Good weather, good mood, good beer

In glorious late summer weather, RWU's annual company outing took place again at the end of September. The hike on the Tettnang Hop Trail was entirely under the motto "The way is the goal", and so there was plenty of time for lively conversation and enjoying the picturesque area, which offered views of Lake Constance time and again.

A treat for the palate awaited the 65 or so participants halfway through the hike: at "Hopfengut No. 20" there was not only a delicious lunch, but also the opportunity to taste three beer specialties from the Hopfengut. The tasting was accompanied by the expert talk of a beer sommelier, who highlighted the special features and outstanding quality of the Tettnang hops, which are sold all over the world.

The "Hopfengut No. 20" is one of the few remaining hop farms in Tettnang. Different varieties of aroma hops are grown on the 2,000 square meter premises. The cultivation is laborious: The hanging and fastening of the climbing wires and the so-called guiding, i.e. the wrapping of the hop bines around the wires, can only be done by hand to this day. Since only unfertilized female hop cones are suitable for brewing beer, regular checks must also be made to ensure that no male hops grow outside the hop plantation.

Not only are hops grown on the hop farm, but they are also brewed. Here, the beers from the hop estate stand out from the beers of the world market leaders thanks to their particularly intense aromas, some of which are fruity and some of which are similar to coffee and chocolate. The beer sommelier also revealed to the audience that smaller breweries in particular afford a higher proportion of Tettnang hops in order to convince with taste and quality instead of mass.

After the tour and lunch, there was still time for shopping in the farm store. The way back led the good-humored group over the vantage point "Brünnensweiler Höhe", past orchards and farms, back to the starting point of the hike. It was beautiful!