Cervesa Espiga

From a garage in Gélida to a place of their own

Teresa Galván and Arnau Rovira founded Cervesa Espiga. They are both biologists and used to live in Germany and Denmark. There they got to know the craft beer and local beer scene, and that tipped the balance towards starting a brewery themselves.

They started at home in a garage in Gélida, in the Alt Penedès. They now have their own premises in Sant Llorenç d'Hortons, near Barcelona. Beer52 gives 2012 as the starting year and describes the approach as technically careful, with a scientific bent.

You can also visit. The website lists a tap room in Sant Llorenç d'Hortons, two Espiga Craft Beer Shops in Barcelona, and a brewery visit with a tasting of four beers.

From IPA to barrel aged sour

The range is wide. Their own site lists Garage IPA, Pale Ale, Blonde Ale and Berliner Weisse, some of them also in cans, plus the imperial stout Dark Way and a Ginger Beer. At other shops you'll also find Serial Killer (NEIPA), Popular Culture (IPA), 7 Barrels (sour) and 7 Malts (sweet stout).

Beer52 mentions a range from crowd-pleasing IPAs to complex barrel aged sours. Foods and Wines from Spain calls their porter a local favourite, with roasted caramel and notes of roasted almond, coffee, cocoa and liquorice.

Collaborations are part of the range too, including with La Craft and Cockroach Brew. Beer52 also mentions regular export.

Cervesa Espiga at Hoptimaal

So far we have had one beer from Cervesa Espiga at Hoptimaal: Cervesa Espiga Hoppy Blinder, an 8.5% IPA in 44 cl. It is highly rated on Untappd and currently out of stock. Check this page to see if a new batch has arrived.

Drink Hoppy Blinder fresh and not too ice cold, around 6 to 8 degrees. At that temperature the hops and the malt sweetness come through better than straight from the fridge. Check the label for the packaging date: the more recent, the fresher the hops.