EARLIER  in the year I was at a tasting of craft beer from an unusual source. Now craft beers are big business in the UK and giving it’s support of real ale over the years it’s not surprising that it would become the centre of artisan and craft beers. But this tasting came from Danish Brewery Gran de Select, based in Manilva, near Sotogrande, and is the passion of partners, Mads Sorensen and Frederik Avenstrup. Both experienced wine producers, they turned their skills to manufacturing craft beers.  Their mission is to demonstrate that beer can offer a gastronomic experience and be much more than just a thirst quencher. The Gran de Select beer, is brewed with inspiration from and using techniques of vinification to obtain a unique, sophisticated beer with personality.

 

GRAN DE SELECT allows carefully selected ingredients plenty of time to work. This results in a beer with a soul and a fantastic taste that improves with time.  The beer carbonates without additives and has a higher pressure in the bottle, which provides a sparkling beer, like champagne. It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and has no preservatives, additives or extracts.

 

THE FOLLOWING beers are at present being produced.

  • Pilsner: A light-coloured and bubbly beer, suggesting champagne. An ideal companion for hors d’oeuvres, starters and fish courses. Also ideal as an aperitif. Alc.vol. 6%
  • Reserva: A strong and tasty beer, ideal for red meat and spicy dishes. Alc.vol. 7,8%
  • Vintage Cristian: a dark and different beer to round off the meal. Ideal for cheeses and desserts. Alc. vol. 8%.

 

SERVE AND ENJOY the same way as wine. Chill the bottles in a wine cooler and serve in wine glasses. Having champagne corks, the beer should be uncorked in the same festive, ceremonial and cautious manner as champagne.

 

BEER PAIRING in restaurants has fast become one of the most fashionable ways to drink beer with food. The UK has many such restaurants and in Spain Gran de Select is served in Martin Berasategui’s restaurant one of the finest in the World.

 

If any reader would like more information about these beers, send me an e mail.