Pura Cerveza: BriBri Springs Brewery

By Lee Heidel Published July 7, 2016

Many visitors to Costa Rica skip over the Caribbean coast of the country, opting instead for the volcanoes, cloud forests or Pacific surfing hotspots. But these less travelled areas have their own histories, stories and surprises to share. In addition to the cocoa farms, incredibly laid-back locals and wide smiled tree-hanging sloths, BriBri Springs Brewery is one of those hidden treasures.

Driving north from the town of Puerto Viejo, you’ll find Kaya’s Place, a roadside hotel overlooking the black sand beaches of Playa Negra. The heavily timbered and brightly painted bar and restaurant serves a wide-ranging menu designed to please weary travelers and neighbors alike. It is also home to a startlingly broad variety of beer styles thanks to the fact that BriBri Springs Brewery is located directly behind the hotel.

bri bri springs brewery — BriBri Springs Brewery in Costa Rica Image used with permission by copyright holder

Brewery owner and brew master J.T. Ficociello relocated to Puerto Viejo from the craft beer mecca of Vermont. He brought a love for hops in his heart and physical bags of hops in his carry-on suitcases as he slowly built up his capacity and diversified his recipes. His beers can now be found both at Kaya’s Place and other taverns in the area.

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Some of BriBri Springs Brewery’s most interesting beers include:

Austen’s Ale is a porter named after a local coconut salesman and is brewed with local organic cacao.

Basi is a completely unique hybrid beer that shares many characteristics with meads. The recipe includes Costa Rican mangoes, pineapple and raw cane sugar and clocks in at a big 14% ABV.

The Caribe Barley Wine shares Basi’s high alcohol by volume but is surprisingly easy to drink compared to its English and American variations. The emphasis here is on complete flavor and not strictly to showcase hops or malts.

Costa Rica’s craft beer scene is evolving quickly. No longer solely the land of Imperial and Pilsen, talented brewers like J.T. and his Bri Bri Springs Brewery are raising the profile of craft beer in the country and creating a vibrant, exciting future for Costa Rican beer.

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Liquor, Beer, Wine & Drinks

Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…

Food & Drink

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north american indigenous breweries bow and arrow

Equity has no borders, so it was only a matter of time for it to arrive at food and drink. While there’s still a long way to go, there have been some significant gains for BIPOC players in the sectors of eateries, wineries, distilleries, and more.
We’ve seen indigenous communities launch successful brands in places like British Columbia and New Zealand. Native peoples are now doing the same in beer, starting up labels all over America. There are relatively few, to be sure, but the movement is a vital one, injecting some due justice in an arena that’s been fairly one-sided for a long, long time.
Here are some ale-making companies owned and operated by indigenous communities that are worth keeping in mind next time your thirsting for a cold one (or two).

Bow & Arrow Brewing Company

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Oskar Blues Brewery Releases French’s Mustard Beer

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Mustard and beer is a great combination, but usually we're talking mustard used as a condiment on a sausage or pretzel alongside a pint. Colorado's Oskar Blues Brewery has taken this pairing to a whole new level with a new collaboration with French's Mustard, appropriately called French’s Mustard Beer. It's a tropical wheat beer that is literally brewed with French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, along with an infusion of fruit and citrus flavors including key lime, lemon, tangerine, and passion fruit. “We’re stoked on bold flavors at Oskar Blues Brewery and we never shy away from a challenge,” said Oskar Blues head brewer, Juice Drapeau, in a prepared statement. “With French’s Mustard Beer we elevated the Classic Yellow Mustard flavor with tangy lemon and lime to create a tropical wheat ale I’d pair with a loaded hot dog on the hottest day of the year.”

This isn't the first food crossover for French's, known for its bright yellow mustard that is ubiquitous at backyard barbecues around the country. Last year, the brand collaborated with Coolhaus to release a mustard ice cream that was available in New York and California for a limited time alongside a pretzel cookie. And Oskar Blues is no stranger to brewing uniquely flavored beer, as indicated by its "Death By" series of brews with such flavors as king cake, coconut, and even affogato.

Food & Drink

This Road in Washington is Where All Your Favorite Beers Get Their Start

Hop farms.

On a map, it doesn’t look like much more than a straight north-south line just southwest of Wapato, Washington. Yet, the road known as Lateral A in the Yakima Valley is one of the most famous hop-growing stretches on earth. Here, one of beer’s critical ingredients grows up along tall trellises as far as the eye can see, harvested annually and sent off to brewers near and far.
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Here, the sun shines more than 200 days per year. It’s an energized environment, one that’s responsible for three of every four hops produced in the entire country. What started as an experimental planting in 1868 is now an impressive patchwork of hop-farms. It’s said that a hotel room in the area is hard to come by in August and September, when bottom cutters meander through rows, harvesting the annual crop and brewer’s celebrate with farm-fresh creations.
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