The name of this business already gives you a good clue as to what these guys do: it’s a craft brewery and it’s run by a couple of Kiwis! Well, kind of… really one Kiwi and one Catalan – but “UnKiwi” just doesn’t have the same ring to it, and Judit, the Catalan, is an honorary Kiwi at this stage anyway!
In case you were unaware, the Kiwi is a species of flightless bird native to New Zealand and is one of the symbols of the country, so much so that New Zealanders are commonly referred to as ‘Kiwis’, including by themselves. We hope you weren’t thinking about the fruit! That’s native to China and has nothing to do with beer!
(Right after writing that last sentence, a Google search revealed that there is, in fact, a kiwi-fruit beer from a brewery in Victoria, Australia! One just never knows, does one?!)
But we digress…
Los DosKiwis
The Kiwi in question in this business is Michael Jones from the North Island of New Zealand, who, after a stint living in Australia, found himself in London where, in 2010, he met his partner, Judit Piñol, who had left her native Catalunya to pursue a music and modelling career. During their time living in London, they would sometimes holiday on the Costa Brava, and although they felt a strong connection to the region and felt it could be a great place to live one day, they were not yet ready to trade the city for the countryside.
They also found the lack of choice of decent-quality beers pretty frustrating at times. Back then, there were far fewer Catalan craft beers in existence, and some of those that were around were really more akin to ‘homebrews’, and the quality was a bit on the random side.
Michael and Judit had friends involved in The Grifter Brewing Company in Sydney, and a trip there in 2013 was when the seeds for DosKiwis Brewing were subconsciously planted. Further stints living and working in the Netherlands and Berlin followed after London before the couple came to live in Llofriu, near Palafrugell. They didn’t really start thinking about producing craft beer though until they brewed a 30 litre batch for a friend’s wedding in France in 2015. The beer was so well received by the guests that they decided to keep brewing.
Looking back, their friends at The Grifter Brewery served as inspiration, and the wedding gave them the confidence to decide to take the plunge and go into the brewing business themselves in 2016.
Getting started
Initially, they did some contract brewing with a couple of already existing craft breweries, Popaire in Blanes and WHYM from Vilablareix, near Girona city. Although these collaborations were generally positive experiences, this method was not economically viable in the long run. In addition, they really wanted to brew beers that were completely their own, using their own recipes and in their own brewery. After quite a while searching for a suitable building for a brewery, they eventually came across an old barn just outside Rupià that had been unoccupied for some time, and in 2017, they went ahead and signed the lease.
The project takes shape
There was a lot of work to be done before any brewing could commence on the new premises as the building needed to be completely gutted and rebuilt to accommodate the brewing equipment that would arrive later, and also comply with Catalan fire and health and safety requirements. They did most of the demolition work themselves before getting the experts in to help with the plumbing and electrical work, as well as putting in a whole new concrete floor.
Nothing was wasted though, as all the wood and metal stripped from the building were reused in creating the taproom. The materials from the old staircase were used to make a table and the taproom itself was built from the old wooden floor.
Michael had to travel back to Australia for family reasons in 2017/18, and while he was there, he managed to gain further useful experience at The Grifter Brewing Company. He also learnt that, since the brewing equipment isn’t manufactured in the country, Australian breweries import their equipment from China, where top-quality machinery can be bought at significantly lower prices than elsewhere. This was obviously the way to go for the new DosKiwis brewery too, and so the equipment was ordered.
An American friend that they had met in London who was a very experienced brewer came over to Rupià for a week or so to lend his expertise for the first few brews and to help get things underway. The DosKiwis Taproom opened to the public in February 2019, and a little bit later, the food-truck was added.
Business was very good the first year, and they had regular events such as beer-tasting and live music on occasion, but the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 obviously made for a much tougher second year. With Covid restrictions now a thing of the past (where it will hopefully remain!), we reckon the only way is up for these guys!
The finest ingredients
Initially, DosKiwis used mostly British and some German malt in brewing but are now beginning to also use 100% organic local Catalan malt as it becomes more available. The hops used to come from all around the globe, with some of the most flavourful hops coming from N.Z. itself, Australia, the USA. Now, they increasingly use hops from right here in Catalunya. DosKiwis particularly value a direct connection with growers and suppliers, and due to the impacts of both Brexit and Covid, they became more motivated than ever to nurture local relationships, shifting more and more to buying from local and organic producers wherever possible.
They also have an arrangement with a farm a couple of kilometres away in Parlavà, where the spent malt from the brewing process is fed to the cows from which their delicious Wagyu burgers are produced. In line with their philosophy and appreciation for all things craft and ecological, the rest of the items on the menu are also locally sourced, seasonal, and all-natural. Reservations are advisable if you plan to eat here, especially at weekends.
Their craft beers
At the moment, there are twelve taps in the taproom, with plans to add two more in the near future. At the time of writing, there are nine different styles of craft beer, including various pale ales, IPAs, a pilsner, an imperial milk stout, and a sour, with the focus on “modern, drinkable, flavourful beers” to use their own words. Two of their brews, “Sometimes Always” and “Summer Teeth”, were awarded the Girona Excel.lent seal of approval for 2020/21, only given to products that are 100% from the Province of Girona and have been selected through blind tastings by the best chefs, winemakers, and gastronomic critics.
Since there is no gluten-free or alcohol-free beer produced, the other three taps are serving a local artisanal cider from Mooma (near Fontanilles), an all-natural gluten-free white wine, and kombucha, a type of fermented tea that has virtually no alcohol and which they make themselves.
Enjoy at home
As well as consuming their beers on-site, you can also purchase them from their online store for home delivery. Their beers are sold in cans rather than bottles and the benefits of this are explained very well on their website. Amongst the main advantages is that cans better preserve the flavour of the beers by protecting them from sunlight and almost completely eliminating oxygen which affects the freshness.
Their cans are made from recycled aluminium and are, in turn, recycled again. They are also much lighter than bottles, plus their shape allows more beer to be transported per truck and require less packaging, significantly reducing the carbon footprint.
In addition to cans, they also have kegs available if you’re thinking of throwing a house party! Brewery tours and beer-tasting sessions can also be booked via the website.
Getting there
You can drive to DosKiwis, of course, but then it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun! And who would want to be the designated driver?! You can also get there on the Sarfa No. 11 bus that runs between Girona and L’Escala. If you get off the bus at the village of Rupià it’s just a 400m walk to the brewery. The No. 8 bus between Girona and Palafrugell will drop you at La Pera, which is 1.5km away, and the No. 5, 8, or 41/42 buses, also operated by Sarfa, have a stop at Cassà de Pelras, about 2km from DosKiwis.
If you’re coming by train, the brewery is just over 5km from Flaça train station, from where you can either take a cab or one of the above buses. Or maybe get a few friends together and hire a large taxi!
It’s well worth the effort!