Unrivalled expertise is brewed from a global beer adventure

It is insight that comes from friendly discussions with passionate brewers and connecting with a culture that tends to be slightly different from that in larger industrial breweries. 

“These are generally people who have a more relaxed approach and are not afraid to experiment and try new things,” says Jarim. “We have customers who started in their garage and have learned as they have gone on. These customers don’t necessarily want a hard sales pitch, and when I visit, they love to talk about beer and the brewing process, and I’m delighted to do that.” 

And he does that all over the world – from the US to Mozambique and Belgium to Mexico – where he started his career in brewing – for tours and meetings that are vital to getting under the skin of the sector and understanding the trends and innovations that are unfolding in craft brewing.  

“Craft brewing is booming worldwide now, but the passion and drive of our customers are very similar, wherever they are from,“ says Jarim. “They are keen to share knowledge and are very open to learning from others. When I visit, I can offer the knowledge I have from over 12 years in the industry and the awareness of how our products can help them, but I can also point out small changes they could make that could benefit them and won’t cost them anything – and they really appreciate that!” 

From a product perspective, Jarim’s experience with the wider brewing industry has helped him offer solutions for his craft customers. An example is the Aldox Mini, a smaller version of the Aldox used by big breweries but adapted for the craft sector to deaerate water for use in the process. This is part of a wider picture where Alfa Laval readily offers its support and expertise to help craft brewers operate sustainably – important in an industry that uses a lot of water. 

“It’s this kind of thing that gives reassurance to our craft customers that we are an expert partner that they can trust,” says Jarim. “Sustainability is important to them, and we can support them in this while delivering the latest equipment to boost the profitability of their operations. Then, we can sit down and talk to them for hours about beer! Ultimately, we understand what they are all about and what they want to achieve.” 

Jarim’s extensive overview of craft brewing gives him a unique insight into the current and possible future trends going on in the sector. One of the major recent moves has been the popularity of non and low-alcohol beers alongside ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, such as cocktails and flavoured drinks. 

“These are trends that are here to stay and reflect the diversification in craft brewing,” he says. “If a group of people are going out to a craft bar, maybe not all of them will like beer or do not want to drink too much alcohol, and the brewers are responding to that market.” 

And that diversification is happening within the ‘traditional’ beers on offer, with distinct current trends. Hazy, Session and West Coast IPAs are definitely in the ascendancy, with more lager also being brewed at the craft level. 

“Lager has traditionally been the product associated with industrial brewers and was really part of the reason craft brewing started up – from enthusiasts wanting to brew something different. But now those enthusiasts are going back to lager to do it from a different angle.” 

Jarim finds that the craft ethos means that the sector is ever-changing and never boring to work in. 

“Craft brewers capture the imagination because they are unafraid to take risks, and they have a flexibility that industrial brewers do not,” he says. “For example, they can opt for having an open fermentation tank to let the air in, allowing spontaneous fermentation with “wild yeast” and brew a sour beer – and bigger breweries just wouldn’t do that as it would risk their existing yeasts. 

“This approach creates a wider community where brewers will open their doors for tours and events, and local communities tend to be very supportive of that. More and more, you will find craft brewing associations, festivals, and very active social media and blogging accounts that tell the wider world what the brewer is all about. It’s a very nice community with people from different cultures – and the uniting subject is beer.” 

And what is the social drink of choice for the man who spends his working life tasting hundreds of beers around the globe? 

“I love to go out to a bar with my wife and friends, and I will tend to go for a Session IPA. They are very drinkable and relatively low in alcohol at around 4% to 5%. That suits us as we are not that young anymore!”