In 2011, when Juan Ezequiel Campos, the ideologue of this project, was left unemployed with the crisis after 17 years in activity, that is when the Quijota project began to be established. It was then that he came up with a craft beer factory in Albacete and although his interest in the matter came from before and he had already created his own beer at home with a 20 liter kit, he now makes between 20,000 and 25,000 liters per year.
Nevertheless, what gave the last push to his company was the first prize that obtained in the I Forum of Entrepreneurs of Albacete in 2012, after which it obtained numerous contacts within the institutions and the entrepreneurs. Thus, after this initial impulse, in April 2014 opened its Quijota craft beer factory on a ship in the Campollano Business Park in the Albacete capital.
Juan Ezequiel Campos explains how beer is made in his factory
Juan Ezequiel Campos explains how beer is made in his factory – Quijota
The novelty of this Albacete brewery is that it is the only one in Spain to produce Kosher-certified beer since 2016. And they will ask themselves, “What is that?” For Juan Ezequiel Campos has the answer: “This recognition means being able to sell agri- Jewish market due to strict control of the entire chain of manufacture led by a rabbi of this religion to corroborate the source of raw materials and cleanliness at all times.
With this certificate, according to the owner of Quijota, they intend to open themselves to the Jewish market and, in fact, are already present in Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, cities where there is a Jewish community and where there are more specialized shops. In addition, it plans to sell its Kosher products also in supermarkets in England and Argentina, and are in negotiations with Israel, Russia or Belgium.
Quijota’s philosophy is based on a motto: “Science, culture and quality”. With these three words burned, Campos was clear from the beginning that he wanted to make “a beer of a superior quality, worrying less about the quantity, since we make only the liters we can.” Thus, he explains, the beers they produce are handcrafted by their method of processing, integrated by the ingredients used and natural by the packaging system, which follows the brewing tradition of more than 500 years.
