“La Roja,” a peaceful beer brewed by former FARC ex-combatants
“La Roja” stands apart in the current wave of Colombian craft beers – the beer is made and distributed by FARC ex-combatants in Tolima, Colombia.
Wally Broderick took part in an idea that became a powerful reality. After a few months of signing the peace accord between the Colombian Government and FARC, he decided to head into a settlement of ex-FARC fighters and work on productive activity – brewing beer – with the potential of giving hope in the form of jobs, and even more importantly, a sense of identity and acceptance.
In fact, it wasn’t his first time there as he really wanted to contribute in some way to the peace process. He is an English teacher and, given the obvious touristic potential of the locations, the initial idea was to help with the foreign language ability of the former troops. However, the logistics of such a project needed a huge amount of resources and time, neither of which were easily available.
And so, he arrived at this exotic location in the depths of the mountains of Colombia, and in one of the community kitchen and dining spaces, or ranchas as they are known in guerrilla lingo, he start telling a crowd of eager students what the basic ingredients of beer are and how this precious liquid is concocted.
The audience consists of at least twenty or twenty-five people: mostly young men, but some a little older, and a few women of various ages. In general, they were very respectful and fully focused. A few of them came and went, evidently involved in other tasks. The questions were always relevant, and he was surprised at the meticulous detail of their note-taking. After about an hour the hands-on practice started. Most of those who stayed till the end of that session are still in the project today.
Although the beer wasn’t ready yet, once it came out of the fermenter it would be clear if it was any good. They opened it, smelt and tasted it, and the result was satisfying. Three cases of beer made by ex-combatants were distributed to friends and supporters. With the funds gathered, an extra fermenter was acquired and the rest is history. Well, not quite. This is just the start of a story with many chapters to come, the story of a Colombia which is seeking to overcome its violent past and present. Its future is a brew which we all hope will deliver that beautiful reality. La Roja has quickly become a synonym for hope, for redemption, for reconciliation. ¡Salud!
