The Slow Brewing Quality Seal represents the most comprehensive and rigorous hallmark of excellence in the international beer market. To qualify for the Quality Seal, a beer should exhibit consistently superior flavor and character, the raw materials must be of the highest quality and the production process must adhere to strict standards. The company’s culture and business structure are a major focus of the assessment. Inspections and evaluations of the production process, the beers and the brewery itself are not performed a single time but rather frequent intervals on a regular basis. An assessment of the production process and the finished beers is performed on a monthly basis, while the company’s conduct in the market and its corporate culture are reviewed annually.

The evaluation is performed on the basis of scientifically developed specifications. The auditors from the Slow Brewing Institute personally carry out the inspection and the individual tests themselves. The quality and flavor of the products are analyzed by experts at the Weihenstephan Research Center for Brewing and Food Quality at the TU Munich. 

The evaluation process is precisely defined and is the same for all breweries, independent of their size. The specifications differ for breweries with an annual production of less than 10,000 hl, or microbreweries as they are known, and those producing more than 10,000 hl per year. The auditing procedure for the certification of products and the production process is transparent and thorough.

Because it involves a comprehensive inspection of the production process, the beer and the brewery. The audits and evaluations are frequently carried out, without compromise.

Fewer fermentation by-products are created when beer is brewed at a slower pace, that is, over the course of unhurried fermentation, maturation and lagering processes. Among other things, these compounds are responsible, in part, for the appeal of the alcoholic beverage and its impact on the well-being of the person consuming it.

Other quality evaluation programs focus exclusively on the product. Slow Brewing also assesses the company and the people behind it. Furthermore, Slow Brewing tests the quality of the beer at monthly intervals, whereas other quality evaluation programs do this only on an annual basis.

Breweries earn the Slow Brewing Quality Seal by consistently proving their excellence through the constant challenge of regular and frequent evaluations. This permeates the value chain of all the brewery’s business partners, ensuring conscious quality from the field to the glass. Thus, a brewery and beer which bears Slow Brewing quality seal has fulfilled the highest demands of excellence.

In order to qualify for the Slow Brewing Quality Seal, a company is rigorously evaluated according to intrinsic and specific production criteria. These intrinsic criteria, for instance, refer to corporate responsibility as it is expressed in the company’s conduct, activities with a positive effect on the work climate at the company, communication with employees, options for training and education, or the conduct of the company with respect to the environment. Aside from the wider scope of process engineering and the brewing process as a whole, specific production criteria include, for example, quality management, food safety, procurement of raw materials as well as the construction of the brewing facility and the equipment.

The evaluation of the company takes place annually.

Beer quality is scientifically tested every month.

The quality seal “Slow Brewing – Certified Highest Quality” is first awarded when all of the conditions of the assessment and the qualifying requirements are fulfilled.

The Quality Seal is awarded by the Slow Brewing Institute, the advisory board of Slow Brewing, which comprises experts from the brewing science community. More information regarding the committee and staff members can be found in the “Quality Seal” section on our webpage.

The assessment criteria for the brewery consist of a set of clearly defined intrinsic values, such as company responsibility, activities which positively impact the working environment at the company, employee communication, options for training and education and the company’s relationship with the environment as well as explicit production criteria. In addition to brewing techniques and the production process as a whole, these requirements include quality management, food safety, procurement of raw materials and the general construction and technical equipment of the brewing facility.

The Slow Brewing quality seal is awarded only when all of these factors are fulfilled by the company and the beer quality has been classified as above average by the quality committee.

This is due to the comprehensive quality demands placed on the beer, on the brewery itself and the high frequency of testing. The beer quality is tested 12 months a year in both fresh (directly after filling) products and those which have “aged” (packaged beer until the end of the best-before date). This shifts the focus to consistency in beer quality which is the single most difficult challenge facing the brewer.

Consumers can rest assured that the beer they purchase is held to high standards of quality and has an excellent flavor. Additionally, they can buy the beer secure in the knowledge that it has been brewed in a fair-minded and conscientious manner. In essence, they can feel good about their purchase and thoroughly enjoy the beers certified by Slow Brewing. The Quality Seal is a reliable signpost on the path to better beer. In short: Slow Brewing certified beers guarantee enjoyment and convey the positive feeling that the right decision was made when purchasing beer.

The seal bearing the slogan “certified quality excellence” serves principally as clear confirmation of comprehensive product quality, which has been determined objectively and independently. The Quality Seal sets the brewery and its products apart from competitors promising quality. Being awarded the Quality Seal is a clear signal to consumers that the brewery consistently offers products which are above average in quality.

A further advantage is the transfer of knowledge – through the auditing process and an open exchange of expertise and experience among the certified breweries and the Slow Brewing Institute. This keeps Slow Brewers up to date with the latest innovations in technical matters and production technology.

The Quality Seal can be found on bottles and in the various media used by our certified brewery members. At present, there are 25 Slow Brewers in Central Europe, that is, in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Their products are widely distributed and accessible.

The Slow Brewing Quality Seal cannot be bought, it must be earned.

The cost of the certification consists of the fee for the audit, the monthly fees for analyzing a brewery’s beer quality by the Slow Brewing Institute’s laboratory, an accredited brewing technology laboratory, as well as a reasonable annual contribution based on the annual production volume, which finances Slow Brewing’s organization, marketing and communications.

In principle, yes, it is possible for any brewery to submit an application. However, only breweries ready, willing and able to fulfill all of the assessment criteria for approval as Slow Brewers will receive certification.

Slow Brewers are completely independent breweries, which share a set of common fundamental values. Therefore, Slow Brewers represent an entity with common ideals; they like to meet, exchange ideas and information and decide as group which path Slow Brewing will pursue in the future.

Historically, Slow Brewing began with the founding of the association in the year 2011. Since then, the core idea, a movement which champions the best beer quality without compromise, has been continuously developed, culminating in the “Quality Seal for Beer” that exists today. From its inception to the present, the structure of the association for certified members has remained unchanged.

The Slow Brewers’ philosophy is to act “out of passion for the good”. An overview of the individual values of Slow Brewers is presented below:

TAKING TIME
Simply taking the time necessary to brew beer well is fundamental to the philosophy of Slow Brewing. In contrast to accelerated industrial mass production, our members are committed to gradual fermentation and gentle maturation. And for good reason. In addition to using the purest natural raw materials, the factor of time is key in creating the outstanding flavor and enhanced positive attributes of Slow Beers.

COMPETENT.
Certified Slow Brewers know exactly what they are doing. They combine traditional brewing practices with expertise in modern brewing science and cutting-edge production technology.

AWARE & FAIR.
SLOW Brewers increase beer lovers’ quality of life with their exceptional beers and mindful business practices rooted in integrity, all the while resolutely promoting sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices in their respective regions. This worldview includes taking future generations into consideration and also treating brewery employees and all those who are involved in the production process in an honest and fair manner.

GENUINE & DEEPLY ROOTED.
SLOW Brewers appreciate and protect authenticity, which begins with pure ingredients and ends with high quality beers of distinctive character. A close connection to the region also plays a major role. SLOW Brewers are mature and live their passion for brewing remarkable beers entirely independent of corporations and their limitations. This fosters a rejection of the brewing practices designed to produce uniform beers and serves to protect the diversity so cherished among connoisseurs of good beer.

The certified breweries pay annual dues according to the size of their brewery.
These funds are used for organization, marketing and communications.