Prost! Bringing More Beer Innovation to Germany with Higgins Ale Works

The Germany Expat Business Show

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Jen and her husband Paul Higgins are originally from NJ. A career opportunity for Paul brought them to Munich in 2003 and Jen kept her IT career on track so they stayed.

In 2018 they founded a small craft beer brewery in the heart of Munich's brewing district, creating American styled ales. In 2022, they opened a taproom next door to the brewery and have enjoyed meeting locals, expats, craft beer fans and brewers from around the world.

In our conversation we discussed:

How they expected to stay in Munich ‘A couple of years’ and why they’ve been here for almost 20(!)

Even though Munich is the beer capital of the world, they missed craft beer and slowly but surely, they pursued their passion to found Higgins Aleworks in 2018.

The process of establishing a business that involves beer and consumables

Starting a business as a hobby and leveraging the luxury of time

The ‘Reinheitsgebot’ and how it impacts beer innovation (or lack thereof)

A lucky coincidence that has to do with starting a brewery in a bakery

Controversy! Can vs. Bottles

How the pandemic actually forced them forward with their business and make strategic partnerships with competitors

How they found a space for their taproom in Munich’s impossible commercial real estate market

How they use Google Maps and LinkedIn for marketing

You can find this episode and all episodes as well as show notes for each at www.eleanormayrhofer.com/podcast
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Kapitel

1. Prost! Bringing More Beer Innovation to Germany with Higgins Ale Works (00:00:00)

2. Craft Beer Business in Germany (00:00:03)

3. Pandemic Pivot to Bottle Sales (00:14:39)

4. Craft Beer Marketing and Distribution Strategy (00:18:06)

5. Craft Beer Innovation and Tradition (00:32:33)