Mediona Artisanal Beer Festival 2008

This year marked the third annual beer festival. It takes place in the quiet village of Sant Joan de Mediona, about 40 minutes from anywhere. Actually, it's about 40 minutes from Sant Sadurni and Vilafranca, which are as close to somewhere as you might hope to be. This year, we were assured by some who attended previous editions, was by far the most organized and with the best displays and beer selection of the the festivals to date. The early morning cloud cover gave way to a spectacular sun which left us slightly singed round the edges, but nothing that didn't wear off after a week or so. In short, it was a perfect day to examine more in depth the wealth of beers available (I counted more than 30 different varieties of Catalan beers).

In addition to the impressive number of Catalan microbreweries we discovered, there were representatives from other regions in Spain like Galicia, as well as Italy and the Cerveteca, which offered an excellent selection of beers hand-picked by Steve Huxley. For those less interested in the fermented drinks section, there was also a lively craft fair and live shows, including music and clowns to keep people of all ages in high spirits. And I must give a hearty thank you to the people running the Barbecue pit who kept us well fed and helped soak up those suds from the ever increasing number of samples. Everthing from hamburgers and butifarra to fruit smoothies were available.

At the end of the day we counted 16 beers among the samples we managed to get down, taking them in threes with a break to clean the palate and maintain semblances of sobriety. Some, like Glops or Cerveceria Montseny, were offering the beers we have come to know and enjoy, with the added bonus of being able to talk to the people who actually make the beers, and it is reassuring to see how their passion burns for what they do. Some of the best new beers we tried came from small producers, local, even home brewers (in at least one case). The Moska brewery in Girona impressed me with their ale, and the Zulogaarden beers (produced for the eponymous bar in Molins de Rei) were fantastic. Marc took home a chocolate stout from Zulogaarden which was absolutely divine. However, for me the winner was Almogàver's Plata Ale, which is impossible to find outside of craft fairs like this one.

All in all, a fantastic day and a great way to get your feet wet in the blossoming world of Catalan microbrews.

Rosita, the beer from Tarragona

Every beer has its own story, sometimes a little hidden, waiting to be discovered. The story about "Rosita", as you can imagine, takes the shape of a woman. It is the founders, Núria and Jaume Comte love story. A story marked by the social and family pressure because of the different origins and social classes of our main characters. But as all true love stories it has a happy ending: the birth of their daughter, Rosita.

And maybe you are wondering, how is Rosita? This beer has been brewed since January 2008, in Tarragona, in the town of Alcover. It is a blond beer and, as her parents define Rosita, with character.

Companyia Cervesera del Montseny

The Companyia Cervesera del Montseny was born in 2007. They are located just next to the Natural Park of El Montseny, about 40 minutes from Barcelona. Right now they have 3 different styles of artisanal beers and have produced the specialty Hivern Ale (Christmas Ale):

+ Lupulus: Iber Ale. Top-fermented blond beer that incorporates malts and hops used in the elaboration of Pilsen and Lager beers.
+ Malta: Pale Ale. Top-fermented beer, pure English style.
+ Negra: Stout Ale. Top-fermented dark Irish beer with four grains: barley, weat, oats and rye.

With the creation of Iber Ale the Brewery has created a new beer style in memory of our beer culture (dated from the iberian times) before the Romans took Catalonia and Spain into the wine culture.