women4beverages: Katharina Kurz Managing Director of Brlo

Black jeans, T-shirt, dark blazer – casual and unpretentious – that's how you know Katharina Kurz

Brlo: From cuckoo brewery to brewing company

The 39-year-old grew up in Franconia, worked for Bertelsmann in New York, Shanghai, Berlin and Paris after studying international business administration at the University of Oestrich-Winkel, wrote her doctorate on the subject of "The art dealer as intermediary" and has been her own boss at BRLO since 2014. Together with her co-founders, fellow student Christian Laase and master brewer Michael Lembke, Katharina Kurz has led the start-up from a cuckoo brewery to a diversified brewing company consisting of the BRLO Brwhouse with restaurant and beer garden at Gleisdreieck in Kreuzberg, a full-blown brewery in Spandau and two other catering establishments in the city. Last but not least, around 100 people are employed here. Kurz has been responsible for marketing and business development right from the start. She represents the company and is – alongside Lembke, who stands for the BRLO art of brewing – the face of the brewery. 

"We started a lot of things totally naively and did a lot of crazy things," she says, "which often cost us nerves." For example, the idea of building a mobile brewery that could be relocated if necessary: Made up of 38 containers, the Brlo-Brwhouse is one of the largest containerised structures in Europe and an architectural sensation. Nowhere else in Berlin can you experience beer culture in a more urban setting. The food on offer is also exceptional - award-winning cuisine that does not do without meat, but is primarily based on vegetables: grilled, fermented, pureed, pickled and paired with BRLO beers. "We've broken new ground and proved that brewery cuisine doesn't have to be meat-heavy. On the contrary, our guests realise that they don't even need meat with the aromatic vegetable dishes," says Kurz. For the food concept, the founding team brought in chef Ben Pommer, who is now also part of the management team. "We wanted to shake up the beer culture and have certainly managed to do so within our framework," says Kurz, "but we also had to learn how much you have to adapt to the market and the system." 

Women in the beverage industry should look for allies

Asserting yourself as a woman in the male-dominated brewing industry is not a matter of course - as you can see from the #MeToo debate, which has also left its mark on the craft beer scene, says Kurz. She advises women to find allies and rely on the solidarity of allied women AND men to make their way: "I have great co-founders at my side who supported me, especially in the beginning." In her opinion, it's also about being visible and proving your standing. "You have to speak the same language and not bend at the same time," says Kurz. She has learnt to smugly reject sexist remarks.

Challenging Stereotypes

In addition to the Covid crisis, Kurz counts managing employees as one of her biggest learning tasks. "Personally, it's important to me that everyone who works for us has fun and realises that we want to make a difference." As she explains, BRLO defined a "purpose", an inner direction, two years ago. It is: "Challenging stereotypes", which means: "Changing perceptions." Kurz exhales as she says this, and suddenly the picture is complete. This motif runs like a red thread through the BRLO appearance, whether it's about the labels, the food to go with the beer or the look and feel of the catering, not to mention the choice of name: "BRLO" poses riddles, the solution to which has been published many times.

At the beginning, they didn't realise their inner direction, says Kurz. But when they worked this out in a workshop, it became clear that it had always been part of BRLO's DNA – and also a personal, inner concern of Katharina Kurz. "Our purpose gives us a valuable framework today," she says. And it's golden for employees when they know what their employer stands for. That unites and binds! Fortunately, the industry itself also contributes to employee loyalty, says Kurz: "We are dealing with products and places that hold a team together. The atmosphere increases noticeably when the beer garden is open and we can sit together there after work." Even former employees joined in.

BRLO has survived the Covid crisis. The focus on new sales channels was the salvation and has been successful, not least thanks to Marcus Thieme. The former Brewdog Germany CEO has been responsible for sales in the position of Chief Operating Officer since 2021. "We are at an exciting point. Our brand development is currently being very well recognised," says Kurz happily, "we're experiencing great sales growth. We are finding great partners internationally." They are now listed with Whole Foods in the USA. A remarkable success! "At the same time, we want to expand gastronomically and bring the BRLO gastro experience to many places," she says.

Beer diversity needs staying power

Her enthusiasm gives way to humility when she thinks about the socio-political situation. "We are at a turning point. It's important to focus now," she emphasises. That means cutting out everything that is not necessary. No more fancy projects, just "what really matters - what really moves us forward", says Kurz. This also includes optimising internal processes. The industry is facing far-reaching changes, which are costing the craft beer scene in particular a great deal of energy: "I still believe in beer diversity," emphasises Kurz, "but it's going to take a lot of staying power, because the market situation and beer prices in Germany are frustrating."

Demanding requirements! Where does Katharina Kurz find balance? - She laughs: "I wish I could say it was in sport." - No, it's much better. Kurz gave birth to her son a year and a half ago.  Together with her wife and their daughter, they lead a happy family life. "I really enjoy being a mum and draw a lot of energy from it," she says.

And then there's sport: "My new passion and my favourite side project is FC Viktoria." Together with five other female entrepreneurs, Kurz has spun off the FC Viktoria women's team, i.e. turned it into a limited company, with which they want to establish a brand for women's football in Berlin. Competitive payment, a digital membership model and the acquisition of sponsors are on the agenda, a flagship project in football with the sporting goal of the "First Bundesliga". This project is guaranteed to significantly change the perception of women's football and stadium beer. We would like to thank Katharina and her co-founders for this!