Cerveza Alhambra

History

Although it is not something that everybody knows, Cervezas Alhambra started first with four friends and they had four types of beer: Bavaria, Spanish table, English pale ale and German, but it seems that this first attempt of the Granada company was not successful and they disappeared after a few years.

Years later, in 1925, Carlos Bouvard Dür, a French businessman who lived in Barcelona and was dedicated to the commercialization of malt, contacted two of his acquaintances, Antonio Knörr and Ortiz Urbina (Cervezas Knörr or La Esperanza de Vitoria) and they decided to create different beer companies: in Valencia Turia, Estrella de Levante in Murcia, Ceuta Estrella de África, Industrial Cervecera Sevillana and Cerveza Granada. Shortly afterwards they discovered that the name Cervezas Alhambra was available and they awarded it to them. In 1954, Cervezas Damm had already taken over the majority of the shares of Cervezas Alhambra.

That same year its founder, Carlos Bouvard Dürr, died and it was decided to renew all the machinery and give the factory a new look. Between the 1960s and 1980s the company had achieved great success and was placed in 5th position among the breweries. In 1985, it began to be seen that Alhambra's consumption and sales had dropped significantly. During the following ten years, the situation continued to worsen and the company announced its imminent and inevitable closure.

In February 1925 and after the suspension of payments was presented, Antonio Perera Cantero, from the management team, a group of people from the board of directors and a few workers resisted. The debt already exceeded 114 million pesetas. Miguel Ángel Serrano Aguilar, manager of the Instituto de Fomento de Andalucía, appeared and offered his help by granting them a mortgage guarantee loan and 25% aid. In 1196, they finally manage to see some light at the end of the tunnel with the appearance of the Penta Group, which acquired 99% of the shares of Cervezas Alhambra.

The master brewer and chemist Miguel Hernainz y Bermúdez de Castro, also plays an important role in all history, Miguel obtains a product of very high quality and they launch the Cerveza Alhambra 1925, surprisingly, and under the astonishment of all, they manage to please the public very much and the stocks are immediately exhausted. In the year 2000, Cervezas Alhambra had already acquired different companies such as Cerveza de Gijón or Águila de Córdoba and consolidated itself as the 5th national producer under only Heineken, Mahou, Cervecera de Canarias and Damm, until a few years later, specifically in 2007, Grupo Mahou San Miguel took over the company from Granada, respecting its history at all times and preserving the name.

At present, Cervezas Alhambras is at the top, achieving sales of some 8.8 million euros in 2019, 7.7% more than the previous year.

Outstanding products

- Alhambra Reserve 1925

- Alhambra Red Reserve

Awards

- World Beer Awards 2019 Gold and Silver, by Baltic Porter.

- Superior Taste Award 2016, three stars and two Gold for Alhambra Especial and Alhambra Reserva 1925

Special Editions

"Alhambra Limited Edition Granada"

Cervezas Alhambra decides to pay homage to the city by launching a limited edition of 500,000 bottles that will only be sold in Granada.

Alhambra "Matching Tower"

Created by the artist Andreu Carellu, its mission is to bring art closer to the consumer. It is an Alhambra Reserva Especial 1925 along with two ceramic pieces that, when joined, form a tower where any type of food can be served.

Logo and campaigns

The initial logo of the brand was two lions that referred to the Alhambra's world heritage monument, but in 2017 they surprised us with a new, more sober logo, a piece of the Alhambra's latticework. They get the good acceptance of the public without renouncing to their origins.

-Alhambra Beers 2020 Campaign "We are Family"

-Alhambra Beers Campaign 2019 "Numbered Beers"

-Alhambra Beers Campaign 2019 "Stop More, Feel More"

-Alhambra Beers 2019 Campaign "Satisfying Alhambra Special"

-Alhambra Beers Campaign 2018 "Feel More" 

-Alhambra Beers Campaign 2017"Manifesto" 

Interesting facts

Granada is the first Spanish city where you can find a beer spa. Beer Spa is an idea of some Granada businessmen with great experience in other beauty spas and while researching they took the idea from other northern European countries. The idea is especially linked to Granada and that is why they have chosen products from the area such as the Alhambra Beer.