COMMUNITY
the nearest match to water found along the River Trent where for centuries they have been brewing the finest ales. “The water quality is excellent, we just have to soften it very slightly, making it really good for beer. Also the quality is consistent and we can analyse the data from the source online”. Apart from good water, quality yeasts and barley from the Lowlands along with Kentish hops from the garden of England are used in their zero chemical beers. Finally staff including a master brewer were recruited, with fifty years of brewing experience between them the team began work on their first craft beers in February. Algarve Rock began showcasing their product at festivals in Lisbon followed by the Minho, Silves and Alameda Beer festivals where their unique products received positive feedback and the company were able to sign contracts with a distributor.
ROCKING THE ALGARVE BY JEFF MORGAN
The craft beer revolution currently taking place all over the world has now reached the Algarve. A project that initially started in 2016, the Algarve Rock Brewery opened for business in February producing a range of artisan beers. A serial entrepreneur not content to grasp retirement or the quality of beer available locally, Gary Hosmer along with his co-founder and son-in-law, Neil Conchie. set about building a micro brewery in Faro. An enormous investment of time and money the establishment they built is the largest independent brewery on the Iberian peninsula. Capable of producing 90 thousand litres of beer a month the entire production line including bottling takes place under one roof. “One of the greatest challenges small brewers face is restrictions upon production growth due to space and equipment issues. We wanted to ensure that we didn’t face this problem down the line so started with this in mind”. The most important element when brewing beer is the water. After completing a prolonged series of tests across the region they found that the water in Olhão was
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A number of local establishments in our region are serving Algarve Rock’s range of beers, Earth Shop & Café in Carvoeiro, Club Nau in Ferragudo, La Dolce Vita in Portimão, Rockefellas in Lagos and Beer & Co in Alvor. The brewery is looking to add more bars, restaurants and supermarkets as retailers, ensuring availability across the Algarve. Already exporting to Italy and with further expansion on the horizon the first year has been a good start for this young business. “We know that it is difficult to make a living in this market, my whole family moved here and we invested in Portugal with the goal to make craft beers that the Algarve and the country can be proud of “. Offering five standard varieties of beer to satisfy various palettes, available in 33cl bottles or a 30 litre kegs being between 4% and 5% alcohol by volume they are, Rock Solid a red ale, Rock Steady a pale ale, Rock Session an Indian pale ale, Rock Stout and Rock Sharp, a Czech style pilsner lager. The boys also launched a season special, the PiriPiri Pilsner, which has been so well received by the Portuguese beer consumers that it is likely to remain on the menu for the future. Experimenting with a number of combinations Neil has something planned for the next special which you can find by following them on social media platforms. A shop with a bar is open for private groups where you can experience tasting the artisan beers and other gastronomic experiences. Contact Algarve Rock Brewery for more information. For Tomorrow magazine readers Algarve Rock has an introductory offer to its range of beers for you to enjoy. Delivered direct to your door or sent to someone as a locally produced Christmas gift just add the promotion code TALGARVE18 to receive 15% off online orders.
+INFO: algarverock.com The Algarve Rock Brewery 2B, Vale da Venda Industrial Park, Faro.