Heineken’s Tap The Wild an H41 – Wild Lager Experience with Willem van Waesberghe at Broken Shaker from World Red Eye Films on Vimeo.

Miami, FL – March 27, 2018 – World Red Eye talked all things beer with Willem van Waesberghe, the Global Craft and Brew Master of Heineken. Heineken is headquartered in Amsterdam, Zoeterwoude, and The Netherlands with more than 160 affiliated brewing sites world-wide. Heineken traces its roots as a craft brewer to 1864, is one of the world’s leading international brewers. Heineken is available in almost every country on the planet and is the most valuable international beer brand. As Global Craft and Brew Master, Willem is the Master Brewer of Heineken beer, and responsible for driving the Passion for Quality and Craftsmanship, supporting Commerce with beer creation and branding. He oversees and co-ordinates Heineken’s Brewing Guild, co-ordinating, training and linking Heineken’s Master Brewers with their commercial colleagues. Willem received a M.Sc. in Geochemistry from Utrecht State University, a MBA from Rotterdam School of Management and started his brewing training with the Siebel Diploma of Brewing Technology, Class of 1992. Next to brewing at and starting up 500 hl up to 3 million hl breweries, Willem guided Heineken’s brewing research for 12 years. World Red Eye seized the opportunity to interview Willem and Audrey Ceuppens, Heineken Channel Director over a nice cold Heineken beer at Broken Shaker.

WRE: Tell us a bit about yourself?

WVW: I have a great job where I can talk about my passion, but mainly do what I really like, brew great beers. I also love to cook and use great ingredients. Next to that I enjoy travelling with my family to remote places.

WRE: How did you start crafting beer? Were you always into the beer industry? 

WVW: For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a geologist – because my grandmother gave me a dinosaur when I was five year old. I got my masters in geology and worked for a year in France as a geologist. But ultimately, I acknowledged that I liked beer more than rocks.

WRE: How did you become the Heineken’s Global Master Brewer? 

WVW: Well, my father was a brewer and gave me my foundation in brewing knowledge. I learned the most as brewer for Heineken travelling the world. My time then in R&D gave me the theoretical basis next to the practical experience I had in Nigeria for three years. Quite simply, it took a lot of time and hard work. It takes 15 years to become a Heineken Master Brewer. You need to have experience across at least two breweries and must be trained in commercial tools to be able to develop the right beers for consumers.

WRE: What is your favorite part about working with Heineken?

WVW: It’s often said that people who work at Heineken have green blood and live for the brand. And – spoiler alert – I love beer. I get to taste a lot of different brews in my line of work, so that’s a nice perk.

WRE: What have you learned from drinking beers from all around the world?

WVW:  Different beers have different stories to tell – something I try to keep in mind every time I try a new brew. The beauty of beer is that it’s a universal beverage, but the possibilities and varieties are endless.

WRE: What differentiates Heineken from other brands? 

WVW: Many things. Notably, our Dutch roots and the fact that we are still family-owned. But most importantly, Heineken is different because it is enjoyed and appreciated around the world in 192 different countries. All of that coupled with our consistent, premium quality sets us apart from every other beer company.

WRE: Briefly walk us through the brewing process, down to the very last step to the consumer cracking a cold beer in hand? 

WVW: For traditional Heineken lager, quality takes time and patience. That’s why a solid 28 days is invested in brewing our beer to make sure its balanced, refreshing and up to par with what drinkers and fans have come to expect. First, we mill the malt and mix it with a large volume of pure brewing water until it becomes mash. Starch in the malt is transformed into sugar by natural enzymes in the malt, making a sweet liquid called wort. We then boil the wort and add in our hops. Then, a whirlpool is used to separate the liquids from the solids and we cool the wort. Finally, we add our special Heineken A-yeast which slowly begins converting sugar into alcohol, CO2, and producing the fruity flavor the world has come to know uniquely as Heineken. After 28 days, the color and flavor are at their very best, all natural brewing and fermenting processes are complete, and the brew is bottled, canned or kegged. It’s a process that’s longer than most, but it’s definitely worth the wait to get the beer’s distinct and rich taste in every sip of every bottle, can or keg.

Switching gears to Wild Lager, it has always been a dream of mine to take a yeast from the wild and create a new beer. The yeast used to brew H41 is the ‘mother’ of Heineken’s own A-yeast and once it was discovered in Patagonia, we knew we had a unique opportunity on our hands. No one had ever used this particular yeast to brew beer before, so we started experimenting. The brewing process to develop H41 was quite interesting, and took two years to perfect. Since the yeast comes from the wild, it doesn’t react like other yeasts. We had to really understand its specific needs and adjust our brewing conditions accordingly. Once we figured out how to tame it, we were able to unlock a spectrum of new flavors and our Wild Lager series was born.

It’s often said that people who work at Heineken have green blood and live for the brand. And – spoiler alert – I love beer.

Willem van Waesberghe

WRE: Tell us about the all new Heineken’s H41 – Wild Lager?

WVW: Wild Lager is a new family of beers by Heineken, and the first beer developed for this series was H41. The name H41 is derived from the latitude coordinate of the beech forest in Patagonia where the mother yeast was discovered. The H, of course, stands for Heineken. It boasts a fuller taste than our traditional Heineken lager, with spicy notes balanced by subtle fruity hints. And you can be sure that the same craftsmanship and dedication that has gone into every bottle of Heineken since 1873 is also present in each bottle of H41. The taste of every beer in the Wild Lager family will be surprising and intense, but still balanced and refreshing.

WRE: If you could use one word to describe Heineken, what would it be?

WVW: Simply, enjoyment.

WRE: Looking ahead, where do you see your career in the future?

WVW: Difficult question for somebody who has a great job. I certainly would like to continue to co-operate with and coach brewers to develop and brew great beers!

The beauty of beer is that it’s a universal beverage, but the possibilities and varieties are endless.

Willem van Waesberghe