Mahou San Miguel inaugurates Brewhub collaborative facility

Spanish beer maker Mahou San Miguel has invested €11 million in a new collaborative space for craft breweries to share ideas and develop their beers.

Called Brewhub, the facility is located in Córdoba, Spain, and is open to all ‘nomad’ breweries that do not have their own plant or are looking to expand yet lack the necessary facilities to do so.

It will allow the production of a variety of styles and batches, covering the entire production process, from conception to the design of packaging and labels.

Madrid-headquartered Mahou San Miguel, which makes brands such as San Miguel and Alhambra, announced the facility last year. Initially, the Brewhub will have a production capacity of 50,000 hectolitres that, through new expansion phases, will grow to 110,000 hectolitres and could eventually reach 500,000 hectolitres.

Alberto Rodríguez-Toquero, Mahou San Miguel managing director, said: “As leaders in the sector, we maintain a firm commitment with the development of pioneering initiatives that enable evolution and growth.

“The craft movement is a clear example of this transformation and we wish to boost it through a project based on innovation and collaboration. This centre stems from the calling for becoming a point of reference in the artisan brewery sector at an international level.” 

Mahou San Miguel said the facility has been designed to fulfil the requirements and distinctive features of craft production. It has hired Javier Aldea, founder of Nómada Brewing, as Brewhub manager.

In December, Mahou San Miguel invested €2.1 million in a new distribution model for the south of Spain. The firm said the project ensures both the competitiveness and long-term sustainability of its sites in Córdoba, Granada, Málaga and Jaén.

The company has a total of eight breweries: eight in Spain, two in the US and one in India.

Last year, it expanded its mineral water portfolio through the acquisition of a 51.8% stake in Aguas del Valle de La Orotava, a Canary Islands-based company that bottles and sells the Fonteide and Los Alpes mineral water brands.