VOLCANO BREWING COMPANY NOW OPEN! A Message from Joe Walsh

Hello world, it’s Joe Walsh here delivering you some official news. This is big! We are very stoked to finally announce that our sister resort, Volcano Brewing Company in Tilaran, Lake Arenal, Costa Rica is officially open for business!

What is Volcano Brewing you ask? Well, let me take you back and start from the beginning…

Witch’s Rock Surf Camp began as a pipe dream of mine in the fall of 2000. Despite not having a clear understanding of how to go about building a surf resort, we simply followed our passion for surfing and creating experiences that others would be sure to enjoy. And it worked! By 2006, WRSC had reached it’s current size of 18 rooms. The economy was exploding, there was development everywhere you looked, and things started feeling like they were moving a little bit too fast. As our environmental impact awareness grew, instead of continuing to expand our resort, Witch’s Rock Surf Camp started a series of environmental “side projects”. These projects included constructing one of the largest and most effective water treatment plant systems on the beach in Costa Rica and building a bio-diesel reactor that allows us to convert our restaurant’s used cooking oil into a biofuel to run our vehicles. These projects became known as the Zephyr Eco Project, and over time these projects grew and grew.

In the years that followed, WRSC purchased a large farm property in the hills overlooking Marbella and San Juanillo (we call it the Zephyr Eco farm). We began utilizing more environmentally friendly materials such as earthbags, bamboo, sugarcane, and teak for everything from furniture to our new El Vaquero bar. We began making a non-petroleum based surf wax from local beeswax. We began organic farming, raising hundreds of healthy, tasty chickens that we serve in Eat @ Joe’s. We opened an organic market within WRSC and networked with organic farms throughout Guanacaste to provide healthy food for residents of the Tamarindo area. Our plan had become more and more clear: we would strive to be successful in business while adhering to principles of sustainability, and we wanted to share everything we were learning with those around us. Instead of expanding WRSC any further, we decided that we would build an eco lodge on the Zephyr farm where guests could experience all of these things first-hand. But, as you know, the economy was less than stellar these last few years. Despite owning dump trucks and backhoes, building roads and water systems, working with architects, engineers, hydrologists, topographers, lawyers and investors, we decided that it was not practical to take on the construction of an eco resort on our farm.

Things changed in 2011. We were given an opportunity to take over an existing eco lodge resort property overlooking Lake Arenal and it’s many volcanoes. As we spent more time there, we began to understand how much the rim of Lake Arenal is a true center for sustainability. Wind farms, hydroelectric plants and geothermal systems all work to produce clean energy that is used by over 90% of Costa Rica. A nucleus for farming and agriculture, the volcanic soils in this region allow for the production of amazing crops. Moving here would allow us to continue and expand our many “side projects”, to develop the eco lodge we had always wanted to build, and to be able to share this all with the world! And… besides being an amazing eco lodge, the property also boasted something very unique and very much something I had always wanted to be a part of: it’s very own microbrewery.

Truly a special place.

We were under construction for quite a few months. We took our time, remaining silent while we worked out the kinks of such a major task and fully developed what we wanted to share. Due to trademarking issues, the name “Zephyr Eco” was replaced with “Volcano Brewing”. I felt an added pressure by calling us an eco lodge. Yes, it is true that we now have our own farm with dairy cows, pigs, chickens, tilapia, and expansive gardens. And yes, its true that we now produce multiple organic food items including an amazing pale ale (the only one in Costa Rica). But calling ourselves an eco lodge was putting us in a bucket with every other eco lodge. And we created something very different and very unique. A 23 room hotel, an amazing bar with majestic volcano and lake views, and a special tavern where you can experience amazing food direct from our farm. Food direct from farm to table, and from Arenal back to our restaurant in Tamarindo. And since by default we would become the only brewpub in all of Costa Rica, we decided it would only be fitting to call ourselves the Volcano Brewing Company.

No translation needed.

So, that’s what we did and now we are open for you all to enjoy. I think you will find Volcano Brewing Company to be the perfect compliment to your beach vacation in Costa Rica. Engage with nature, whether it be through one of the many volcano hikes, waterfalls, or hot springs. Help out on our farm, or get involved in one of our gardens. Try kiteboarding, or fly fishing, or mountain biking. Relax with a massage. Enjoy the tennis court, the lap pool, or the jacuzzi. Enjoy a farm-to-table meal or a handcrafted Witch’s Rock Pale Ale. Visit us at Volcano Brewing Company, just outside the town of Tilaran, overlooking Lake Arenal. Check out our website, VolcanoBrewingCompany.com, or call the WRSC reservations office to reserve your next stay.

Follow us on the ‘book: Facebook.com/VolcanoBrewingCompany

Connect with us on Twitter: Twitter.com/VolcanoBrewing