The hearts behind Bulgarian products, the people who not only follow trends, but also follow traditions. Those who know the taste of local. A series that will introduce you to producers from all over Bulgaria - people with a mission, history and a taste for the real thing.
Rombus Brewery is a small family brewery located in the town of Pazardzhik. It is believed that Rombus is the oldest name of the Maritsa River, which flows through the Thracian town. The rhombus is the basis of the symbols of lineage and kinship in Bulgarian embroidery and reflects the family lineage of the brewery.
They produce their beer only with natural raw materials – malt, hops, yeast and water. They do not add artificial stabilizers and preservatives, do not filter or pasteurize the beer, so as not to take away its natural freshness. So far, they have produced over 110 types of beer, including those aged in barrels, with roses, with lavender, salt, chili peppers and what not.
A few years after the brewery opened, the restaurant next to it also opened its doors. Yes, there is an indoor garden. The Rombus kitchen prepares seasonal food, with local products and juicy meat, slowly smoked in a Texas smoker. To solve the eternal question of "Who will drive", at the end of the lockdown they also opened a hotel part above the brewery. They started making sausages to offer in the restaurant and thus the "Sausage House" was born - a workshop for artisanal delicacies.
And all dogs are welcome, both in the hotel and in the restaurant, at no extra charge.
Gabriela and Stoycho tell about the history, beginnings and development of Rombus from a family tradition to beer on almost every table.
I'll take you back a little to a time when there wasn't such a variety at beer stands. What is the history of craft beer?
G.: The craft beer revolution began in the 70s in the USA as a kind of protest against mass-produced beer. The movement quickly spread throughout the world and changed the way we think about beer – not just as a drink, but as a craft product that is layered with culture and history. In Bulgaria, this wave came quite late.
Did this help you decide to start your own business, namely beer production?
S.: Yes, when we started our venture, there was no alternative on the Bulgarian market. Although there are over 100 styles of beer in the world, on the shelf of a regular store you could find at most two or three. So, we started – out of love for beer, for the vast world of unknown tastes and aromas. Out of curiosity. And out of stubbornness. Because everyone said it couldn't be done, especially outside of Sofia.
Doesn't this also come from our typical skepticism?
S.: Yes, there was a certain amount of skepticism at first. When we opened the brewery in 2016, craft beer was an unknown niche product. It was as if there was an invisible barrier between people and unfamiliar tastes.
What was the beer you drank 10 years ago?
S.: Homemade. 13 years ago our family started home brewing. Captivated by the magic of beer, we started experimenting with different recipes, which only increased our curiosity for new and new flavors.
When did you move to larger scale production?
S: It started as an experiment that we shared with friends and gradually the idea was born to scale up so that more people could dive into this frothy adventure. Beer is ultimately a social drink that should be shared with family and friends. Then the idea of a craft brewery was born, which would allow us to introduce a wider circle of people to the diversity of tastes and aromas that beer offers. Gradually the idea took shape and was no longer just a frothy dream.
How many types of beer do you produce today?So far, we have produced over 110 types of beer – the first Bulgarian sour beers, those aged in a barrel, with added damask rose, lavender, herbs, spices, fruits, salt and hot peppers. And while 10 years ago it was difficult to get anyone to try something like that, today consumers already have clearly formed preferences.
Perhaps not only has greater choice made us more demanding consumers, but there has certainly been a change in requirements.
G.: Consumers today are much more curious, more demanding and informed. As such, we all want more than just a product – we want authenticity, transparency. We want the food and drinks we put on our table to have ingredients we can read, not have traveled millions of kilometers to quench our thirst.
In this sense, craft brewing is a return to the roots of craft. We brew our beer with imagination, but also with respect for tradition.
What does this philosophy look like applied to the production process?
G.: We carry out most of the processes by hand and use only natural ingredients – malt, hops, yeast and water, without compromising on the quality of the raw materials. Without additional stabilizers and preservatives. We do not pasteurize the beer so as not to take away its natural freshness and thus preserve all the beneficial substances contained in the malt, hops and yeast.
