Lanzarote Craft Beer Guide — Malpeis, NAO & Where to Drink Them in Playa Blanca

Craft Beer on a Wine Island

Lanzarote is famous for volcanic wine, and we sell plenty of it. But two independent breweries have built a craft beer scene that deserves just as much attention: Malpeis in Tinajo and NAO in Arrecife. If you like beer and you're staying in Playa Blanca, you can try both at Brunchi.shop in Marina Rubicon, on the terrace or to take away.

Most people who ask us "what's good?" end up with one of these in front of them, and it settles the question quicker than we can.

Malpeis — Tinajo, Lanzarote

Malpeis opened its brewery in Tinajo in February 2016, founded by brewmaster Orlando Niz and oenologist Tania Delgado. The name comes from malpaís, the rough, barely eroded volcanic rock of Lanzarote's badlands. Their beers are unfiltered and unpasteurised, and the three originals are named after the colours of the island: Jable (white beach sand), Bermeja (red earth) and Rofe (volcanic ash).

Unfiltered means you may see some haze, and that's normal. It's how the beer is meant to look.

• La Fresca — Session IPA, 4.5%. Pale, slightly cloudy, tropical and citrus hops. Very light and refreshing. This is the terrace beer, and the one we point first-timers towards.
• Jable — Blond Ale, 5%. Golden, sweet malty aromas, low bitterness. Easy drinking for anyone who says they don't like IPA.
• Bermeja — Red IPA, 6.7%. Amber, peach and apricot hop aroma, intense and fruity with a marked bitterness.
• Rofe — Bock, 7%. Dark brown, rich malt with caramel and coffee notes.
• Chiasss! — Hazy IPA, 6.2%. Ripe stone fruit, orange and tangerine.
• Pa' las Risas — IPA, 5.8%. Coppery gold, apricot and peach, malty finish.
• Lapilli — Imperial Stout, 10%. Roasted grain, coffee and liquorice. A slow sipper at 10%, so share it.
• Pelete — Winter Spiced Beer, 6.8%. Caramel, orange peel and cinnamon. It suits our terrace in the cooler months.

Malpeis bottles are €5.00 at Brunchi.shop. We also stock Malpeis Despiste and other rotating releases, so the shelf is rarely the same two weeks running.

NAO — Puerto Naos, Arrecife

NAO is an independent brewery founded in 2015 in Puerto Naos, Arrecife, with a taproom (El Camarote) in a restored 19th-century fishing-net workshop. They use three barley malts and, in many beers, local Canary Islands grain.

• Lanzarote Lager — 4.8%, gluten-free. Smooth Atlantic lager with Mosaic hops and a hint of honey.
• Mucho — IPA, 6.5%. Gold medal, best English IPA in Spain, Barcelona Beer Challenge 2023.
• Marinera — Blonde Ale, 4.8%. Golden and rounded. Bronze medal, Barcelona Beer Challenge 2023.
• Capitán — American Pale Ale, 5.5%. The beer NAO started with.
• Black Patrón — Black IPA, 7.5%. Dry, hoppy, subtly roasted.
• Cactus — Session IPA, 4.9%. Limited edition with Lanzarote higo indio (prickly pear fruit), intense red and fruity. €6.50 per 44cl can.
• Maresía — Volcanic Grape Ale, 8%. Made with Bodega Vulcano's Malvasía Volcánica grapes.

NAO also makes Hoppyness, a 4.2% hoppy lager that is gluten-free too. If you're avoiding gluten, ask us what's in the fridge that day.

How to Serve and Drink Them

Keep the lighter beers properly cold. La Fresca, Lanzarote Lager, Marinera and Cactus are all at their best straight from the fridge on a warm afternoon. The Cactus can is 44cl, so it's a decent size for sitting over.

The strong, dark ones are different. Rofe, Black Patrón and especially Lapilli open up when they've lost a little of the fridge chill. If you're taking them back to your apartment, give them ten minutes on the side before pouring.

Because Malpeis is unpasteurised, treat it kindly. Don't leave bottles in a beach bag or a hot hire car all day. Take them back to the fridge and they'll be fine.

Pour into a glass if you can. Hazy IPAs and fruit beers show off their colour and aroma far better than they do from the bottle or can.

What to Eat With Them

Lanzarote food suits beer better than most people expect. These are our usual suggestions:

• La Fresca or Lanzarote Lager with grilled fish, calamari or a simple salad. Light beer, light food.
• Jable or Marinera with papas arrugadas and mojo. The soft malt calms the salt and the spice.
• Bermeja or Mucho with burgers, spicy dishes or anything fried. The bitterness cuts straight through.
• Cactus with local goat's cheese. The fruity acidity works the way a fresh white wine would.
• Rofe with cured meats and hard cheese.
• Lapilli with dark chocolate, or on its own as a nightcap.

Malpeis vs NAO — Which Should You Try?

Both. Malpeis is unfiltered and hop-led, with big IPAs and a proper bock. NAO has award-winning IPAs, two gluten-free lagers and the one-of-a-kind Cactus.

If you'd rather not think about it, take a light beer from each side first, say La Fresca and Lanzarote Lager, then move up to the IPAs. Florin will tell you to finish on the stout. Your sensible friend will tell you to stop at two.

Belgian Beer and More

Alongside the local brewers we keep Belgian abbey and Trappist beers and TF Brew'n IPA, the Twin Flames craft beer with impact. The Twin Flames brand is headquartered in Malta, and the IPA is 5.6%, in a 6.50 euro can for those counting.

Belgian beers are a good contrast to the island beers if you're building a flight. It's a fun way to see how different the same idea can taste.

What Customers Ask Us

Which one if I've never had craft beer?

La Fresca or Lanzarote Lager. Both are light, cold and nothing like the heavily bitter IPAs people fear.

Is there anything for people who avoid gluten?

Yes. NAO Lanzarote Lager and NAO Hoppyness are both gluten-free. Stock moves, so ask on the day.

Can I try before I buy?

Whatever you like best, you can then take away in bottles.

Do you do cocktails?

Not with beer. We keep to Sangria and Aperol Spritz as our cocktail-style drinks, plus spirits with mixers.

Where to Drink Craft Beer in Playa Blanca

Brunchi.shop is at Calle El Burrugo 44B, Marina Rubicon, Playa Blanca. Open Monday to Saturday 10am-3pm and 6pm-10pm (closed Sundays), so plan around that. Drink on our harbour-view terrace or take bottles back to your hotel. Everything in the fridge is available both ways. Stock rotates, so ask Florin what's in today.

Can't make it in? Email consultas@brunchi.shop.