They DO Drink Real Ale in Realejos!

Tierra de Perros pale ale from Tenerife

By James Tweedie in Tenerife

Herle Haggard might have sung that they don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA, but it turns out they DO drink real ale in Realejos, Tenerife, Spain.

Tierra de Perros (land of the dogs), a new pale ale from a micro-brewery founded in the north Tenerife town last year, is now on the menu in several of the bars and restaurants in La laguna, the trendy former capital of the island.

The name 'Tierra de Perros' harks back to the origin of the name of the Canary Islands. Explorers sent by King Juba II, the vassal king of Numidia (a kingdom that spanned parts of modern Algeria and Tunisia) and later Mauretania (present-day Morocco) named the seven-isle archipelago for the fierce wild dogs (Latin canis) that lived there.

The Canary islands are best known for pilsner brands such as Dorada (from Tenerife) and Reina (from Gran Canaria), but several small, independent breweries have sprung up recently.

The ale itself is slightly fizzy, with a mild, slightly bitter taste. The bottles should be stored upright and poured carefully to avoid disturbing the sediment at the bottom.

At more than €2 for a 33cl bottle, it's dear by local standards -- when a bottle of the superior Dorada Especial will only set you back €1.30 -- but the only other ale available locally is Boddingtons in widget cans sold at import prices from boutique bars.

The excellent Canarian vineyards have experienced a renaissance in recent years. Perhaps regional brewing is about to do the same.

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