Sierra Blanca Cerveceriá: A Colombian Craft Brewery Story
1h 12m | Sep 3, 2023The Colombian craft beer scene is one that deserves to be recognized. And one of those Colombian craft breweries is located in the heart of Medellín.
Welcome to Sierra Blanca Cerveceriá, where the beer is fantastic and the people are even better. This is Sierra Blanca Cerveceria's story, but it's also a story that belongs to Medellín's craft beer scene just as much.
The Wonders of Medellín, Colombia
Medellín is a thriving city full of a diverse group of people consisting of locals, expats, digital nomads, and tourists. Many of them looking for the next best thing to experience, the next best dish to savor, or, if you're like us, the next best beer to write home about.
And while the Medellín craft beer scene is about ten years behind the craft beer scene in the States, it is thriving just as much as the city is. And people here are beginning to appreciate the wonders of craft beer alongside the wonders of this culturally vibrant city.
Meet Carlos from Sierra Blanca Cerveceriá
Carlos, owner and head brewer at Sierra Blanca Cervecería is helping that appreciation for craft beer along quite nicely. A conference interpreter turned brewer and brewery owner, Carlos has visited many countries. Places like Panama, Chile, the U.S., Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and more.
And along the way he fell in love with beer. So when the pandemic hit and his conference travels slowed down, it was a given. Time to brew more and dial it in. And that he did. The result?
Carlos now heads up one of the best breweries in Medellín with a focus on local ingredients. He and other brewers in Colombia are working hard at creating a craft beer scene that is distinctly Colombian. And that includes the welcoming personas of the Colombian people along with the flavors native to the countryside. Flavors such as passion fruits (of which there are many) and tomate arbol (a fruit which roughly translates to tree tomato.
Inspired by his Latin American roots, Carlos loves to be unique and creative. He brews saisons, barrel-aged beers, and even chichas (a corn-based brew dating back to the Inca era), alongside the more typical craft beers such as IPAs, ambers, and more.
So, grab a beer. Join us as we chat with Carlos about the Colombian craft beer scene and how Medellín craft beer fits into it. But also, and more importantly, about how beer brings people together across aisles, countries, and cultures.
For the complete set of show notes, including connections, images, and the beer we drank, click here.
Relevant Links:
To connect with Sierra Blanca, click here.
To learn more and register for Camp Carpe Diem, click here.
To learn more about visiting Medellín, click here.
To learn more about Harvest Hosts, click here.
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