On my birthday, I gave myself a gift—I organized a trip to my homeland, Baku, which I hadn’t visited in 10 years… On all my trips abroad, I try to include visits to breweries. So, I called Carlsberg Azerbaijan and… unexpectedly received an offer to give a lecture-presentation for bloggers and media representatives. I had given a similar presentation at this factory in 2012, and it turned out that they still remembered me here… I won’t hide it; it was very pleasant…

The visit to the factory began with a tour of the presentation center, which, by the way, was very nice. Marketing specialist Leysan-khanum told me about the brands produced by the company. My favorite Tuborg Gold was the same as it was in my youth. The dark Tuborg had the same label as our Tuborg Red, but with the words “Strong” and 7% alcohol.  Serious beer. Of course, I couldn’t resist and tried the whole range. Although time was limited, I managed to choose my favorite – it turned out to be Xirdalan draft.

Having heard about the foreign guest, correspondents from the Azerbaijan State News Agency AZERTAC unexpectedly arrived at the factory. Journalist Parvana-khanum planned to interview me, but instead we had a heartfelt conversation about the magical drink and the people who create it. You can read and watch this interview here.

After the interview, I asked if I could take a tour of the factory. The rules for visiting the premises were very strict: steel-toed work boots, a light-reflective vest, a helmet, and safety goggles. When going up or down the stairs, it was mandatory to hold onto the railing — Carlsberg’s standards are the same in all of its branches.

The charming guide gave an interesting talk about the factory and shared some entertaining facts, but when she tried to explain the beer production process to me, I gently took over and started talking about it myself. Then we met the brewery operator, and our guide was left out of the conversation as we got into professional discussions. After the tour of the factory, we moved to the ICE bar, where the meeting was to take place.

The tables for the guests were set with Baku-style hospitality. The snacks to accompany the beer had been discussed in advance, and they were not only beautiful but also very tasty (after the lecture, I managed to enjoy some myself). Since the conversation was supposed to be about Xirdalan 0.0%, brewed using new technology, I asked that non-alcoholic beer be served to all guests at the beginning. And, of course, when I asked, “Can anyone identify what kind of beer you just drank?”, no one guessed correctly. Thus, another beer myth was debunked…

The evening turned out to be interesting, with questions that were often unexpected. It was clear that people were genuinely interested in beer, and I, in turn, tried to be frank and answer even the most uncomfortable questions truthfully. At the end of the evening, I had the opportunity to chat with the company’s CEO, Alius Antulis. Once again, I was convinced that brewers around the world are similar in some ways. Perhaps it is because they share a common passion…

You can view photos from this wonderful evening in the album.