Some people have a special bond with The Swaen. That’s why we asked around to see what they had to tell. In a series of interviews you will get to know the company through the eyes of our staff, former employees, customers old and new, distributors and even some legends of the business. Today, we talk to Koen from Dickies Brewing, a local micro brewery. This is Celebrating The Swaen with Dickies Brewing.
When did you first hear about us?
That must have been during the coronavirus pandemic, around the time we first started developing our own beer recipe. While searching for suitable malt, we saw that The Swaen had a wide range of products. And then it turned out that you were actually located in our (figurative) backyard!
How long have you been working with The Swaen?
Since we started Dickies Brewing, we’ve been working exclusively with malt from The Swaen. That’s about six years now.
What would characterize The Swaen in one sentence?
High quality products, and they have something for everyone.
What are you looking for in a malt house?
A malt house that thinks along with its customers and brewers. A range of various malts that deliver precisely the flavours you want in your beer: honey, biscuit, coffee, chocolate, and so on. The Swaen perfectly meets these needs with its selection.
How important is the story behind malt to your beer?
At Dickies Brewing, we’re always exploring the story behind beer and its ingredients. As a core ingredient, malt plays a significant role in our beers, and we take it very seriously. All our recipes are carefully crafted, with malt playing a key role in determining flavour, colour, mouthfeel, foam stability, and more.
What does The Swaen mean for your beer?
The Swaen is a certainty. It’s nice not to have to worry about which malthouse to order from when creating a recipe. The answer is always The Swaen.
Which malt did you start with, and which one are you using today?
We use a wide variety of malts from The Swaen. The first one we ever had in our hands was probably the Green Swaen© Pilsner, and the last one we recently used was the Gold Swaen© Amber.
If you had to choose one malt to last forever — which one and why?
That would be the Gold Swaen© Light. A versatile malt that provides a beautiful base for the beer. Its flavours include caramel, a soft, round mouthfeel, a firm body, and a nice, dense head.
What’s the most surprising beer you’ve ever made with our malt?
Kletsnat, a coffee stout with fresh espresso from Klets Coffee Roasters in Terneuzen, also featuring Klets’ crushed coffee beans. We used the following malts: Black Swaen© Chocolate Wheat, Black Swaen© Honey Biscuit, Black Swaen© Coffee, and Swaen© Pilsner. A delicate interplay of dark malts and coffee creates the perfect coffee stout!
What moment with The Swaen has stayed with you the most?
Dickies Brewing regularly attends beer festivals. We’ve met The Swaen employees several times, both in their free time and in their sales roles. They always speak passionately about The Swaen. Our conversations with them exude ambition, entrepreneurship, and openness. The Swaen is a global player, yet one that also remains accessible to the average person, open to new ideas, and always striving for improvement.
What do you expect from The Swaen in the future?
We hope to see The Swaen as a connector and facilitator to bring parties together in our own region even more. And to set up and expand exciting new developments.
Where do you see The Swaen in 10 years?
Still as an important partner, but on a larger scale, where we can brew our own beers full-time.
