Tradition and innovation are closely intertwined in the art of brewing in the Canary Islands. Whilst industrial beers such as Dorada, Mahou, Tropical and Cruzcampo are widely available, more and more small, local breweries are gaining a foothold in restaurants and bars that wish to stand out from the mainstream.
There are 28 breweries across the eight Canary Islands. Some of them are considered up-and-coming, whilst others are deliberately choosing to remain small. What they all have in common is that they focus on high-quality, regional ingredients and creative recipes.
Five specialist breweries really bring home the evolution of the art of brewing in the Canary Islands. They are:
Five special breweries in the Canary Islands
The Tacoa Brewery in Tenerife is regarded as an outstanding example of Canary Islands brewing. The beer comes from El Sauzal in the north of Tenerife. Only natural ingredients are used. The ‚Bock‘, ‚Mount Teide‘ and ‚Porter‘ varieties are particularly popular. Naturally, the brewery also caters to the trend for non-alcoholic beer:
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The Jaira Brewery is located in Agüimes on Gran Canaria. The name is derived from the old term for goats. They inspired the master brewer. Tradition has it that some of the animals had a completely different temperament to the rest of the herd. That is why a beer with a strong character and a distinctive flavour was brewed.
Incidentally, this applies to several of the brewery’s beers. For example, the ‚Seacloud‘ is brewed using water from Atlantic clouds. Other popular beers include ‚American Tuno‘ and ‚Imperial‘:
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Environmental friendliness is at the Tierra de Perros Brewery in Tenerife in capital letters. This small craft brewery is located in Los Realejos – also in the north of the Canary Islands. It focuses on organic brewing methods. According to the brewery, the ‚Tierra de Perros Pale Ale‘, ‚Tierra de Perros Saison‘ and ‚Tizziri Rosadita‘ varieties are particularly popular.
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On the Nachbarinsel La Palma liegt Isla Verde. The brewery in Tijarafe benefits from the pure spring water and fresh air of ‚Isla Bonita‘. Only small quantities are brewed there. And so, in a way, every beer is considered a rarity.
In keeping with La Palma’s nickname, ‚the Green Island‘, the ‚Isla Verde‘, the ‚Indiana‘ and the ‚Danza del Diablo‘ are considered particularly popular beers:
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The breweries on the Canary Islands naturally also take beer lovers to Lanzarote. That’s where the Nao Brewery is located. Only regional ingredients are used. And that is how beers with a distinctive character are created.
Amongst the small brewery’s customers, ‚La Gloria‘, ‚Capitán‘ and ‚Black Patrón‘ are particularly popular.
Canary Islands beer – craftsmanship over mass production
Whilst large restaurants and bars are increasingly being supplied under contract by major Spanish and European breweries, smaller suppliers are turning more and more to the art of brewing from the Canary Islands.
If you have the chance to order one of these special beers, we recommend you go for it – even if these handcrafted brews are sometimes a few euros more expensive than the mass-produced varieties, which are often just as tasty but less special.
«The Art of Brewing in the Canary Islands: You simply must try these beers!»
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