Interest in craft beer is brewing on Lanzarote. As drinkers thirsting for new and more challenging flavours seek out hand-crafted ales made right here on the island.

Once the sole preserve of bearded Hackney hipsters the artisanal ale renaissance first really bubbled up in the US way back in the 1990´s – as micro-brews such as Samuel Adams Boston Lager muscled into an otherwise bland mainstream market previously dominated by Coors and Bud. Before hopping across the Atlantic and pulling up a bar stool in London at the turn of the Millenium – transforming the UK´s once dowdy regional brewing scene and wolly-jumpered campaign for real ale into a far more fashionable, urban phenomenon.

Now micro brewers are mashing tuns/setting up shop everywhere – and Lanzarote is no exception

The craft beer craze prizes artisinal authenticity over mass produced mundanity – and on Lanzarote there are now three micro-breweries creating much welcome alternatives to the rather dull domestic suds served up by the duopoloy of Dorada and Tropical, whose bog-standard lagers still dominate in both the on and off trade.

Small batch production means that unlike their more commercial counterparts micro beers can be enjoyed at their freshest – whilst no artificial additives, colourings or preservatives make their way into craft ales either, with most brews relying on a natural secondary fermentation in the bottle instead.

Los Aljibes

Arguably the most accessible of these new brews can be found at Los Aljibes – Lanzarote´s first craft brewery to open in December 2015.

Located within the walls of one of César Manrique´s lesser known architectural creations in Tahiche, Los Aljibes is now home to both a very popular restaurant and an on-site brew house. They produce four different and very distinctive brews, of which Helles will be the most familiar to lager drinkers – boasting a light golden colouring and an ABV of 4.8%.

Aguita is a darker, more complex beer – a recreation of an American Pale Ale - packing the same ABV of 4.8%. Whilst TEA is an Indian Pale ale - a darker malted beer, very red in appearance with a bitter aggressively dry hoppy flavour, also 4.8% ABV. Oktoberfest completes this highly quaffable quartet and is a slightly cloudy, rich, smooth brew with a bitter kick – based on a traditional Bavarian Marzen beer recipe, with a 4.6% alcohol content.

Gavin and Hernan, the head brew masters at Los Aljibes continue to explore new ideas with passion and next in the pipeline are planning a porter and indian pale ale flavoured with orange peel.

Where Can I Buy Some?

Los Aljibes beers are currently solely for sale at their restaurant in Tahiche or their newer outlet in Puerto del Carmen, which is located close to the San Antonio Hotel.

Visit the Los Aljibes Facebook page for new brew news and upcoming events.

Malpeis

Inspired by the discovery of craft beers on his travels local musician Orlando dreamt up the idea of brewing his own ales for fun with some mates in a garage in Tinajo.

They proved so popular that by 2016 a range of three hand crafted ales were flowing out of their brand new and much bigger brew house just around the corner from the garage – where visitors can now tour the tuns (at a cost of €5) whilst also sampling a selection.

Each individual beer represents unique properties drawn from the local landscape. Jable, a 5.3% ABV golden ale, represents sand and is an easy drinking blond coloured brew. The 6.7% ABV Bermeja is a more challenging and complex pale ale, named after the colour of local soil and brewed using double malt, creating a more bitter aftertaste. Whilst the Rofe Bock is a dark triple malt brew, representing the black volcanic picon which covers local fields, packing rich, sweet, toasted flavours and an ABV of 7%.

Where Can I Buy Some?

Malpeis beers are available direct from the brewery and are stocked in a growing number of restaurants. For more information visit www.malpeis.com

Nao Brewery

Based down by the docks in the island capital of Arrecife in the Porto Naos part of town, close to El Charco, the Nao craft brewery offers four fine organic ales – all hand-crafted on site, using locally grown cereal along with British hops and German malt.

Porto Naos was once home to a sizeable fishing fleet and the brewery is based within the walls of a former net repair workshop – with a glass wall separating the tuns from a cool little brew pub, El Camarote, where tourist and locals unite over brews and chews - in the form of tasty tapas. Whilst regular cultural events are staged every month.

American pale ale aficionados will feel right at home here with Capitán (ABV 5.2%)– which has a sweet, malty citrus flavour and a dark amber colour. Whilst fans of wheat beers should enjoy Nao´s weiss offering, La Gloria (3.5%). A blonde American ale Marinera (4.8%) and the limited run wine-beer hybrid Grape Ale (8%) completes this highly quaffable quartet.

El Camarote is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11.00 to 15.30 and on Friday nights from 18.00 to 11.00. Beers can be bought direct from Monday to Saturday 09.00 to 15.00. Brewery tours can also be arranged via their website.

Where Can I Buy Some?

the full range of beers head for the source and buy direct from the brewery – visit www.naobeer.com for more information