Barcelona is the city of Gaudí, Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, as well as the world famous Damm SA brewery, which is also based in the area. This is the column’s first stop in the Mediterranean Spain.
Damm SA is today one of the most famous Spanish breweries in the world, mainly due to the collaboration with the well-known chef and owner of El Bulli, Ferran Adrià, who aimed to create a gastronomic beer, to pair with food. This was Inedit. Here I should note that all beers pair well with food, but this one opened the way for beer in high –as it is called– gastronomy, with many breweries following that example. El Bulli closed in 2011 after 60 years of operation and creation –it is reported that a new one is being prepared– but the brewery took off and with it, its most mainstream label, Estrella Damm. In almost every city of the world, we will find a bar with an Estrella Damm keg and the tap with the exquisite designs. In 2023, the brewery announced the renewal of its sponsorship with that label to the city’s iconic team, Barcelona F.C. for five more years, it could not be otherwise. In the past (1950-60) they sponsored the local Picadero JC baseball team, a club now no longer active. But how and when did the Damm brewery story begins?
On July 19, 1870, the Franco-Prussian War breaks out (ends on January 28, 1871). Among the territories captured by Germany was Alsace, home of the cousins August Küntzmann Damm and Joseph Damm. August wanted to bring his favorite flavor to the region and as a brewer he looked for the right place to produce a beer lighter than the usual ones of his region as the climate was different. So, he partnered with his cousin Joseph and Adolf Leinbacher. When the last one died, the company was named Damm y Compañía and in 1897 Joseph Damm was the only owner with his successors being his children: Joseph, Maria and Carles. In 1910 city of Barcelona had four major breweries, which were very close to merging, however this did not happen as one wanted to maintain its independence. But from the merger of the three, Sociedad Anónima Damm (S.A. Damm) was created. The brewery operated from its modern facilities at La Bohemia, doubling production over the next 10 years. In 1929 they acquired La Alicantina and in 1935 planned the creation of a brewery in Valencia. The civil war interrupts these plans and affects all the industries of Spain and then, with a break of 5 months, World War II begins, with the raw materials being significantly limited. The brewery survived financially and grew significantly with exports, and in 2018 the shareholding scheme included a Canarian oil company, a German food group and some Spanish companies’ successors from historic brewing families. It has two breweries, available for visits, the old one in Barcelona and El Praat, which is 30-40 minutes south of the center starting from La Sagrada Familia, your visit can be booked online.
Investing in the environment, Damm SA is a brewery that supports sustainability with FSC papers, 100% recyclable packaging and 100% natural products. Since 2020, Estrella Damm has been trading with 100% biodegradable paper rings, and since 2021, it has removed all plastic from its packaging, reducing it by 99 tons per year.
Damm SA produces today, in addition to Estrella Damm and Inedit, Voll-Damm, Xibeca (very popular in the 1970s), Levante, Free Damm and the well-known gluten-free Daura range, in Lager and Märzen. In its modern productions I would add Free Damm Tostada, Free Damm Lemon and Damm Lemon, as well as Malquerida (in collaboration with Ferran and Albert Adrià) and Complot IPA, all with extremely creative labels. A.K. Damm, Cerveza de Navidad and Bock Damm also deserve a place in your glass. Duet, on the other hand, is a sour ale with barley and grapes, a collaboration with el Celler de Can Roca, a well-known restaurant of the Roca brothers in Girona.
Estrella Damm
Light blonde colour, fruity aromas and malt, notes of caramel, spices and vanilla in the mouth, slightly bitter and dry, thirst-quenching.
Style: Lager | Alcohol: 5,4% abv | Serving Temperature: 6-7οC | Bottle: 330ml | Glass: Pint
Inedit
It is true that this is a beer that is best enjoyed with food since all its elements lead to this. Rich long-lasting foam, complexity on the nose with citrus, spices, flowers and yeast, as well as liquorice. Rich mouth with spices –coriander and liquorice dominate– noticeable cereals, creamy, delightful long aftertaste
Style: Witbier| Alcohol: 4,8% abv | Serving Temperature: 8-10οC | Bottle: 750ml | Glass: Wine
DAMM SA Address: Carrer del Rosselló, 515 - 08025, Barcelona Url:www.estrelladamm.com Founded: 1986 Facebook
First publication: Beer & Bar Magazine, Issue 21 (buy issue)
