the story of a craft brewery that never stops growing

^{By Mariano Migliazzo}

On the border with the province of Santa Fe, 30km from the city of San Francisco and 240km from the city of Córdoba, we find the picturesque and quiet town of Freyre. With less than 10,000 inhabitants, this is the home of a story of perseverance and friendship: Medalla, a craft brewery that innovates in the beer market.

It all started with a “crazy rocker with an eternal child soul”, his passion for beer was incomparable. His name was Julio Bertotti and, in 2010, this dreamer began his long-awaited project. On his way, he met “three birreros” with unique and complementary personalities. The first, an engineer with an excessive love for numbers and a devotion to reading that made it almost impossible to find a calculation error. The second, a restless public relations specialist who, astutely, detected opportunities around every corner and had an innate ability for numbers. The third, the youngest of the group, was a modern perfectionist, obsessed with details and neatness, always cautious and cautious when expressing his opinion. His names were Nicolas Gilli (chemical engineer) and his brothers Martin and Joaquín Galaverna. Together, these four friends had a dream… but dreams, are they dreams? No, dreams can become pure reality, and these four beer enthusiasts made it possible.

Martín Galaverna, one of Medalla’s sales managers, highlights the importance of the union between partners as a fundamental key to Medalla’s success. Furthermore, he adds that perseverance and quality, in such a competitive market, are non-negotiable pillars. “The union of partners is everything. Sometimes I think that, separately, we would not have been able to achieve it alone. Perseverance and quality too, we put a lot of emphasis on that. It is a teamwork. Particularly that because we had a lot of adversity in order to survive. We are making beer in a place that is not touristy and competing with companies that have been in the market for more than 100 years. If you start thinking about everything, you don’t do anything. That perseverance and innovation with styles, and doing things that others don’t do, is key to being present”.

During the pandemic, many businesses had to close their doors due to the economic and social situation in the world. Paradoxically, this marked a crucial turning point for Freyre’s company. Faced with the challenges of the moment, the brewery found opportunities. From bottling by hand to obtaining a loan to purchase a cannery. Every obstacle, without a doubt, was an opportunity for growth. “Although it may not seem like it, our key moment was the pandemic. We started going out with bottles because we had a lot of beers and we had just opened a bar. We opened it on a Thursday and had to close it on Monday. We started delivering. We bottled everything by hand. Everything very homemade and little by little. Then we got a loan, together with the province of Córdoba, and we were able to buy a canning plant. With that, a lot of doors opened for us to expand. We were able to leave the region and cross some borders”

With a production capacity of 15,000 liters per month and a canning plant capable of processing 1,600 cans per hour, Medalla expanded its offering to six different types: Golden, Red Ipa, Stout, Honey, Scottish and Rock Ipa, all with distinctive styles. Their colorful cans, in addition to attracting attention on the shelves, differentiating themselves from other brands, became collectible objects. “We have 6 different styles of cans. They are colorful and have very eye-catching designs. That was one of the main strategies we had. When you see them on the shelves with others, they attract much more attention”

Despite the difficult times, the determination and entrepreneurial spirit of Galaverna and his team never wavered. “You know that bad times can happen, that’s when you say ‘that’s why I got into this’ but hey, it’s in the entrepreneur’s gene,” he reflects and adds, “the issue is how you face them, without acting impulsively.”. His advice to other entrepreneurs is clear: there is never a perfect time to start, only the determination to do it with what each one has and seek help when necessary. “It is never but never the time to start or make a decision. If you want to wait until you have time, money and experience, it will never happen at that right moment. Start with what you have, where you are and seek help. That’s the key. It is very important for entrepreneurship as well as for yourself. Seek emotional support. In some way, it is knowing how to ask for help and letting yourself be helped by people who know. Sometimes, the best thing is to open up and trust those who know how to do things. Many times we boycott ourselves. You have to trust yourself”.

Growth driven by E-commerce

In this exciting journey, the online store played a fundamental role for Medalla. With a strong and strategic online presence, the company managed to break different geographical barriers and reach the entire country. With a clear vision of expansion, the four partners aim to conquer Mercosur in the short term. “E-commerce allowed us to reach the entire country. The idea is to expand outside the country, Mercosur is our great goal in the short term”. On the other hand, for the second half of the year, they plan to start canning third-party products such as vermouth or wine. In addition, they want to launch their own gin and venture into canning mineral water and soda.