iDMC is Organising the 36. European Brewery Convention 2017

From 14. to 18. May 2017, Ljubljana will be hosting the 36. European Brewery Convention’s biennial congress. It’s organized by the EBC (European Brewery Convention) in cooperation with the Slovenian DMC – iDMC, ZSP (Association of Slovenian Brewers), and Laško Union Brewery.

The EBC organization was established in the year 1947, to help brewers in the the difficult period after the second world war. These times were not easy, as most of their plantations for brewing raw materials and equipment was destroyed by the war. This year, the EBC is celebrating its 70th anniversary and it is the Slovenians’ honour to host them in their capital for this important milestone. The convention will be all about expert lectures, meeting new people in this field and celebrating the wonder, that is a great bottle of beer.

Beer is a refreshing beverage, drank all year round. If consumed responsibly, it has the power to connect people. This is a drink with a long and rich history – people have been fermenting it for thousands of years. The story of beer began in Mesopotamia and is still developing. The basic concept has not change much since then, what has, is all the technology that is connected with the science and art of brewing.

The European Brewery Convention is specialised in disseminating technical knowledge for all involved in the production of this alcoholic beverage.

The topics of the lectures will all, by definition be beer-related. Speakers from all over the world will introduce their take on the complex world of beer making. The lectures are designed for people involved in beer production as they are given by leading experts in the field.

They will speak about the methodology that goes into making the perfect bottle of beer. For starters, ingredients that are most commonly barley malt, sometimes wheat, to a lesser extent rice, corn, or millet and of course, hops, all of which are meticulously chosen. Some of the things to watch out for are the provenance of these raw materials, origin and much more. A quality bottle of beer is no less difficult to achieve, as it is for a good glass of wine. The hosting experts will also introduce other topics. Such as different brewing techniques – the process that gives beer its different taste, color, foam etc. Let’s not forget about the marketing, branding and sales sector. It takes much more than great taste, the right color and perfect aroma to sell beer and make your presence felt on the market. Last, but not least, we should not neglect the social-economic aspect of beer production. As it is the third most widely consumed beverage in the world, challenged only by tea and water, it generates 2,3 million jobs in Europe alone and adds more than 50 billion Euro to the state coffers in the EU.

But it’s not all about serious topics and no fun for the speakers and listeners. All day trips and excursions will also take place. They will have the opportunity to visit the biggest pearls of Slovenia.  Ljubljana, Bled, Postojna etc.; just to name a few.

In the four days, all involved will be given the chance to enhance their knowledge of the beer brewing technologies and refresh the know-how acquired at the last convention – two years ago in Portugal. There will be time for great conversations and networking. And, as for the icing on the cake: Getting to know the beautiful Slovenia, its capital Ljubljana and all the popular tourist destinations.

Our capital may be small, but it has a huge amount to offer beer lovers. So, don’t miss out on the Ljubljana Beer Experience!