He never spoke of his childhood and never denied being the inspiration for the Brothers Grimm’s Rapunzel, thanks to his long, flowing locks. Nor did he object when someone pointed out that Cinderella is called Aschenputtel in German. Coincidence? Probably not.

It is said that the Asche man simply appeared one day, out of the blackness of the Schwarzwald, wearing lederhosen two sizes too small, with nothing but a sac full of hops and a burning passion to brew beer and, presumably, the urgent need to put on some big boy pants.

Driven by craft, discipline, and an unshakable belief in flavour, Johan founded Asche Brewery to create beers of distinction — each one brewed according to his strictly guarded recipe, while using only the finest local ingredients Bavaria had to offer.