Guest writer, alumnus Erik Mell, shares his story from student years in Lund to a corporate governance job in Washington, D.C. to his current role as a brewmaster in Berlin. He also invites alumni to his upcoming Lucia event at the brewery!
I am Erik Mell, 44 years old, alumnus and former class president of the 2005-2006 Master of European Affairs program (MEA) at Lund University. I’m originally from Minnesota, now living in Berlin and this is the winding tale about how I became a brewmaster in Berlin.
Reflecting on my time in Lund
My time in Lund was, without exaggeration, the best single period of my life. I was motivated to study abroad after doing a semester in Freiburg, Germany. Coming from Minnesota (or as I joke, “Nya Sverige”), Sweden had always held a certain amount of allure to me as a country that is somehow very familiar, but also exceptional. Long story short, I finally made my choice for Lund instead of heading to Hamburg or Uppsala, because of the interdisciplinary nature of the MEA program, and a little bit because Lundakarnevalen was taking place that year. This decision-making process held some foreshadowing in hindsight.
I went to Lund to get serious with my academics, take the foreign service exam, and walked away with a Master’s degree and a new perspective on the allocation of free time. It was a great year, I ended up making life-long friends, fell in love with a girl, got involved in Värmlands Nation, started fixing bicycles, made filmjölk and cheese, brewed my own beer and became enamored with Sweden. I ended up writing my thesis on (Renewable) Energy Politics in the EU. Maybe not surprisingly at this point in the story, my original topic (that I ended up scrapping because I wanted to find a job after graduation) was protectionism and politics in the EU beer market, fun fact.
I learned Swedish during that year. It wasn’t perfect but having learned a bit from a neighbor when I was young and being able to speak German and English, I found it relatively easy to learn. Unexpectedly, knowing Swedish landed me my first job in Washington, D.C. as a corporate governance analyst responsible for publicly-traded Scandinavian companies. Lund also followed me to Washington as a few of my classmates from the program moved to D.C. and we were active around the embassies and Nordic social events in D.C., and coincidentally at one point there were five Lund alums staying in our row house.
Taking the leap to transition my career
I eventually worked in environmental and social governance. I moved with my job and the love of my life, the girl who I met in Lund, to Heidelberg. Following a restructuring, I took my severance package and turned my beer brewing hobby into a career and started my career at Heidelberger Brauerei. In 2015, I graduated from the Diplom-Braumeister program at the TU Berlin and started full-time as Braumeister at the newly founded Vagabund Brauerei, a 1-million-liter annual production facility and taproom in the Wedding neighborhood, where I have been ever since.
What does a Master of European Affairs have to do with being a Brewmaster some might ask. It is a common misconception that Brewmasters party for a living. It is actually a highly analytical job that requires a broad depth of knowledge in the fields of chemistry, microbiology, mechanics and strategic planning – and lots of networking. In short, science plus politics. I use a lot of what I learned in Sweden, even if it is a bit hidden behind the day in and day out of running a middle-sized brewery. I have often considered someday combining my professional experiences where I can use my MEA degree a bit more directly, perhaps through the lens of the brewing and beverage industry or working on environmental issues.
Sankta Lucia Event on 11 December
My time in Sweden continues to be a big part of my life, especially at this time of year when we watch Fixarjulen and Julkalendern as a family tradition. We also make syltkakor, lussebullar, glögg, and all kinds of other goodies. I have wanted to do an Alumni Meet-Up at the brewery for some time as it’s a fitting choice for networking: tasty food, relaxed atmosphere, and great beer.
These annual traditions and my connection to Lund inspired me to host an open Sankta Lucia event for all alumni and lovers of Swedish culture. It will take place on 11 December at the brewery, Vagabund Brauerei, in Berlin. We will be starting with happy hour at 17:00-19:00, followed by lussebullar from our new restaurant at 18:00, and going until late. If you find yourself in Berlin, all are welcome! The event is pay as you go and will also include the debut tasting of our saffron hop water as well as our winter food menu and glögg. See you there!
Text: Erik Mell, Lund University alumnus
Event info: Sankta Lucia in Berlin
Date: Thursday 11 December
Time: 18:00 (until late)
Place: Vagabund Brauerei, Oudenarder Str. 16-20, 13347 Berlin
No registration is required. Food and beverage is at your own expense.