Sudden Death Opens Its Own Brewery in Lübeck

In 2022, Sudden Death Brewing opened its own brewery and brewpub at the historic Gollan shipyard in Lübeck, Germany. The move gave founders Oliver “Olli” Schmökel and Jan Eric “Ricky” Nagel a permanent production site after several years of brewing through other breweries. The Lübeck facility combined the brewhouse with an on-site pub serving the brewery’s beers and house-made pizza. Olli and Ricky had founded Sudden Death in 2017 around their shared enthusiasm for ice hockey, rock ’n’ roll, and beer. Lifelong NHL fans and supporters of the Boston Bruins, they had encountered the hazy, hop-forward beers of New England during trips to Boston. Sudden Death became a prominent name in Germany’s modern craft-beer scene through such beers, while also producing dark beers and sours. The new brewery brought those influences together at a single site that also hosted concerts, festivals, and other events.