Events for craft beer lovers are becoming more common, and this Saturday, July 20, a new one joins the calendar: the first edition of the Bairoa Homebrewers Bash, where attendees will sample a curated selection of homebrewed beers.
La Revuelta Beer Garden, in Caguas, will bring together the creations of 15 homebrewers, people who brew beer at home using specialized techniques and equipment, either as a hobby for personal or group consumption or as part of a business venture.
The event, organized by the venue and the Club de Homebrewers de Puerto Rico, aims to honor the efforts of homebrewers who are refining their brewing techniques across the archipelago.
"The owner of La Revuelta reached out to us. We have a festival we put on every year in December, and they gave us the opportunity to make it happen. So we decided to do this summer trial run," said Delia Lizardi, president of the Club de Homebrewers de Puerto Rico, in an interview with Platea.
The Bash is specifically a space to try summery and more experimental craft beer flavors. Among the beers available will be a Blonde Ale and at least 6 different IPA styles.
According to Lizardi, because the batches are small, usually 5 gallons, there is room for the beers to be "a little more exotic," incorporating new or different ingredients and flavors.
Meanwhile, homebrewers with brands or plans to develop their own business will be able to let people taste their creations and get a better sense of what beer enthusiasts enjoy. Some, however, practice homebrewing purely as a hobby.
"We have homebrewers at different stages. People who are learning, others who have produced commercial beer, and others who make good beer but have no interest in the commercial side. That's the dynamic at play," she said.
The process of opening a brewery on the Island can take 2 to 3 years, according to the president. Some of the best-known craft beer operations on the Island started with homebrewing as a hobby before becoming formal businesses, as was the case with the brewery Pura Vida Brewery.
Both Lizardi and the founders of Pura Vida pointed out that opening this type of business is complicated by the burden of the government filings required.
How do I attend the Homebrewers Bash?
Starting at 1:00 p.m., attendees can sample the summer beers and enjoy musical performances by alternative rock band Basiko, at 3:00 p.m., and reggae group Cool & Easy Reggae Collective, at 7:00.
To attend, you only need to buy the event's commemorative glass at the door for $21. With the glass, you can sample unlimited beers, while supplies last.
Given the growth of craft beer in Puerto Rico, the event is just one of many held in recent memory, including Puerto Rico Beer Week, the Puerto Rico International Beer Fest, where the organization was present and had great success with its homebrewed beers, and, in August, the second edition of the Puerto Rico Pizza & Beer Fest.
If successful, the Bairoa Homebrewers Bash could become an event for craft beer lovers that can be replicated in other parts of the Island.
"As president, I know many homebrewers outside the Metropolitan Area. We are trying to arrange different types of events at breweries or biergartens outside the metropolitan area. We want to get out of San Juan," Lizardi said.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
