Christmas is just around the corner, which is exciting, but it also means that the last boxes of Beery Christmas are being opened—less exciting. Don’t worry, though: you can still enjoy all the beers you loved throughout the journey. Today, we’re heading to Spain for some sunshine and flavor with Nomada Brewery and its Sakura, an India Pale Lager brewed with Shichimi Togarashi for a truly unique tasting experience.
Nomada
A newcomer to Beery Christmas and a real favourite this year, Nomada Brewery hails from Sabadell, just outside Barcelona. Known for blending tradition, innovation, and Latin passion, Nomada never shies away from pushing boundaries. They delight in reimagining classic flavor pairings—like orange, chilli, and mint—while also experimenting with bold ingredients such as Japanese yuzu and cherry blossom. Whatever they brew, one thing is certain: Nomada’s beers will transport you to new horizons and unique sensory adventures that beer lovers won’t soon forget.
Sakura – India Pale Lager
Brewed in Madrid, Sakura is an India Pale Lager that showcases Nomada’s creative flair. It combines Magnum, Sorachi, and Simcoe hops with cherry blossom, yuzu, and the Japanese spice blend Shichimi Togarashi*. Pouring a hazy golden color with a thick white head, it releases elegant aromas of floral notes, lychee, pine, apricot, and hops. On the palate, Sakura balances power and finesse: it begins with a floral intensity before giving way to a firm yet well-balanced bitterness. Subtle layers of chilli and ginger then appear, followed by refreshing hints of lime, mint, and orange, rounded off with a touch of green tea astringency.
*Shichimi Togarashi is a traditional Japanese blend of seven spices, often including red chilli pepper, Japanese sanshō pepper, mandarin zest, sesame seeds, hemp, poppy seeds, and nori. Variations may also include yuzu, shiso, ginger, or rapeseed.
India Pale Lager
The India Pale Lager (IPL) is a relatively recent innovation that fuses the massive hop character of an IPA with the clean, crisp profile of a lager. Unlike IPAs, which use top-fermenting yeast and deliver fruity esters and phenolic notes, IPLs are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast. This yeast highlights malt and hop flavors while offering high carbonation and a refreshing finish. The result is a hybrid style: the hoppy fruitiness of an IPA combined with the smooth, delicate character of a lager.
Tasting tips
Serve at around 6°C.
Food pairing: excellent with goat’s cheese, smoked salmon, or sushi/maki.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Please drink responsibly.
Discover other beers and breweries : Santa Punch, IPA beer from the Birra Del Borgo brewery, The Rare Barrel, the passionate sour brewery and Sally's Selection from brewery Mikkeller.
