It had to be done, after years of dedicated research six of the Armada Sur booked up for the Dorada Sin Secretos brewery tour just above Santa Cruz. We met up in Los Cristianos for some last minute liquid research into our subject matter and caught the 110 direct Titsa bus to the capital.

I had thought we might have to scrum down for the bus but it was pretty empty so we were able to spread out at the back and enjoy the trip. Of course we had a quick chorus of Oasis Oasis as we passed our football watering hold half way up the motorway. Santa Cruz was warm and sunny with the Carnaval fair under construction down by the tram terminal. We hopped on and were whizzed up to the stop just past the brewery. With plenty of time in hand we adjourned to the Tasca La Antorcha just up the side road.

What a nice friendly bar it was, they thought we were workers from the brewery, we ordered a nice spread of tapas to go with our Dorada’s and emerged fully prepared. I did the tour about a year ago but was looking forward to another visit, our two guides Laura and Rebeca were rather lovely and very informative with Laura speaking excellent English picked up in Kent. After paying our 3 euros first up was a film about the history of the company, then we got kitted out in our high visibility jackets – no sneaking off for a crafty swim in the beer vats then. 

Into the cooking area and we were able to see how the brewing process works and see the malt, hops and yeast at work, the smell was delightful. Going up in the big elevator I couldn’t help thinking of Willy Wonka however this lift led to the packing plant we popped little plugs in our ears as the clinking of the bottles charging along the belts is very loud. It’s surprising to see how few staff are needed on the floor as the washing of bottles and crates is automatic. Next stop was the lab where they carry out quality control on the brews, we were fortunate to meet the boss who answered questions from us. Dorada has another plant in Las Palmas where the cans are filled while the bottles get the magic liquid here in Santa Cruz.

That left one last stop, the museum and tasting room, by now our taste buds were gagging for some beer. Of course our only motivation for doing the tour was educational so it was good to see the range of bottles, cans, and posters that had been used over the years, the new carnaval bottles are the latest addition. Would we like to sample the beer? Silly question, of course we did and had a couple of beers each to savour, it tasted even better with our added knowledge. We reluctantly said farewell to the ladies and caught the tram down into Santa Cruz for a quick walk through the city centre to the bus station. Arriving with 20 minutes to wait for our bus we visited the bar for a top up and then headed south for the football at The Merry Monk. What a perfect day.