In Lahonce, Route de Mouguerre, Thomas Sorhouet laid down his vats at the end of 2024 to give life to a project not like the others: Menditsaso, a craft brewery that gathers in its name even the two horizons of the Basque Country: Mendi (the mountain) and Itsaso (the ocean).
The story is singular.
Before attacking malt, Thomas spent five years in the world of wine, viticulture and oenology. And it is armed with this winemaker's gaze that he embarked on the brewing adventure: with the same rigor on raw materials, the same patience for fermentation, the same taste for nuanced aromatic profiles. A brasserie thought like a domain.
Mixing, step by step.
It all starts with mixing: hot mixed water and malt, where sugars are released.
Then comes the addition of hops during boiling, which brings bitterness and aromas.
Once cooled, the beer passed into fermentation tanks with its yeasts for about two weeks.
At every stage, Thomas monitors, adjusts, tastes. Everything is artisanal, everything is followed by hand.
A varied, Basque and inventive range
Menditsaso offers a range that covers all tastes:
- The White — light and refreshing
- The Blonde — classic and well balanced
- IPA — bitter, with expressive hops
- La Triple — strong, in the tradition of abbey beers
- The Amber — rich, slightly caramelized
- The Sour — acidic, scented with mango and passion
- Christmas beer — a cinnamon double redhead, perfect for winter evenings
Every season, every year, every year, his beer.
A sustainable, locally anchored approach
Thomas also pays particular attention to the durability of his brewery: carefully selected ingredients, short circuits, reasoned production.
No volume race, but a real will to do well, step by step, brewing by brewing.
For lovers of Basque craft beers, Menditsaso is one of these new nuggets that it is good to discover on the markets, in the wine shops engaged, or directly at the brewery.
