Beer

Enjoy a drink at Boston’s first Latino beer festival

The fun kicks off with a special bottle release and community vinyl night on Friday.

2 minutes to read

Boston’s first Latino beer festival is coming to Roundhead Brewing Company later this month.

Hyde Park’s Roundhead is celebrating two years in business with two days of festivities on the weekend of October 25.

The fun kicks off with a special bottle release and community vinyl night on Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The special bottle is Valhalla, Roundhead’s limited edition, barrel-aged Scottish ale. During the event, DJ NXN invites attendees to spin their own classic vinyl records. There is no fee to attend, and all ages are welcome.

“This beer reminds me of our first great moments when we started dreaming about growing Roundhead, and solidifying our partnership between [Roundhead co-owner] Craig [Panzer] and I,” says Roundhead co-founder Luis Espinoza. “It’s a good time to release our anniversary beer Valhalla, which is aged for seven months in bourbon barrels.”

Roundhead was founded by the two friends, Espinoza and Panzer, who met on the sidelines of their kids’ soccer games in Jamaica Plain. Espinoza has roots in Peru, where his family ran a chain of bakeries. And while the brewery leans into its Latin American heritage with beers brewed with ingredients like guava, passion fruit, and purple corn, Roundhead is also not afraid to lean into craft beer heritage from elsewhere. Hence the special edition Scottish ale.

“Back when I was a child my grandpa was brewing Chicha, which is a beverage brewed with malted corn, fruit, and spices,” says Espinoza. “Incorporating something new and different into a beer is fascinating for me.”

On Saturday, Oct. 26, Roundhead hosts Boston’s first ever Latino beer festival. The fest features beer from 10 breweries, including Cervecería del Callejón, Reina Mora, and Dragon Stone Abbey, all in Puerto Rico, Cerveza 7 Vidas in Peru, and local friends like Hot Plate Brewing in Pittsfield.

“It is important for the community of Latin and alliance brewers to come together,” says Espinoza. “By collaborating, we exchange culture, experience, and knowledge. I’m so proud that we can create the space to celebrate Latin influence in brewing here in Boston.”

There are two sessions (1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4p.m. to 6 p.m.) for Saturday’s Latino beer festival, with each limited to 120 guests. The event is 21-plus. Tickets cost $55 in advance and $75 at the door. A ticketed salsa dance party featuring jazz band Timba Messengers starts at 6:30 p.m.