Internationally, Bayreuth is often associated with Richard Wagner. Beer lovers should add another name to their notes: Gebr. Maisel. The family brewery has been brewing in Bayreuth since 1887 and is best known for its wheat beers—such as Maisel’s Weisse—far beyond Germany’s borders.
For almost 15 years, Maisel’s in Bayreuth has had a second face: Maisel & Friends. As a second brand, it stands for creative beer specialties—hop-forward, open to styles, and often brewed as a team. One place where this comes to life is Liebesbier: a restaurant and bar right next to the brew workshop, a beer hotspot, and a showcase for what Maisel & Friends loves most—bringing variety into the glass.
“Fusion IPA”: friendship as a brewing principle
With its new “Fusion IPA” series, Maisel & Friends sends a clear signal: we stay true to hop-driven styles—and we keep giving our brewing friends a stage.
Anyone familiar with Maisel & Friends will recognize the tone. The brand began in 2012 with exactly this idea in mind: beer as a team effort, powered by friendship and curiosity. Later, Hopfenreiter made that concept especially tangible: the Double IPA recipe stays the same, while the hop varieties change—contributed by partner breweries from around the world.
Fusion IPA follows that same line—and brings brewing friends back to the Bayreuth brewhouse who have helped shape the path of recent years.
Launching with Lervig: Scandinavia brings its own hop language
The first release features Lervig from Stavanger, Norway. Founded in 2003 and consistently developed into a craft brewery from 2010 onward, Lervig is considered one of Scandinavia’s most distinctive voices—sure-footed with hop-forward beers and a range that stretches from easy-drinking lagers to complex stouts, sour beers, and barrel-aged specialties.
For Bayreuth, this isn’t a first: Lervig was already part of the Hopfenreiter 2023 collaboration. That’s why “Fusion IPA” reads like a reunion. Which other breweries will answer the call to Bayreuth? We’ll see.
Cheers—and ideally with a glass that smells like Fusion IPA.
Photo: © Maisel & Friends
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