Article published in the Diario de Ibiza. Carmen Pi. 10/11/2019. (Translated from Spanish).
Traditional, special or extra beers; or high, low or spontaneous fermentation. The master brewers classify this drink according to the set of organic ingredients that make up the wort before fermentation, (the first mentioned), or according to the conditions at the time of fermentation, (the second). Booming with respect to the typical caña, the phenomenon of craft beer has settled in Spain by leaps for a little over a decade and has become relevant in recent years. Craft breweries or microbreweries, small independent companies primarily concerned with flavour and fermentation technique, have grown tenfold in the past nine years, according to data from the Beer Statics 2018 edition report.
The beer culture is becoming more and more widespread and many palates demand in bars more than just the classic caña, also called the pilsner. What is a pilsner? They are the beers that predominate in places like Brazil, Japan, Spain and northern Europe, as they are the softest, least bitter, with the least alcohol and those that can be drunk coldest. The typical beers since forever. However, with the recovery of craft beers, those from Germany, Belgium, Ireland or the United Kingdom, among other places, begin to take over the market with their variety of flavours, intensity and with a higher percentage of alcohol. From barley or wheat, Ale or Lager, there are many Spanish artisans who launch into the market with their own brand, helping to establish the beer culture in the country.
Pioneer on the island
Ibosim Brewhouse is the first microbrewery on the island of Ibiza. Located in Port d’es Torrent, in Sant Antoni, the brewery offers guided tours and tastings at its facilities throughout the year. But how is craft beer different from industrial? “One of the main characteristics of craft beer is that it is an unpasteurized, live product, so it evolves in the bottle, unlike industrial beers,” says Carles Guerrero, brewer of Ibosim craft beer. “It is not microfiltered or chemically filtered, so it retains all the organoleptic properties,” says Guerrero.
The highest quality ingredients, “since the excellence of the product prevails over the economy of scale”, is another of its qualities. “Only natural ingredients are used,” says the brewer, adding that another characteristic is that “production is limited and the human factor is decisive in the manufacturing process.” “The advantage of having a local brewery is that people can find styles of beer that can only be fully enjoyed when they are very fresh,” concludes one of the founders of Ibosim, the Ibizan beer brand that has up to seven all-year varieties (Posidonia Blonde Ale, Isla Blanca Weissbier, Ibz Summer Ale, Rosemary Rural Ale, Blood Moon IPA and Garrova Carob Porter) and this year has made more than 20 new recipes.
