Beer Talk in Portimão celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of the Algarve's master brewers

Beta Talk Portimão, in its special October edition, invites Algarve brewery masters to share their entrepreneurial journeys […]

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Beta Talk Portimão, in its special October edition, invites Algarve master brewers to share their entrepreneurial journeys and the story of how they embraced the creation of craft beer brands in the Algarve.

The “Beer Talk” will take place next Monday, October 16th, from 19 pm, at the Faina restaurant, at the Museu de Portimão, where participants will toast to good ideas with Algarve craft beer and whet the appetite for the “Tail”.

As usual at Beta Talk Portimão, participation is free but subject to prior registration via https://tinyurl.com/betatalkportimao-out2017.

The guests of this special edition will be André Gonçalves, co-founder of Marafada beer, produced in Algoz (Silves), Ivânia Lourenço and Sebastião Afonso, the couple who gave birth to the Moura beer, from Tavira, Peter Alves co-founder of Moça beer, from Faro, and also Tiago Caldeira, the master brewer who created the Abaladiça beer, from Loulé.

«We will be talking to master brewers from the Algarve who have changed their professional course and decided to invest in the new trend of craft beers, giving them a very personal and regional stamp», explains Salomé Cabrita, responsible for organizing Beta Talk Portimão.

André Gonçalves, from «Marafada»

André Gonçalves is co-founder of Marafada beer. Born in the Algarve and trained in Landscape Architecture. But working in an office 8 hours a day would be unthinkable, so he always imagined himself as a small producer of some special product, promoting the Algarve.

Therefore, he produced olive oil, but never put it on the market, and also experimented with organic farming.

He started tasting craft beer in 2011, when he was studying in Lisbon, but at that time, he never imagined producing beer.

As time went by, his taste for craft beer grew, he discovered more and more beers, until, in 2013, he started producing beer for his own consumption, without even thinking about selling.

However, in early 2015, “Marafada” began to reach its first customers. A project made a reality with the support of Quinta dos Avós, in Algoz, which gave the space to the factory, as well as that of his family and partner Rubem Pires.

Marafada's concept is to produce with quality and want to be alongside the best handcrafts in the country. After the craft beer launched in 2015, there are already other successful experiences, like Marafada's orange beer, in the Belgian Witbier style.

Ivânia Lourenço and Sebastião Afonso with their «Moura»

Ivânia Lourenço and Sebastião Afonso are the couple that gave birth to Moura beer in Tavira. Ivânia is a superior clinical analysis technician and Sebastião Afonso has 27 years of training and experience in the field of restoration.

The idea of ​​producing a unique beer on the market arose in 2013, with the discovery of a brewing course in Porto, which led them to seek out more, to be educated and to seek inspiration in the local culture.

In 2014, the Moura® “artisanal made from carob, enchanting beer” was created, brewed in Tavira, where they come from.
A name and ingredients in everything related to this Algarve land: a typical ingredient, brought by the Moors and the history of Moura Encantada de Tavira.

After the success achieved with this first beer, they created another innovative beer, without ever abandoning the love that binds them to the products of the region – the Sabra which, in its genesis, has a little-known fruit, the pita fig.

Currently, the production is all consumed locally and in some parts of the Algarve, but it is part of Sebastião and Ivânia's plans to reinforce its distribution, not only in the region, but in the rest of the country, and, who knows, to try to internationalize.

Pedro Alves and his «Moça» beer

Pedro Alves is co-founder of Moça beer, from Faro. He came from Celorico de Basto to the Algarve to study Mechanical Engineering at UAlg and ended up falling in love with the region.

He started by working in the area of ​​air conditioning and renewable energy for someone else and then in his own business.

The construction crisis led him to look for alternatives and restoration and tourism, which he was just fond of, became new areas of investment.

bet on Faro and in Porto, but quickly realized that remote businesses did not work.

His passion for the region also led him to a great passion for an Algarvean with whom he would share his new bet – the creation of the restaurant/pastry/grocery Vila Adentro.

Taking advantage of the location and potential of the space in the historic area of Faro, and excited about what he had seen in Lisbon and Germany, he decided to bet on a craft beer.

Collaborate in the organization of the first "beer fest" of Faro was the next step, making known different brands of beers.

From there, and taking advantage of Portugal 2020 resources, the historical connection to the city and the taste for the craft beer business, they created Moça – a light, fresh beer, with Algarve ingredients and a modular production that allows them to adapt. looking for. A success, with several girls awaiting authorization to be born soon…

Tiago Caldeira and his «Abaladiça»

Tiago Caldeira is the master brewer who created the Abaladiça beer. It was in Lisbon, his hometown, that he grew up, studied and completed a degree in Philosophy.

After the course, there were times of indecision in which it was bartender, dj, day trader (trading titles in American markets) before starting a career as an advertising copywriter.

The crisis, which led to his being dismissed, and the love for a woman from Loulé brought him to the Algarve.

In southern Portugal, he tried to enter the culinary world, interrupted by a trip to Amsterdam, which inspired him to launch himself in the production of homemade beer.

A couple of years and a few experiences later, he decided to make a profession of beer. In 2016, he did an internship at the Refsvindinge brewery, in Denmark, and, last July, he launched Abaladiça. Now it works to consolidate its brand and the taste of the Algarve for craft beer.

More than an event with a date and time (always on the 16th of each month, in the late afternoon, except when the 16th is on a Sunday, taking place on the following Monday), the Beta Talk of Portimão has become , since July 2012, a meeting point for entrepreneurs and an inspiring movement, promoting contacts and sharing experiences in an informal and relaxed atmosphere.

Beta Talk is an initiative promoted by Beta-i – Association for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and is locally organized by the Municipality of Portimão, with the media partnership of Sul Informação and the collaboration of Escola Secundária Poeta António Aleixo, at the level of the Multimedia Course, which ensures photographic coverage.

Other partners are the University of Algarve, through CRIA – Algarve Regional Center for Innovation/Division of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, ANJE – National Association of Young Entrepreneurs, NERA – Business Association of the Algarve Region, university radio RUA FM, APGICO – Portuguese Association for Creativity and Innovation, GAIM – Academic Research and Marketing Office, and Inesting, in addition to the Algarve Emprego page, in terms of dissemination.

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