Birraire - Beer Blog

Sometimes it scares me to see how fast time goes by. It was at the end of 2017, that is a year and a half ago, when I published a tweet that for some reason I thought was far more recent. The fact is that after a year in which, as usual, I tried a lot of different beers, I found an unfortunate common pattern in many of them that made me want to virtually vent my frustration on a quiet winter night. Brewers should refrain from throwing 'things' into beer without any previous testing. Too many times this year I've had rough-carbonated /geyser beers with 'things' down the drain. — Joan Birraire (@birraire)  December 17, 2017

My first two beer books, the beginning of a journey. One of the nice things about getting involved with the beer industry over the last ten years is being able to observe the past with the perspective of time . I still can remember the mystery surrounding the brewing process and the sensory profile of certain beers, the creators of which I know personally today. I can even say that some of them are my friends. I also recall the admiration I felt for certain authors, whose publications gave me knowledge and inspired me to write. During these years, I have had beers with several of them, getting to collaborate with them in various matters, in some cases. Festivals? From the initial uncertainty of getting there by yourself the first time, without knowing exactly what to expect, to feel more than comfortable attending them. And, finally, to have gotten involved in the organisation of some. "After this new experience, I will have a more solid opinion on the basis of the sc...

Nine days ago the thirteenth edition of the Mostra de Mediona * was held: if we think about it twice, we will realise that thirteen years is tremendous. I could write the chronicle of the fair**, but I have long suspected that, judiciously, nobody cares too much about what I drink, and with whom I speak in my spare time. For the umpteenth time, I could also copy those same praises that have been written again and again in a wide diversity of media. But I doubt that this is necessary beyond, of course, congratulating the big family of Ales Agullons for another year, including within it the entire team of people who work with determination to make the Mostra an indisputable success year after year . 'Under the hot sun of Mediona, we have witnessed how the brewing scene has been maturing '

Original picture:  Maria Godfrida . Much has been talked and written about the smell, taste and appearance of beer. Even commercial advertisements appeal to the sense of hearing, with alleged sounds of beer being served to make people thirsty and eager to down one after another. Conversely, except when describing the mouthfeel, beer is rarely talked about from the point of view of touch . So here's some personal, slightly-random reflections. "The touch of the drinkware or the packaging influence our perception of a same liquid"

There has been lots of writing and talking around the Mostra de Cervesa Artesana de Mediona , one of our oldest beer festivals. Not only for its twelve editions, but also because many of the attendees from all over this time regard it as a very special event. The Annual Celebration for local beer lovers. I have previously published several texts on it. The magic of Mediona is, in fact, difficult to explain if you don't experience it yourself, and it is something that gets you hooked: something that makes many people want to experience it edition after edition. This year, the wedding of a good friend collided frontally with the appointment that is reserved earlier in my calendar each year. After the initial moan, I thought I would take the opportunity to live Mediona in an alternative way : looking for its magic in the previous day. Trying to understand what makes it so special. "We all carry a bit of Mediona inside of us"

At this point I cannot speak of 'pleasant surprise', but it was nice to find once again a remarkable selection of local beer in my trips around the territory. From bars to restaurants, even also in hostels and hotels, the frequency with which one can find good beer, produced a few kilometers away by small brewers, is certainly good news for consumers. A sign that we are doing things right . Something that concerns the brewing establishment, as our industry news shows us lately. “CTretze is a great example of how important is local produce, and to know the territory”

Six points to disseminate and promote cans within the general public. As pointed out in the 2016 summary post , last year we witnessed how cans began to gain ground on the shelves and fridges of our favorite beer stores and bars. We even saw the first cans of Spanish craft beer. Possibly one of the local actors that has placed a higher bet on cans until now is a distributor, Crusat, which currently has an extensive portfolio of beers in this format. That is why they have recently launched a campaign for the general public: 'Dando la Lata' - a set phrase in Spanish that would literally translate as 'Giving the Can', meaning hassling, or causing inconvenience -. Their aim is to get rid of certain widely popular beliefs about this kind of packaging, while praising its virtues . A good initiative that will certainly benefit them, but that will also benefit others. So good for it. "For me, the main advantages of cans are comfort and conservation, in that spe...

Original picture: Eduard Bröll. I find myself sitting in front of a middle-aged skinny guy wearing a bob and a thick beard. He is repeatedly combing backward, almost unconsciously, as he talks. He also has a pair of stylish, vintage glasses that he seldom uses, but that provide him with a certain aura. Like a star. And the fact is that despite of his humbleness and nice manner, he actually is a star. Something that he will show in a few moments, pulling out a well worked and learned discourse, accompanied by an indifferent and casual posture: the one of a great lecturer, the kind that wins the sympathy of an entire auditorium with the first sentence. "I'm still waiting for the turning point"

BBF has long gone by. And it is a month later that I am about to return to the normal state of things here on the blog. Year after year, depletion and accumulation of other tasks prevents this return to the regular publication of content to be fluid. Plus this year there have also been countless small and not-so-small parallel initiatives that have kept me quite busy, some of which I hope to announce soon. But beyond that, one of the most decisive factors each year is the emotional supersaturation . "It fascinates me to meet passionate people whose motivation, above all, is their love for beer and its various expressions"

"Craft beer is about people. Craft beer is about culture. Craft beer is about exchange of ideas" These were the words that Kjetil Jikiun pronounced in his intervention at the official video of the Barcelona Beer Festival 2012 . A true declaration of principles. I had no chance to talk to him in that distant first edition of the festival, but we could engage in small conversation at a presentation in BierCab, around two years ago. Those who knew him personally had already told me so, and it was exactly what I felt: a cordial and extremely humble person, willing to share every single detail about his beers, while showing kindness and self-confidence with his words and gesture.

I know, the pic is horrendous... the music was way better. Holidays are over; just a distant memory. After some well-earned break away weeks, I was ready for one of my most pensive days of the year. It has always been a special date since that 27th of August 2007: the day I officially emancipated, began my working life and went straight to live in Brussels to experience -without my knowing it- my true beer breakthrough. If your reading skills are good in Spanish, you can visit this same post from  2012  and  2013  for further details. Presently, my current state of mind, along with the fact that I was not at home required a change of plans; something more cheerful. 8/27 has always been a contemplative day in which I try to think and ponder about the things that I've done, and what I intend to do in the future; but not this year. Retrospectively I can say that the experience was even more fulfilling, though.