Sudwerk

Sudwerk is a brewery in Davis, California. It has been crafting German-style lagers since 1989.^[1] It was a pioneer of lager in microbrewing,^[2] following the strict requirements of the German Reinheitsgebot,^[3] and it continues to specialize in craft lagers.^[4]

Beer

The beers made by Sudwerk include California Dry Hop Lager, which was created by replacing the German hops with Pacific Northwestern hops in the recipe of the Helles Lager; Northern Pilsner; Märzen Amber Lager; Hefeweizen Bavarian Wheat; Cascaderade India Pale Lager; and 3 Best Friends. Seasonal beers include Mai Bock Spring Lager in spring, Fest Harvest Lager in fall, and Doppel Bock Ulimator in winter.^[5] The Helles Lager, Northern Pilsner, Marzen Amber Lager, and Hefeweizen are brewed using the same family recipes originally brought to California by Sudwerk's first German Brewmeister.^{[citation needed]}

History

Ron Broward and Dean Unger founded Sudwerk in 1989 as Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hubsch.^[2] It was the first brewpub in Davis,^[4] and the only one there until the 2015 opening of another brewpub, the Three Mile Brewing Company.^[6] By 1993, when it went through a major expansion, Sudwerk had become the largest microbrewery in the US.^[2] Jay Prahl was hired as brewmaster in 2003, and Broward and Unger sold off the associated restaurant in 2006.^[2] After the two founders died in 2011 and 2013,^[3] the brewery was sold to Unger's grandson, Trent Yackzan, and his friend Ryan Fry, who quickly promoted long-time employee Mike Hutson to brewmaster.^[4] In 2015, they began distributing their beer to states outside California, beginning in Missouri.^[7] The restaurant which operated independently from the brewery closed at the end of June, 2016.^[8]

As of 2018, Sudwerk has won a total of 13 medals at the Great American Beer Festival including three gold medals.^[9] In 2021, Sudwerk won the "Brewery of the Year" award at the Great American Beer Festival^[10]

The brewery maintains close ties to the University of California, Davis, where Prahl and Hutson were educated, and its facilities include classrooms used by extension classes at UC Davis.^[2]