change in perspective” is a pretty good description of what two long-serving Krones colleagues have been experiencing for some years now. For instead of “merely” selling lines to breweries, the two qualified brewers have meanwhile joined forces to produce their own beer. They call themselves INALE, and have adopted the rather self-confident slogan of “The Craft Beer” – with their long years of experience in the field of (craft) beer, Matthias Pohl and Andreas Marz are surely entitled to.
All or nothing
What’s more, the claim fits in with the pair’s mindset – at INALE, they don’t do things by halves. That’s what the two of them resolved when in 2014 they first toyed with the idea of becoming brewers themselves. “We were determined to do things properly, or not at all,” relate Matthias and Andreas. “Thanks to our work in Sales at Krones, you see, we were familiar with the markets in Europe and the USA and knew very well which way the wind was blowing. It was clear, of course, that we were going to be starting off on a small scale, but right from the start we had a business plan, a brand development concept and all the rest of the essentials.” And the plan has worked: meanwhile the two of them can proudly boast what’s (in my opinion) a highly impressive website, five different beers, an additional employee and – very important – lots of satisfied customers. Meanwhile, INALE has become so large that the free time left over from working at Krones no longer sufficed – Andreas took the logical step, and for some time now has been concentrating entirely on their own brewery. “That wasn’t the original plan – not least because Krones was prepared to support us right from the start – but that’s how things turned out. And it’s nice for me that I can now devote even more energy to our project.”
Underpinned by passion
At present, the two of them are working primarily on various alliances and on establishing their beers on the market, assisted not least by the contacts, experience and sales skills that the two of them have acquired at Krones – “on the other side” of the beer market, so to speak. “We’re getting to know the market anew from a fresh perspective – this creates beneficial interactions for both of my jobs,” relates Matthias. He’s particularly enthusiastic about the strong community spirit among independent brewers, who approach their vocation with abundant passion and support each other – here he’s thinking not least of the Doppelleu Brewery in Switzerland, where INALE does its brewing and bottling. Talking of passion: there’s plenty of it about at INALE – when it comes to their own beers, but also when you talk to Matthias and Andreas about beer and brewing in general. “We think it’s really important that customers and cooperation partners understand our products and can empathise with our fascination and passion for good beer,” emphasises Andreas. “That’s why we always like to be there when people drink our beer for the first time. Then, despite all our experience, we’re always rather nervous – a tasting is something quite different when it’s your own baby involved.”
A vision for the future
Given all this motivation, of course, there’s no shortage of plans for the future – but upsizing the hectolitre output is not a paramount concern: “We aim to continue brewing good beers that appeal to lots of beer-drinkers. For the time being, we shall probably be sticking to our present five types, which means we can cater for a wide range of taste preferences. At the same time, with our current beers, we’re doing quite well at offering new, multifaceted alternatives that are acceptable to the more conservative beer-drinkers as well.” One of the five beers, by the way, is the 0.1, a non-alcoholic pale ale – rather an exotic addition to the supermarket shelves, but one that shows that alcohol-free beer can taste good, and doesn’t always have to be a makeshift for drivers.
Bringing with him the current range of beers, Andreas is at present visiting primarily catering establishments: in alliances with cooks and restaurants, he then creates menus that are precisely matched to the INALE beers – and thus achieve an entirely new level of creative taste experiences. This, too, is another example of the many good partnerships that are so essential to Matthias and Andreas.
Wouldn’t they like to have their own brewery as well? “Once we’re firmly established on the market, we shall certainly consider whether we want to give INALE a home. Here too, however, our watchword is once again: all or nothing – meaning a tasting room and staff right from the start. But because we feel very comfortable at Doppelleu, know we can rely on the kit there, and thanks to the location are independent of the Purity Law, we’re not under any pressure – so a brewery of our own is still a vision for the future. For the time being, we shall continue to develop an appealing beer brand with good products.”
Photos: INALE
