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The design of a can of craft beer being produced under a hot summery temperature and after moderate celebrations of the new ywar that correspond to the father of a two year od girl. Both factors make me wonder if what I see behind the glass of the electric cooler is true. Fernando Mimbela, in charge of Barranco Beer Company – Plaza Norte, confirmed what for me is something that deserves for me to jump off my feet snd leap into the air. Damn the maturity and expectations that people have of you when you have passed the barrier of forty. Bless the beer. Blessed be Barranco Beer Company for giving me this great news in the beginning the year. The Lupulager has arrived dressed in aluminum and feels great in my left hand. But let me first tell you about the place where I first spot it.
I am in Plaza Norte, one of the two malls located in the district of Independencia. Exactly I am in the so-called Plaza Tradiciones, a sort of boulevard mixed with an outdoor food court, only those who provide the food and desserts are not the classic fast food chains. Here, just in front of the banking area of the shopping center, there are a number of small stands that sell from churros to à la carte dishes. There are also small pop-up bars selling pisco based cocktails and our favorite stand: the Barranco Beer Company, which appeared here in September 2016. The offer of the barranquina artisan brewery consists of four beers in canilla and the Lupulager in a can. Let’s review our recommendations for this summer.
Let’s start with the Cheif Weiss, a German-style wheat beer – I don’t need to tell you it’s a hefeweizen, right? – designed to quench thirst and refresh the body. The light body, low alcohol content and notes of orange peel and spices makes it an excellent alternative to accompany chicharrones de calamares very popular in this area of Plaza Norte. I can not fail to reinforce the most salient characteristics of this style of beer and that the Chief Weiss expresses so well: a dark and intense golden and the aroma of fresh banana and light clove.
We follow it with an American-style pale ale with rye that is remarkable for its bright translucency and tropical aroma. The aromas of mango, pineapple and grapefruit with a touch of resin awakens the senses and prepare them properly to receive the pleasant bitterness of flowers and wood of this beer that does not neglect the necessary foundation of malt on which the flavors and aromas are built. The sensation of freshness in the mouth is not only a result of the service temperature, it is also the consequence of the great carbonation that all properly carbonated beer exhibits with the draft machine and the dry feeling left by the rich bitterness of its hops. A pleasure to taste Pale X five months after our first tasting in Arequipa .
We finish our scoop with the canned Lupulager: In a telephone conversation with William Gómez, corporate administrator of Barranco Beer Company, we learned that the canned Lupulager was released on the 28th of December. This explains why our image on Instagram of January 1 caused some impact on the networks, as the launch was done in a silent way. Of course, our curiosity is focused on how the canning of this session IPL (India pale lager) was achieved in our country. “We have a machine capable of canning 1,000 liters per hour,” says Gómez.
(Photo: TOMANDOALTURA)
But let’s explain a little bit about why it’s so important to have a canned craft Peruvian beer. Firstly, because a can protects beer much better than a bottle. In addition to aluminum prevents the entry of any type of light, its sealing is free of any flaws that may have a sheet of beer. We have tasted more of a beer where a poorly capped bottle has caused from the loss of carbonation to the oxidation of the contents by air intake. Secondly, because aluminum is much thinner than glass and conducts the temperature more easily, so the beer cools much faster once it is introduced to the refrigerator. Third, because a can takes up less space and is less heavy than a bottle. When you want to bring craft beers to the beach, this is a compelling reason to prefer cans before bottles. And finally, because the healthy competition that exists among the Peruvian artisan brewers augurs us that soon we will have other brands of beer available in a can. I cross my fingers for that. “Around the world it’s canned, not bottled,” said William Gómez. “The beer passes from the steel tank, to a steel barrel and then to the metal of the can. This guarantees the quality of the canned product, “he concludes.
(Photo: TOMANDOALTURA)
But do not think I’m going to forget to describe this Lupulager. The first thing that stands out is the bouquet of hops pear and citrus that becomes an exotic aroma of mango when bringing the glass to the mouth. I should point out that in the case of the Lupulager, I have tasted it from a pilsener glass – Sprigelau, obviously – but also directly from the can. I was not going to deprive myself of the taste just for complying with the rules. Would you do it? The juicy bitterness and dry finish of the Lupulager added to its alcoholic content equal to that of the canned industrialists redefine us the concept of bebestibilidad or tomabilidad. Welcome to the 6-pack of cans. Oh, I almost forgot. Lupulager received the silver medal in the Specialty IPA category of the Latin American Beer Glass .
Another reason for celebration is that the craft beers have also arrived in the north of Lima. And Barranco Beer Company has brought them here along with its customary merchandising like growlers (hermetic bottles so you can take home draft beer), poles and linear cooler with capacity for six cans of beer. The best thing is that if you buy the cooler next to six cans of Lupulager, you will receive an excellent discount. In addition to Plaza Norte, you can look for the Lupulager and Barranco Beer Company beers at it’s central location in Barranco or in its stand located in the South Mall of San Juan de Miraflores.
Cheers!
Barranco Beer Company
Av. Almirante Grau 308, Barranco
Sunday to Wednesday 11:00 a.m.–00:00 a.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m.–02:00 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m.–03:00 a.m.
Plaza Tradiciones, Centro Comercial Plaza Norte, cross with las Avenidas Tomás Valle, Alfredo Mendiola and Túpac Amaru, Independencia
Monday to Sunday 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Centro Comercial Mall del Sur, cross with las Avenidas Los Lirios and Pedro Miotta
Monday to Sunday 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.