Hallöchen in die Runde!
Is anybody ever been to Grüne Woche in Berlin and knows how it works? I saw there are 100+ breweries available and some are pretty interesting (Klackabackens Bryggeri, Poppels, Nääs Gårdsbryggeri, Ängöl Kvartersbryggeri from Sweden, Mustan Virran Panimo and Malmgard from Finland + a couple of possible ticks for Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Sachsen-Anhalt).
Do you know if once inside there are free samples or should I pay for each taster?
Great question. I was wondering that aswell. I will be there working on two days and wanna visit some other stands aswell. I will be there on Friday so will have a look and let you know.
Since there are no info online, I am gonna leave my report here so that when googling, other people can get the information they need
(btw, if you came here thanks to Google, please come and join our nice community)
So, there are no free beers. Unless you meet a nice brewer like the one of Green Gold Brewing who gave me some taster for free. Othwerwise the average cost all over the Fair is 0,1 l = 1 EUR.
Some exceptions I encountered are:
Liechtensteiner Brauhaus, where a flight of six beer costed 10 EUR and the association of Brewers from Brandeburg, who served 3 tasters (0,1 each, but they serve a bit more actually) for 4 EUR.
The location is very big, so better be prepared (i.e. study the map beforehand and save time). In 5 hours I managed to have 23 tasters, if you go with a friend you can easily make a lot of ticks at once.
There a lot of brweries which are not even listed in the official website. The stand from Oberfranken for example had the delicious Helles and Rauchbier from Niklbräu. I found a huge stand of Wacken Brauerei, where I’ve bought a 8-pack-case+glass. Actually it is a very good option to do shopping as well, prices are in average lower than in local beershops/online shops-.
Food is very expensive everywhere, so better BYOF from home like I did (3 brezels and a bottle of water to neutralize the palate after a tasting). Toilets are free, though.
Hope you don’t mind me adding a little insight to this thread; I first went to Green Week in 1987 (before the Wall came down) and have been many times since, but not since 2016.
I still have beer glasses from my early visits, you have to pay a deposit for a glass when you buy a beer, but in the old days the deposit was next to nothing and they (the bar staff) expected you to keep the glass, now it is a larger amount and they expect the glass to be returned because of the ‘fund’.
I have drank around the world in many ‘Green Weeks’ and have very fond memories of my times there, my wife also loves the way you can be in The Red Square, Moscow, with music and dancers while having a Russian beer and two minutes later you can be in The Czech Republic drinking something completely different while being entertained by Folk Dancers in traditional wear. Hop Leaf from Malta, Stela from Albania, it’s a great melting pot of cultures, food and booze, I love it.
I highly recommend anyone to go if you are in Berlin over the period of the ‘festival’, it’s not a cheap as it was, but it’s a great day out with plenty of alcohol if you so wish.
<*))))))><
Each contribution to this topic is precious, since there is nothing to be found online. So thanks for sharing your experience!
Yes, I forgot to mention the Pfand (deposit). Someone gives you a plastic glass to taste beer (something I never experienced so far in Germany!), some makes you pay for the glass / tasting tray. It is usually 2 euros, so if one likes the glass can keep it.
Pro Tip for exhibitions like these. Bring your own small glass 
- usually exhibitors dont care, best if the glass indicates filling sizes for 100ml and 200ml for tasters. So you have control over your glass, can rinse it with water in between and dont need to drink from plastic cups sometimes 
I will be at the Grüne Woche with some more time than last week on Friday and already have a few beers I wanna check out. If I get new insights I will share here. Maybe I snap some pics of nice boothes aswell.
My experience:
I was there on Friday, they were open from 10-8. Two hours longer than on every other day. Worked till 4pm and then went out to go and tick for 4 hours. The Messe is quite big, so plan in time and especial patience. Because getting through packed halls and lines to get to your beer is sometimes a small struggle.
I carried my own small 100ml glass branded by the brewery i work for, so I always went straight to the boothes and ask them if I can try all their beers in small pours (half glass equals 50ml) and what they want me to pay for it. I didnt pay anything at 90% of the boothes. I just engaged in good talks with the brewers/sales persons.
The Messe is split into several halls which have different themes. Almost all German Bundesländer have their area and they are great for ticking smaller rural breweries. I managed a lot of small breweries from Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg which was perfect for me.
Many international beers aswell, not so many rare countries to tick but some solid stuff.
Prices varied but it is roughly 2-3€ per 250-300ml. But just ask for smaller pours. Some offered tasting flights.
If you happen to be in Berlin around this time and want to try many different breweries it is definitely worth it.
Here are some pics I took:
It’s that time of the year again. From the 17th to 26th of January the Green Week comes back. The list of the breweries involved is not really up-to-date on the website, but I got in touch with some to reconfirm their presence.
From Finland 
Mustan Virran Panimo
Lammin Sahti
Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas
From Sweden 
Lundabryggeriet
Närke
Nääs
Poppels
Qvänum Mat & Malt
Sahlins
Wermlands
Walhöll
From Norway 
Rodebak
Geiranger Bryggeri
Czech Republik 
Pivovar Hulvát
U Bizona Čižice
Plus a lot of small breweries from Germany 
Gold Ochsen (Ulm)
Meckatzer
Finsterwalder Brauhaus
Braumanufaktur Templin
Barnimer Brauhaus (not in the official list, but they announced their presence on FB yesterday)
Wacken Brauerei
Loitzer Hafendestillerie und Brauerei
Altenauer
Zwönitzer
Frenzel-Bräu
Brauhaus Radebeul
Stonewood
Rechenberger
Brauhaus Wittenberg
Sudenburger
Neunspringe
Heimathafen - Erfurter Braumanufaktur
Stadtbrauerei Arnstadt
I am sure there will be more which has not been put in the official website yet. Last year I had beers from Lichtenstein and Slovenia as well. There was an association of traditional brewers from Romania, a stand with La Trappe, the association of brewers from Brandeburg, a couple of Franconian breweries… let’s see.
I will go either on the 18th or on the 19th. I will probably focus on Sweden/Norway/Finland and on Brandeburg/Thuringia/Sachsen Anhalt.
If you are coming as well, let me know and let’s share a couple of beers together! 
Not been for a few years now, but it was always good fun (apart from Morocco, just oranges and carpets usually). My early visits in the 1980’s were the best, as it was cheaper to get in, glass deposits and beers were sensible prices with plenty of free food samples, plus it not so crowded. The last couple of times (in the 2010’s) I noticed the same breweries seemed to be present representing each Country or Bundeslander with very little options available, your list of breweries seems to indicate that may have changed.
Some of the smaller Countries sometimes have a little hospitality area (but do not sell beer), it is always worth asking one of their representatives if they have any beers for trade guests and if you could try one, it worked for me a couple of times.
Enjoy.
I would love to be with you this year, but it’s not going to be possible.
<*))))))><
Ok, so it started today and checking the official website I could see some new name on the list
Denmark 
Herslev Bryghus
Liechtenstein 
Lichtensteiner Brauhaus
Croatia 
Kampanjola Eko Bira
Finland
Nilkko Brewing
Bryggery Helsinki
Tornion Panino
Germany
Traditionsbrauerei Schleicher
Rollberg
Sweden
Qvænbrygg
Anyone going? I am planning to spend the whole Sunday there. Send me a BM if around 
(updates in progress as soon as I spot something new on UT)
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