Baja California

Trying out new flavors with Ludica Artesanal

A new brewery that doesn't shy away from trying new things

By Jorge Guevara2014-08-24T03:01:40+00:00

The craft beer movement in Baja California is increasingly making more waves at a national and international level, especially at beer competitions where the ranking of local breweries increases each time.This has generated more interest and more people are launching their own lines of brews, each with new and interesting combinations. Such is the case of Ivan Garcia and Gustavo del Castillo, who created Ludica Artesanal, a young brewery with a big dream.

We recently caught up with them to talk about how their beer is gaining more popularity, especially after their recent debut at the past Expo Cerveza Artesanal. The meeting took place at 1994 Bar, a favorite among beer aficionados and home to many local brew enthusiasts. We sat down with the Ludica Artesanal team, which fortunately had brought out their entire repertoire so that we could try them out and understand why this is one of Baja's best kept secrets.

Iván García and Gustavo del Castillo from "Lúdica Artesanal"

After a brief chat, we moved onto tasting the goods, spread out before us, their complete line of beers, a hard cider, and a surprise beer that is not yet on sale.

We first tasted the cider, which may seem odd to many, but the fermentation process for ciders and beers are similar in many degrees, except in this case the main source of the beverage is apples instead of hops.

Ivan tells us that his inspiration was on the British side, where cider is much easier to get even when underage, but at the same time is a great starter for people who aren't yet keen on beer. The name of the cider is "Valkiria" of Nordish mythology, where minor gods chose the most heroic among those who fell in battles and took them to Valhalla. The name pays homage to the glory bottled in each cider. The cider has 8.5% alcohol, made of apple juice fermented with wine yeast and yielding a refreshing drink with apple tones and slight bitterness, high carbonation, and easy to drink.

Supermacs was the next in line, an american pale ale with a simple recipe made up of a single hop that is changed with each batch. So, basically, with each Supermash you try you are drinking a different beer with the same base. The name was inspired by a popular Nintendo videogame and because of its form of preparation. Supermash is very refreshing and very hoppy, with just 5.5% content of alcohol.

Descomunal was one of my favorites at the Expo Cerveza Artesanal, and is a lager fermented at ale temperatures which brings out fruity tones. This style was inspired by the Gold Rush era in San Francisco, after European immigrants had to modify their brewing techniques to adapt to the local climate. The name is precisely homage to that, while it is a California Common, it breaks standards with its personal touch. This is a clear amber lager with white head, strong bitterness, and toasted malt and caramel flavors, with light fruity tones and only 5.1% alcohol, ideal for a hot summer night or after work.

The next in line was the Aura, a Hoppy Belgian Ale style beer that surprised be due to its well balanced flavors of IPA and Belgian yeast, a golden beer with white head and chock full of IPA Americana style hops, with citrusy fruit tones and other flavors deriving from the Belgian yeast. this is a well-balanced, easy to drink beer. But careful, because at 7.5% it is bound to hit you fast.

Finally, the Ermitaño, which translates to hermit, is not yet for sale but is sure to be a hit.

A beer inspired by Monastery Belgian beers, dark red and clear head, medium-high body, and dry fruit tones, sweet malt, burned sugar and spices. With a fresh sweetness thanks to its 11% alcohol content, the secret is that this beer is drenched with prunes soaked in cognac which are added to the process, and give it a Porto wine taste. The name is due to its high alcohol content which means it is advisable to drink on its own. Ludica Artesanal always thinks out its beers for different situations, and this one was designed to be drunk alone, in the confines of your home.