Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you and your current job?Jeremy Luz – Head of International Sales and Marketing. Originally from Eugene, Oregon I ventured across the pond to Europe a little more than 10 years ago. Growing up with the joys of the microbrewery movement in Oregon I was relieved to see interest in Spain and the rest of Europe in drinking better beer, and now I love being a part of the exciting and vibrant scene here.
What was the inspiration behind your brewery?Exploration, adventure, experimentation, and innovation. This is the ethos behind Edge and drives what we do. That and a large dose of madness, which is needed to face the Spanish bureaucracy in order to set up a micro-brewery here. But wind back 5 years and Barcelona’s lure was just too strong. The micro-brewing scene was in its infancy with promises of big things to come. Drawing inspiration from the vibe of the city, our friends in the industry and applying the craft brewing expertise we had developed back in our native USA, we started to experiment with flavors and styles. Since then we’ve brewed a whole range of beers, including Bourbon barrel-aged Imperials Stouts and Belgian-style beers, as well as hoppy ales and crazy fruit infused sours.
Can you give us a tour of your beer scene? This is the best time to be a part of what is becoming known as “Beer City Barcelona” and the city is headed towards becoming an elite European beer destination. When Edge started out it was pretty lonely, there were virtually no other microbrewers in the city. Fast forward less than 5 years and Barcelona’s craft beer scene is exploding. Bars, pubs, breweries, shops and festivals focused on good beer are popping up all over the city. This September alongside our friends at Garage Beer Co., What’s Brewing, and Brewski we are putting together a world-class gathering of brewers for a festival that will celebrate our craft (MASH Festival). Something unimaginable just a few years back. A few Spanish breweries worth knowing are Agullons, Garage, La Pirata, Guineu and Black Lab.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a brewery?Aside from the obvious passion, determination, skill, and creativity needed make sure you’ve got a thick skin, a can-do attitude and know what you want from your business. With new breweries popping up everywhere it is important to produce consistently the best quality suds possible. Your branding will also play a key role in the success of your brewery, so think about what story you want to tell. Finally, put the time in. Roll up your sleeves, get your head in a mash tun and everything else will follow. If you only took one piece of advice that would be: don’t play it safe. Creativity is everything.
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