Aleksandar Srdić, Docker Brewery: The magic of brewing beer is in unlimited creative freedom!
A new city location and an entire gastro-park is being created in Belgrade, unique in this part of Europe, and at the same time in line with the modern aspiration to slow down the hectic life and make it more human-friendly. Just like in the old days when one alley had everything a person needed to leave their problems behind the threshold of a full taverns, so today the old truck road has turned into a real corso, or as it was called in Serbia, a šor. And not just any kind, but the Gastrošor!
Tucked away in the somewhat forgotten Danube quarter in the old city center, which was once transformed into an industrial and today increasingly green zone, Gastrošor is a perfect combination of spacious gardens and contemporary gastronomy. From decorative plants used in cooking, to trained tree seedlings in planters that are (not) small works of art in themselves, the three hundred meter long street will soon be full of restaurants and bars, delicatessens, distilleries, cafeterias, gelaterias and various bars that invite you to try just one more gastronomic gem.
The first resident of our colorful šor is Docker Brewery, a place where beer is brewed and then served just 30 meters down the spacious hall. Not one, but over thirty types, from those that are drunk every day, to special ones with coffee and chocolate, and even late harvest incense! This great team celebrated their first birthday in our district, and they have energy enough to light up the entire industrial area. We asked one of the owners, Aleksandar Srdić, to tell us something about this popular Belgrade place, which is full almost every night
After a number of years in marketing, you embarked on the adventure of creating the first Belgrade "brew-pub", a hit concept that is still very new in the world. What attracted you to beer, apart from its great taste?
- Marketing was the initial capsule related to the official part of education and the beginning of a working career, but the very connection with marketing and my passion for beer more than 8 years ago resulted in the opening of one of the first craft bars in Belgrade called Gunners Pub not far from here on upper Dorćol. Various ideas were simmering under the walls of Gunners, and the idea that was born one beery night, with the support of a friend from the Kors brewery at the time and a long-time collaborator, Dejan Grastić, took root in our imagination from the first moment, and it didn't take long before we made the first serious decisions. We combined many years of joint experience in the fields of catering, beer production and event management and gave our best to raise every detail of the Docker concept to the highest level.
Rumor has it that you are the "main culprit" for Belgrade's tastiest beers. Where did you get your knowledge and how do you come up with all those hundreds of ideas for a certain recipe and beer taste?
- The magic of brewing beer is in the unlimited creative freedom and passion that breaks down all stereotypes and boundaries as to where the ultimate limit of taste is. I really like to travel and get to know different gastronomic cultures. Some of those experiences consciously or unconsciously influenced some ideas. For example, Cherry Kiss is our most famous sour beer, and it is defined by the taste of cherry enriched with the essence of almond shell, which is a key part of the Amatero taste. Italians, for example, know that taste from the combination of ice cream, but they never thought of turning it into beer either.
We have many more unusual combinations and when making special beer recipes, a lot of ideas come from my colleague Juri, who is also a keen enthusiast. However, the beers I am most proud of are our "regular" beers, primarily with an emphasis on lagers, with which every mistake in the recipe is visible from the first sip. The number of beers we have on tap for the last 6 months has been constantly at over 15 different ones at any given time, and the variety of styles and offers is without false modesty at the world level. However, without the support and knowledge of the people who work every day in the production of Docker Brewery, nothing would be possible.
When it comes to specific beer-related gastronomy, Docker quickly gained a reputation for its food offering as well. How did you create the menu?
- We created the initial menu with the help of our colleague Saša Škipić (Sasha Bar), a legend of the city catering industry, and he helped us understand that simplicity and focus on a smaller number of dishes on offer with a maximum focus on quality is the essence of rational thinking in a business like ours. After that, we turned our attention partly to the guests' comments and their wishes, and now, one year after the opening, we have rounded up the essence of our offer. And in the coming period, we will focus on how to make each dish even better and of higher quality if possible, but our offer will remain the same.
At Docker, there are as many as 36 taps for the most diverse beer flavors. How important is the quality of the storage in relation to all the creative ideas and the recipe that goes with them?
- The quality of storage and the way of serving are the essence and condition to get the perfect beer in the glass. Behind the 36 taps there is a cold chamber where the beer kegs are located at 1c with the shortest possible length of beer hoses that will transfer the beer directly from the cold keg to the tap in a length of less than one meter. Details like this motivated us, among others, to create this beer temple in order to give beer as a category the attention and love it deserves. When the beer is in inadequate conditions, the risk of contamination is too great, and therefore the knowledge and ideas that the brewers have invested in the production process fall into the water. So, every detail is important.
How important is the team you work with to you and how do you choose people in your closest business environment?
- The team is by far the most important thing in any business. Absolutely all ideas would not be possible without the wonderful people I am surrounded by. The understanding and support I had from Dejan and Bojan, my partners at Docker, was at the highest possible level from the beginning of the idea, and it's much easier to work and dream when that work energy is so good and honest.
When it comes to co-workers, I am primarily surrounded by extremely hardworking and honest people. We build our relationship on mutual respect, which is the basis of a normal relationship that will produce a good result. I am very proud of every employee at Docker and if it may sound like a cliché I am sure that Docker has by far the best staff in town. It doesn't matter if we are among the best bars in the city, it's a matter of individual preferences, but we definitely have the best team. No dilemma.
When you and your partners created an oasis for all hedonists and true beer drinkers - what was the idea and main mission of Docker?
- The very thought of placing a beer drinker at a table where he drinks beer on one side a few meters from the production and on the other a few meters from the bar seemed like enough of a mission. When we add to that, for example, a phenomenal burger in hand and the possibility of sitting in our Beer Garden, which is located on 700m2 and is surrounded by a fence of hops, which is such an important part of the craft beer culture, the idea makes complete sense. So, create a unique and unrepeatable atmosphere in a unique environment.
Both Docker as the first brew-pub and Gastrošor as the first gastro-park bring something new to these areas. What attracted you the most to a new city location, in the heart of Belgrade?
- I think that Belgrade has enough clubbing zones and that there is a sufficient number of people who are not interested in listening to the noise of an average cover band or, God forbid, folk music in company with a glass of their favorite beer and a piece of food. The combination of catering and clubbing evokes exclusively negative emotions in me, and being part of a zone that nurtures the same values is, above all, a great honor, privilege and obligation for us.
When we say Docker, you say…
- Safe house for every beer lover.
After 365 days of Earth's journey around the Sun and the existence of Docker in Gastrošor, do you have new plans and ideas, and what is your main thought that marked this journey?
- The current plans are related to the upcoming autumn and winter season, which is special both for the special seasonal beers and for the winter specialties that we cook in our kitchen. However, we are also planning the additional improvement of our Beer Garden, and considering that we recently got neighbors and that the whole area will be in full glory before summer, we are also working on opening the other side of the garden, which will physically be in the center of the pedestrian zone itself. A year later, the main thought is that we are without a doubt in the right place. Great respect for Belgrade, Dorćol, Gastrošor and every beer drinker who has visited us so far.
See you in Docker!