Bamboo pale Ale beer from modern craft brewery

In order to be a novel alternative in the industry of microbreweries in Mexico, a young entrepreneur opted for the manufacture and marketing of a beer made from bamboo, first of its kind in the country and Latin America, a fact that led him in 2012 to create the company Bambusa, located in Cholula, Puebla, in center Mexico.

The product was created with the intention of being a unique drink of its kind, made with natural ingredients and high quality in order to generate a whole concept and identity. "In 2011 I had the opportunity to be awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Commerce in China, where I learned more about the virtues of bamboo," says Mauricio Mora Tello, founder and owner of the company.

During his two-month stay in China he deepen his knowledge about bamboo and its benefits, given he is a producer and has had bamboo plantations in Puebla for some years. So he returned to Mexico with the firm idea of entering the craft beer market with a unique formula.

"For several months, numerous tests were performed with different varieties of bamboo and different sections of the plant to find the right variety and the part where the extract would be obtained. The latter is distilled from the foliage and applied precisely in the part of the beer fermentation prepared with two hops, yeast and wheat malt" he adds.

The preparation requires 15 days, is carried out in stainless steel tanks and the process avoids filtering the beverage so it has more texture and retains its natural ingredients. The result is a brown Ale beer (highly fermented), refreshing, spicy, fruity and herbal final flavor, with six degrees of alcohol and a thick foam.

"When the beer was ready for release, I decided to create the company, whose initial production capacity was 80 liters per month, which after a year and half rose to 600 and we plan to double it in a few months. The commercial launch was in November 2012 during the Puebla Beer Fest event, "says Mora Tello.

Working with bamboo is fascinating because it is a plant with great potential; it also provides environmental benefits, managing in a year to capture 14 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare. It also has various commercial applications, serving as building material, laminates and particleboard, and in the manufacture of beverages, paper, charcoal and vinegar.

"However, the manufacture of such products has not been seen as viable in the economic development of Mexico. That is why the brewing in part is an excuse to promote the applications and benefits of the bamboo business, "says Mora Tello, who not only cultivates the kind used for beer, but others specific for furniture, crafts and paper.