Mahou San Miguel invests 11m euros in Spanish craft beer hub

Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel will invest €11 million to create a collaborative space in which craft brewers will be able to share ideas and develop their beers, mainly for commercialisation in the European market.

Called Brewhub, it is the first such centre that the company has launched in Spain. It will be promoted by Mahou San Miguel’s subsidiary Cervecera Independiente and be located next to its production site in Córdoba.

With the launch of the project, which is expected to be operational in 2019, Mahou aims to consolidate its position in the craft beer segment; last year it bought a 30% stake in US craft brand Avery Brewing.

The Brewhub will be an open space for all “nomadic” craft breweries which do not have their own plant and aim to grow but have limited facilities.

Mahou said the centre will allow craft brewers to have greater levels of control in the production process and that it will give them a guarantee of quality.

The site has been created to become a reference point for new brewers, not just in Spain but also internationally. Its facilities will be specifically designed to produce a wide variety of styles and batches.

It will also have multi-option packaging lines that will allow for the output of a wide range of formats, including bottles, cans and barrels.

Benet Fité, director general of Mahou San Miguel’s new business unit, said: “The craft movement is a clear example of collaboration and an innovative spirit, two values ​​that in Mahou San Miguel govern our daily activities.

“As leaders of the sector, our mission is to continue promoting creativity and beer culture in our country and, for this reason, we have listened to the artisan sector.”