During the first 15 years of Soda Stereo, Charlie Alberti has become one of the continent’s most popular drummers, with unprecedented support from brands. After the separation of The last concert 1997, he was successful in the world of the Internet and in the diffusion of environmental problems.
Now show another aspect: the creation of a large-scale beer, with quality not only of flavor but also of the entire production process.
Last night Charly launched the brand together with Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes 27 Easywhich has been described as “the first beer made with malt from regenerative agriculture”.
In its elaboration -27 Eazy said-, it supports 23 producers who add up to 570 hectares in the province of Buenos Aires, guaranteeing them the purchase of their harvest in the long term (and at a higher market price) contributing to the necessary transformation towards regenerative agriculture.
Before the conference, Charly spoke at length about the project. He remembered that it all started ten years ago, when he lived in Patagonia and saw the boom in craft beers.
He also referred to Soda Stereo e The Total Thanksgiving Tourwhich in theory ended on May 17 at the Movistar Arena. He did not rule out a last goodbye in the open air, without a date yet. “But we’re not even trying,” she clarified.
“It’s much more than a beer”
-This seems to be more than brewing their own beer, as rock artists like AC / DC did.
-Exactly. This would have taken the desire away with a lesser product. It wasn’t, as AC / DC certainly did, about licensing a brand, period, but I’m the one doing it all together with a great team. It is a project made from scratch, in which I am involved and committed in all aspects, with knowledge that took me ten years to learn. I have been thinking about it for a long time and dreaming about it, which is much more than a beer.
-How did it all start?
-The start was because I was living in Patagonia and the craft beer boiling was happening. Out of pure curiosity, I delved into the subject and met the brewers in the area. It was something that attracted me. One day I was looking at how to finance my R21 foundation and it occurred to me to propose to someone to do a special edition and that the profit would help me finance the foundation, because I kept putting my money to support it.
How did that idea take shape?
-With that noble and simple idea it all began. I did a lot of research, studied, met several brewers and today I know the whole process. At that time I posted several comments on the subject on my social networks and the response was incredible, with good comments from all the countries that follow Soda Stereo. Even big companies started calling me to find out what I was doing. Unusually, I met everyone except Quilmes.
-And what happened?
-In all cases I saw that there were some things that did not coincide with my general idea of the environmental issue. I got excited for some brands and could have closed a deal, but in the end I always ended up having an abortion because I saw that I would not be happy with the result.
-How did you get to Quilmes?
-I told some friends that I couldn’t find a way to finalize my project, and one told me to go and see the people of Quilmes. I met Martín Ticinese, who was marketing manager at the time, I told him everything and he told me to do it. This was almost five years ago.
I’ve been working with companies on sustainability for years, so I started seeing what Quilmes was doing for the environment, which was in a positive change. I know that the processes cannot be changed overnight and I have verified that they are not “greenwashing”.
Soon after, they made an announcement that struck me as spectacular: they had estimated the company’s energy consumption and had decided to invest around $ 300 million to create their own wind farm. That commitment convinced me that I was with the right people to do a project that moved me.
“Generating change on a large scale”
-So it’s more of a new beer. It is “the first beer made with malt from regenerative agriculture”.
-That’s why I say this is not just throwing a beer, because there are so many more things. One of the key legs that he has 27 is to generate a large-scale change that could not be achieved with a craft beer.
In the position that I am in, as an internationally acclaimed public figure, I believed I could make changes on a large scale. This was the most complex part of the project, because the liquid can have its complexities to find the flavor it craved, but much more complex is changing agriculture in the province of Buenos Aires.
-Tell me what the liquid in this beer is like.
-It is a beer of the 21st century: modern and with the attributes of everything that has happened in the last decade with beers. There was a revolution in which flavors and aromas were incorporated that did not exist until recently. Classic beers are 100 years old and have a different process and even a different alcohol content. Therefore, the challenge was to develop a different, blonde beer with a little less alcohol.
This is why 27 was a utopia, because it is very difficult to lower the alcohol content and not lose the taste. But we have succeeded and it is a different product than what is on the market, as well as having a massive distribution.
-What is the other stage of the project?
-The other challenge was the environmental issue and regeneration. We have a planet with serious problems with most of its soils, which have been terribly mistreated by traditional agriculture, both plowing and monoculture and pesticides.
27 will regenerate the barley fields in the province of Buenos Aires. Today, one in four beer in the world is made with Argentine barley and the largest local producer is Quilmes. In other words, in a few years we will achieve that one beer for each is produced with regenerative barley. It is a brutal change and a tremendous challenge.
– Why the name?
-27 has always been a number that accompanied me. If they asked me to choose a number, I always chose it. Later I investigated and many good things speak of the number 27. It has very good energy, it is the union of 2 with 7, and there are esoteric and numerological aspects that I knew as a child because my mother was a tarot reader. It’s like trying to explain why we put Soda Stereo on the band! Some have asked me if it was because of the rock musicians who died at 27, but nothing to do with that.
Was it difficult for you to adapt to the times of a large company? With Soda they moved on their own and immediately realized what they dreamed of.
-It is very difficult, because not only is Charly Alberti going to beer, but she has new things from Quilmes regarding her procedures. This is a Quilmes / AmBev bet on a new business. The company has had a major shift in its thinking. There is a whole new generation of people leading the company who see things differently. It is an apprenticeship for both them and me.
“The adrenaline of starting with something new”
-Does this project replace your musical activity or does it go in parallel?
-I think it’s something that will accompany me. Obviously my musical activity, after what we did with Gracias Totales, had an atmosphere of farewell to the big stages. But maybe I’ll play some festivals with my Mole group.
The reality is that I too am looking for a change in my life and 27 can give me new and interesting situations. I have great partners and we share a dream. It can take me to many places where I can experience new and different things. I already had the big stage, I already had the fame, I got a lot of things and this has the adrenaline of starting with something new.
-So a title could be “Charly Alberti does not leave music but deals with beer”?
-This has more to do with the R21 than with the music. This is more Charly Alberti of the United Nations and on environmental issues. He might be called “The Environmental Musician Who Generates Such a Thing”, something like that. (smiles and continues) I’ve been tempted to put together an Instagram story by saying that I’m going to be reporting a lot these days and asking people to guess what the worst headline will be. I bet someone will say this is “Stereo Beer”! (laughs)
mfb
Source: Clarin
