Nòmada Brewing

 Nòmada Brewing podcast
 Non-Flash version of the podcast

Sami Claret and Javier Aldea began their brewing project Nòmada Brewing (Catalan for "nomadic") the same way as the Brooklyn Brewery, Dogfish Head, Mikkeller, and many other top craft breweries -- as homebrewers.

Sami Claret and Javier Aldea

Before launching the project commercially in 2011, Sami recounts how he was crazy about beer and would be constantly on the hunt for new styles, new breweries, and new beer bars. One day a Brit who ran a bar in Barcelona, where Sami is from, told him, "you know, mate, you can make this stuff at home." Sami was skeptical, but he gave it a go. And when sharing his homebrew with friends who told him, "esta cerveza es muy buena!" he just assumed that they were being polite and probably thought that any free beer is good beer! But the more he shared his brews, the more positive feedback he got. Eventually it brought him together with fellow homebrewer Javier, who is from Vitoria in the Basque region about 350 west of Barcelona, and Nòmada was born.

Ben from As Is (50th St. & 10th Ave), Sami, and Maite,
who is the brewery's graphic designer

Nòmada quickly made a good name for itself as a gypsy brewery, earning Rate Beer's 2012 title as "one of the five best breweries in the world", and in 2013 Sami and Javier were named the best craft brewers in Spain. They also made collaborative brews with some big names in the craft beer world: Stillwater (US), Freigeist (Germany), To Øl (Denmark), Northern Monk (UK), Omnipollo (Sweden), and Ghost Brewing (Denmark). All the hard work and notable brews caught the attention of Spain's largest brewer, Mahou, which offered to help elevate the fledgling brewing company, as they did with Michigan's beloved Founder's Brewing, which involved a minority stake in ownership.

B.R., Maite, Sami, and Joel at Coopers Craft

Besides the help Mahou provides on the business side of things, they also give Nòmada the privilege of brewing on the giant brewery's "pilot system", which consists of a 30 hectoliter brewhouse! That's about 19 barrels, which is larger than many regional craft breweries (many brew on 15 barrel systems). The brewhouse is centrally located in Madrid.

Nòmada dipped it's toe into the US market a few years ago when they were a featured brewery at the Shelton Brothers annual beer fest, The Festival, in Portland, Maine in 2013 (disclosure: both B.R. and I are employees of Shelton Brothers). Sami returned to The Festival this August in Atlanta, GA, and hit NYC afterwards, having his beer featured at Spuyten Duyvil in Williamsburg, As Is on Manhattan's West Side, and Boundurants on the Upper East Side.

Bob, Joel, and Sami at Bondurants

One of the stand outs poured in NYC recently was the Mint Stout, a 10% ABV Imperial Stout with a quite assertive mint aroma and flavor. It would seem like that would be easy to accomplish, however mint in beer is actually a tricky proposition. We've had some mint beers that were awful. This one was divine. Another delight was the Revontulet (Finnish for Northern Lights/aurora borealis), a raspberry sour ale dubbed a "semi-sour", was gorgeous to look at with it's clear bright garnet red color, and just as beautiful on the palate. We hope to see all of these wonderful creations both in bottles and kegs very soon!

Some of the beers featured in NYC

Revontulet at Bondurants

    

                                    

The 2017 Festival featured over 100 different breweries and cideries

Prairie Artisan Ales

  Podcast: Prairie Artisan Ales at the Festival (Flash)

Non-Flash podcast

After spending time working for other breweries, Chase Healey felt that it was time to strike out on his own path. He founded his family run Prairie Artisan Ales in Sept. of 2012, and a half year later he brought a handful of beers into the marketplace. Their first offerings were two different sour beers and two different Saisons -- all four "farmhouse" ales. In no time everyone was seeking out the intriguing offerings from the small upstart Oklahoma brewery.

Mom, Chase and artist brother Colin at The Festival.

Like many new brewers, they began leasing brewing time at an already existing brewery -- Krebs Brewing (Choc Beer Company), but had their sights set on a facility of their own. They took a huge leap towards that goal with a Kickstarter campaign that brought in about $24k, financing a big part of the new brewhouse, to be situated in Tulsa.