What is the path of beer to the table?
S.: The journey of beer from grinding the grain to the glass is not short. This process takes at least 21 days, and for some styles, even much longer.
Describe a typical day at the brewery?
S.: The brewing day begins with malt grinding. During this time, the water is heated and the mixing of the ground malt and warm water in the saccharification vessel begins. In the saccharification process, the natural enzymes contained in the malt are activated by the temperature and break down the long sugar chains of the polysaccharides into simpler sugars that dissolve in the water. Saccharification lasts 60-90 minutes. The wort is then separated, which is transferred to a brewing vessel, where we repeatedly add hops. It is a natural stabilizer and, thanks to the significant amount that we put in our beer, it has a sufficiently long shelf life. After the end of the brewing, the wort is cooled to the necessary temperature for fermentation and transferred to a fermentation vessel, where yeast is added to ferment it. The fermentation process lasts about 7 days, during which brewer's yeast converts sugars into alcohol, carbon dioxide, esters, and other aromatic and flavor compounds.
The beer is then transferred to a maturation tank, where fermentation is completed. The beer is saturated with carbon dioxide and complex biochemical processes take place, through which the beer matures and acquires its refreshing taste.
How long does this take?
S.: This process takes at least another 15 days. The maturation of higher alcohol beers can take much longer, sometimes even years!
What are your most popular beers and have you answered why they are among the most preferred?
S.: When you discover craft beer, you look for more extreme flavors that you can easily distinguish. Over time, your palate becomes saturated and you start to enjoy the balance. Our favorite beers are the ones you can enjoy all evening in good company and with the right food.
Craft beer distribution is no less difficult. How do you overcome the challenges in it?
S.: With compromises. We have stopped selling bottled beer and currently offer only draft beer. This guarantees that everyone can enjoy the freshest and crispest beer. In addition, our production is very small and at this stage we have few points of sale.
Are you opening the restaurant and hotel during Covid? Was that part of the original plan or did it come naturally?
G.: Our brewery is the fruit of our love for beer and the little pleasures of life. We were often asked, “Is there anything to eat?” and so in 2016 we opened a restaurant. We believe that less is more and this is clearly evident in the food we offer. You won’t find a multi-page menu here, but just a few items prepared on site with local produce, seasonal food and slow-cooked and smoked ribs and other delicacies.
Then came the question, "Who's going to drive?", right?
G.: Exactly. In 2021, we also opened a few hotel rooms above the brewery to finally solve the problem of this eternal question. And since we believe that a dog is synonymous with happiness, all pets are welcome both in the restaurant and in the hotel.
And how did the Sausage Shop come about?
S.: We produce all sausages only from chilled Bulgarian meat, sea salt and spices, and my father – Temelko – is the man who prepares these delicacies. From lukankov sudzhuk to Italian-style raw-dried sausages with orange, fennel, boletus or blueberry.
I can't help but ask, what is the best appetizer for beer, in your opinion?
G.: Contrary to popular belief, beer does not only go with chips, sprats and potatoes. Craft beer offers a variety of tastes and aromas and, when combined correctly, they elevate food to a completely different level. For example, beers with a more pronounced malty sweetness combine perfectly with seafood, but also with mature aromatic cheeses. Bitter, more hoppy beers are an ideal companion for foods with a more intense taste – fatty, salty, spicy, fish. Dark beers with chocolate notes are a faithful companion to desserts, chocolate, red meat and mature cheeses.
And the best company for a beer?
G.: The best beer is the one you share. Beer is a bridge between people, a reason to stop and talk to your people. For so many years, we have noticed that everyone speaks the same language when it comes to beer. This is exactly what we had in mind when we named one of our beers "Aloha". According to the Hawaiian population, the exotic greeting "Aloha" means much more than "Hello". Aloha is a way of life. To accept others without prejudice, to have fun, no matter what you do. Aloha is trust, shared joy, harmony, respect for nature and others, patience, perseverance, responsiveness, a wish for happiness. This is the spirit of Aloha, this is the spirit of beer.
