The Best Places To Buy Bamboo Beer

Bamboo beer is a unique, sustainable brew that is challenging traditional brewers and generating multiple benefits for the environment and local communities in Puebla, Mexico. Cerveza Bambusa, located in San Pedro Cholula, has been brewing bamboo beer for over a decade. The beer is mostly sold in the state of Puebla, but can also be found in select restaurants and specialty liquor stores in Mexico. If you're not in Mexico, you can look for their bamboo beer online.

Cerveza Bambusa in San Pedro Cholula, Mexico

Cerveza Bambusa, located in San Pedro Cholula, Central Mexico, is the first bamboo brewery in Latin America. The brewery was launched in 2012 by Mauricio Mora Tello, who combined his love of quality beer with a passion for bamboo. Cerveza Bambusa adds bamboo leaves during the fermentation process to create a sustainable and delicious craft beer. They offer a range of flavours based on traditional, Old World recipes, including German and Belgian varieties like Hefeweizen and Belgian Pale Ale.

Cerveza Bambusa does not have an active website, but you can follow them on Facebook to learn about their public events. Their beers can be found in select restaurants and specialty liquor stores in Mexico, and they can also be purchased online.

The brewery is committed to sustainability and local sourcing. They source their bamboo leaves locally and create jobs in the area between Toluca and Mexico City. Additionally, they prioritise ecological packaging for their products.

The idea of turning bamboo into alcohol is not new. Ancient craft brewers in China and Japan have likely been fermenting bamboo wine and craft ales since the earliest dynasties. However, Cerveza Bambusa is unique in that it adds bamboo to the brewing process to enhance the flavour and raise awareness of bamboo as a resource, rather than using it as a replacement for wheat or barley.

The health benefits of bamboo beer are also notable. The cellulose of bamboo can be fermented into ethanol, resulting in a product suitable as an intoxicant or fuel source. Bamboo beer is high in bio-flavonoids and has better anti-free radical and anti-oxidation activities, making it a healthy option for frequent consumption.

Homebrewing bamboo beer

Ingredients and Equipment:

You will need the usual home brewing equipment, including a fermentation vessel, bottles or kegs, and a brewing kit. For the ingredients, you will need:

• Malt extract
• Hops
• Yeast
• Bamboo leaves or shoots
• Water

Preparation:

First, decide whether you want to use bamboo leaves or shoots. Both options require sanitising the bamboo to avoid contamination. You can do this by torching or soaking the bamboo in vodka. If you choose leaves, you can boil and steep them in water to create a bamboo tea, which can be added to the fermentation process. Alternatively, you can pulverise the leaves or shoots and soak them in vodka or grain alcohol to create a bamboo extract, adding a teaspoon of this to your beer.

Fermentation:

Add your malt extract, hops, and yeast to your fermentation vessel, following your brewing kit instructions. During secondary fermentation, add your bamboo tea or extract. This will infuse your beer with the unique aroma and flavour of bamboo, as well as provide health benefits such as lowering blood lipids.

Bottling or Kegging:

After a week in secondary fermentation, you can bottle or keg your bamboo beer. Condition the beer for a further week or two before serving.

Tips:

• Use young bamboo shoots or leaves for a higher sugar content.
• Oldhamii bamboo is the chief ingredient for bamboo beer.
• Be cautious when planting bamboo, as some varieties spread quickly and are difficult to contain.
• You can experiment with different varieties of bamboo and brewing processes to find your preferred flavour.

Bamboo beer in East Africa

In East Africa, specifically Tanzania, there is a long-standing tradition of brewing beer from the native bamboo species Oxytenanthera abyssinica. This beer is known as Ulanzi, and it is produced by harvesting young bamboo poles during the wet season and collecting the sap or syrup that seeps from the stems. The sugary extract is then fermented to create a sweet and refreshing drink with an alcohol content of around 5%. The process of making Ulanzi is an old tradition in Tanzania, and it is an important part of the local culture, often consumed at weddings, funerals, and other special occasions.

In addition to Tanzania, bamboo beer is also produced in other parts of the world, such as Central Mexico. Cerveza Bambusa, located in San Pedro Cholula, has been brewing bamboo beer for over a decade. The brewery adds bamboo leaves during the fermentation process, creating a unique and sustainable craft beer with a variety of flavours.

While bamboo beer may be difficult to find in some regions, such as the United States, there are efforts to promote local breweries and sustainable farming practices by using fresh bamboo harvests. Some homebrewers have also experimented with creating their own bamboo beer, using various methods to extract flavour and sugars from the bamboo.

Overall, bamboo beer is a unique and interesting beverage with a long history in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania, where it holds cultural significance and is consumed by locals and visitors alike.

Bamboo beer in North America

Bamboo beer is not widely available in North America, but there are a few options for those interested in trying this unique brew. Here is some information on where to find bamboo beer in North America, as well as some insights into the brewing process and the benefits of bamboo beer.

Where to Find Bamboo Beer in North America

One company that offers bamboo beer in North America is Dokkaebier, which produces a bamboo pilsner. This beer fuses the crispness of a European-style lager with the sweetness of almond and honey from bamboo tea and the bitterness of American noble hops. Dokkaebier ships its beer to several states across the USA, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, and Illinois, among others.

In addition to commercial options, some homebrewers in North America have experimented with making their own bamboo beer. One homebrewer in Puerto Rico, for example, brewed a bamboo blonde ale by adding bamboo leaves to the fermentation process. This process is similar to that used by Cerveza Bambusa, a bamboo brewery in Central Mexico, which adds bamboo leaves to its beer during fermentation.

The Brewing Process and Benefits of Bamboo Beer

The process of making bamboo beer typically involves adding bamboo leaves during the fermentation process, as this infuses the beer with the unique aroma and taste of bamboo. Bamboo beer is characterised by a refreshing and mellow taste, with a typical aroma of bamboo leaves. Additionally, bamboo beer has higher levels of bio-flavonoids and exhibits better anti-free radical and anti-oxidation activities. It also has excellent storage stability and lower re-ascend of diacetyl.

Furthermore, bamboo is a sustainable and ecological resource, making it an attractive ingredient for craft beer enthusiasts. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that can be harvested without dying, meaning the carbon is not released and the crop does not need replanting. This makes bamboo an ideal ingredient for breweries looking to promote sustainability and local economies.

Bambusa Cerveza in Puebla, Mexico

Bambusa Cerveza is a unique craft beer from Central Mexico that is brewed with bamboo leaves. The brewery, located in San Pedro Cholula, Puebla, was founded by Mauricio Mora Tello in 2012.

The Brewery

Cerveza Bambusa is the first and only bamboo brewery in Latin America, combining Old World and New World traditions. The brewery does not have an active website, but it does have a Facebook page where followers can stay up to date with public events.

The Beer

The beer is formulated with natural, high-quality ingredients, including bamboo leaves, which are added during the fermentation process. The result is a refreshing, spiced, fruity beer with an herbal aftertaste and a thick foam. The beer has six degrees of alcohol and a brown colour, typical of ales (which are brewed with top fermentation).

The Bamboo

The bamboo used in the beer is grown on two modest plots of land, totalling about 10 hectares, in Puebla. The species used is Bambusa oldhamii, which is the chief ingredient for bamboo beer. Other species grown on the plantation are used for edible shoots or building materials.

Where to Buy

If you're in Mexico, you can find Bambusa Cerveza in select restaurants and specialty liquor stores. You can also buy their beer online. In addition, the beer is available in boutiques that sell craft beer in Puebla, Mexico City, Tlaxcala, Valle de Bravo, and soon in Atlacomulco.

Frequently asked questions