Prairie ales are characterized by a refreshing dryness, creative use of hops and the utilization of wild yeast. They're big on barrel aging (rum and bourbon barrels), aren't afraid of incorporating lactobacillus in the process, and are keen on the use of non-standard ingredients in some brews, such as coffee, chili peppers, and vanilla. The spirit of the beer is mirrored in the individualistic, singular character of the people behind it, putting creativity, quality and integrity before all else.

The division of labor at the operation is simple: Chase makes the beer, his brother Colin creates the label artwork, and their mom is their relentless promotional force! Chase says that he makes beer styles that he would want to drink, himself. Apparently, as evidenced by the popularity of his creations, he's far from being alone in that category!

Expect to start seeing Prairie's exciting beers on the East Coast in 750ml and 12oz bottles in the fall of 2013!

Yeastie Boys At The Festival

Yeastie Boys Sam at The Festival podcast

Friends since high school, New Zealanders Sam Possenniskie and Stu McKinlay discovered craft beer in college and began experimenting with homebrewing. They got rave reviews from their friends and acquaintances who tried their Pot Kettle Black American style porter. Some years down the road, after they had established careers -- Sam in banking and Stu in internet technologies -- they decided that they had the skills, recipes and, most important, the passion for making great beer. So why not share that with the world? Thusly, Yeastie Boys was born.

 After only one year in business, their Pot Kettle Black porter won top awards for that category at the New Zealand Brewers Guild 2009 awards! They continue to impress, as last year they scored three important brewing trophies: Champion Beer at The Asia Beer Awards (for Pot Kettle Black), People's Choice at The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (for Gunnamatta), and Morton Coutts Trophy for Innovation at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards (for Rex Attitude).

Yeastie Boys are a tenant brewer, like Pretty Things, Grimm Artisanal, Mikkeller, and many others who don't own a brewing facility, but basically rent out a brewery from batch to batch. The Boys brew at Invercargill Brewery in Invercargill, NZ, which is at the very bottom of the South Island, about 500 miles from Wellington on the North Island, which is where the Yeasites are based.

Golden Age of Bloodshed, made with beets.

Pot Kettle Black, their flagship beer, biggest seller and most awarded brew, is augmented by a roster of great variety, including their Digital IPA, specifically geared for the U.S. market, and the Gunnamatta, an IPA-base beer in which four types of New Zealand hops are complimented by a huge addition of Earl Grey Blue Flower leaf tea! They've made beer with beets -- Golden Age of Bloodshed -- and a 100% peat smoked malt beer called Rex Attitude, which, in terms of smokiness, makes Schlenkerla taste like water! In other words, they're not afraid to make some extremely unusual, challenging brews!

About 500 miles from YB HQ to the brewery.

  [link to podcast page]

(L-R) Sam and Stu. (Photo courtesy of Crafty Pint)

De La Senne At The Festival

Interview with Yvan De Baets of De La Senne podcast

While at The Festival in Portland, Maine, we spoke with Yvan De Baets, co-owner and brewer of De La Senne brewery in Brussels. Yvan explained he and his partner, Bernard Leboucq, have a very simple brewing concept: they brew beers that they themselves want to drink, and then share them with the world. One beer that he highlighted in our brief conversation was Taras Boulba. With Taras Boulba, a 4.5% hoppy, aromatic light blonde ale, they wanted to buck the stereotype that Belgian beers must be huge in alcohol, sweet and estery. Taras Boulba, he noted, is a beer that you have when you're having more than one. (well... not exactly his words!)

Yvan also mentioned the other well known brewery in Brussels, Cantillon. He said that the two breweries are close friends and that they don't really compete with one another. Cantillon's beers are sour and dry as opposed to De La Senne's, which are bitter and dry -- if anything, they compliment each other.

While in Portland, Yvan got together with Allagash to collaborate, for the second time, in creating Very Special Belge, a tribute to the 'special Belgian', a style of beer rarely seen today. Hopefully, we'll see that beer make its way to the shelves and taps soon!

Yvan is 2nd from the right, with Jason and Rob from Allagash 2nd & 3rd from the left.

  [link to podcast page]