Tap Handle #610: Cerveceria Berber

June 01, 2016

Tap Handle #610: Cerveceria Berber

Tap size: 10"
Rarity: 10 or less, import, hand-made
Mounting: large 3/8" ferrule on 3/8" anchor bolt

Following the Coedo tap I profiled in the last post, I've got another import tap here called Cerveza Berber (which translates as "Berber Beer"). This beautiful tap has an Aztec or Mayan styling, with what appears to be a chieftain wearing a jaguar headdress. It is heavy and made of ceramic, meaning the paint and semi-gloss finish have been fired on. It looks like a precious relic from ancient Mexico. The tap is not variety-specific, so it is used for all of the brewery's varieties (I've chosen to profile their Cerveza Obscura stout). The tap I possess is the only one that I've ever seen.

Click through to read more about Cerveceria Berber, their Cerveza Obscura stout, and to see more photos of this exotic tap...

Cerveceria Berber was founded in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in 2011. The owners started the brewery in order to offer consumers a high quality craft beer experience. They started with 4 classic styles - pilsner, Vienna, porter, and stout, but modified them slightly to reflect regional tastes, with a monthly production of 280 cases. Initial distribution focused on establishments within Guadalajara, but the brewery scored big when they got their bottled beers into Superama, a big box grocery store with online sales that is a subsidiary of Wal-Mart Mexico. This increase in distribution and demand led to an expansion of the original brewery in 2013, in which production levels were initially slated to be over 2300 cases a month but instead went up to 3500. Distribution expanded into Aguascalientes and Cancun, and the company began exporting to the U.S. and Australia.

By 2015 the brewery had reached its maximum capacity of 7000 cases per month. This led to construction of a new plant in Tala, Jalisco. The new factory, which is currently 50% completed, is projected to cost 1.8 million dollars (U.S.) and will have the capacity to produce over 115,000 cases per month, and make the company one of the largest craft brewers in Mexico. The construction was designed to be completed in two phases: phase 1, which is complete, and phase 2, which is scheduled to start in late 2016 and be completed in 2018. The brewery has partnered with the Higher Institute of Tala for scientific development and training of students, in order to create a skilled workforce for the 170 jobs that are expected to be created as a result of the expansion.

Berber Cerveza Oscura is a Dark and creamy full-bodied Ale. The caramel and roasted black malts give it a deep brown to black color and a rich and toasty flavor of chocolate and coffee. Because of the intensity of its aromas, Berber Oscura can be enjoyed from the first sip until the final swallow. Recommended food pairings are chocolate truffles or seasoned food.