New in Aruba: Balashi Beer Experience

The Balashi Beer Experience, open to the public since October 4, the new adults-only, self-guided tour with multiple interactions, tastings, and virtual animations, is engaging all senses and leaves guests with a deeper appreciation of the island, its precious resources, and locally produced beers.

Island spirit

The Balashi brand is hard to miss. As the only beer that is brewed and bottled in Aruba, Balashi amplifies national pride, local lifestyle and a true taste of the island. With that in mind, the Balashi Beer Experience is first and foremost an ode to Aruba, yet also a warm invite to have a taste of the islands’ liquid gold. During an hour-long, self-guided tour visitors of 18 years and older are treated to a fun, interactive and explorative introduction to Aruba’s unique nature and in a playful way become part of the island spirit.

Our beer, yours to taste

You might have noticed the byline ‘Di nos e ta’ in the fine print underneath the Balashi brand name on the beer bottle’s label or printed in bold fonts on merchandize. In Papiamento ‘Di nos e ta’ means ‘It’s ours’, and at the Balashi Beer Experience what is ours, from our island, now became something you can become a part of, and taste, feel and experience for yourself.

Buchi welcomes you

Upon arrival at the Balashi Beer Experience, virtual employee and local guide Buchi welcomes guests to his island and makes various appearances during the educational beer brewing journey. Through ten themed rooms with visual displays, interactive panels, signage and multiple ways to see, touch, and smell guests become part of the island story and beer brewing process. 

Balashi cocktail

Arubans playfully refer to the island’s tap water as a Balashi cocktail due to the location of the water plant in Balashi. For nearly 100 years Aruba has been turning seawater into drinking water at the islands’ desalination plant, one of the largest worldwide. It is said that Aruba’s water is the best drinking water in the world, and exactly this desalinated ocean water is the main ingredient of a Balashi beer. Together with malt from Scotland and hops from Germany it is then brewed into a refreshing pilsner.

Workings of the plant

While the Balashi Beer Experience is not an actual plant where beer is brewed, guests of the experience get an interactive impression of the workings of the beer brewery. A large screen with joystick invites guests to take a 360 degree look inside the actual beer plant, located in Balashi. One of the absolute highlights of the tour is the experience inside the brewing tank, where guests are literally submerged in the beer brewing process. With 28 seats alongside the walls of the circular tank, guests undergo the entire brewing process until a refreshing beer appears. In the last room before heading to the bar, a virtual display shows the bottling, packaging and distribution process before the beer reaches its consumers.

Bottle return program

An important part in the bottling process is Balashi’s recycling practice. Through a bottle return program consumers are highly encouraged to return their empty beer bottles to the Balashi Beer plant or one of their carry-out centers. The program is a win-win: customers receive 0.20 cents per returned bottle, and the island stays clean and beautiful. The beer plant can re-use the same bottle up to five times. Returned beer bottles are thoroughly sanitized, and expected for chips, cuts, stains and other regularities. Only fully intact bottles are reused and returned to the consumer, until permanently retired. 

Taste the liquid gold

The Tapa Cora Tasting Lounge, a cozy bar covered in Aruba license plates and local trinkets, invites all guests to have a small taste of Balashi’s pilsner beer. To emphasize its nickname ‘liquid gold’, illuminated placeholders are incorporated inside the bar tables to highlight the beers golden hues. The ice-cold first sips are followed by a taste of Aruba’s festive ambiente, the local ability to find celebratory moments in everything. To the tunes and visuals of Aruba’s famous carnival, guests are invited to swing and party along. It will no doubt leave you thirsty for more.

Happy end

Just as you thought you’d seen and experienced it all, the tour culminates with a photo booth for digital or printed snapshots, a printing machine that invites you to create your own, personalized beer bottle label, a photo wall and a visit at the merchandize store. Hats, socks, shirts, sweaters, card games and tons of other souvenirs, gifts and keepsakes from your visit are available for purchase here. Lastly, at the spacious tasting room another complimentary beer waits, full size this time. You can choose between Balashi pilsner, a lighter Chill, the fruity Magic Mango or the 0.0% Malta. And with that refreshing drink, and possibly some purchased souvenirs and personalized beer bottles, the Balashi Beer Experience comes to a happy end.

Easy access

The Balashi Beer Experience offers easy access and is centrally located at the Gloria entertainment complex near Eagle Beach. When driving on Avenida Nelson Orlando Oduber, formerly referred to as Sasakiweg, you will recognize the Balashi Beer Experience by its towering, golden beer tank and Balashi’s signature red crown cap (in Papiamento called ‘tapa cora’). Gloria offers ample parking space, free of charge. The Balashi Beer Experience is wheelchair accessible and offers an elevator for visitors with limited mobility.

Know before you go

The Balashi Experience is open daily from 10 am – 8 pm. Entrance fee starts at $39 for island guests, combination packages with lunch, dinner or a movie are available, too. Guests arriving directly from the beach, tours or excursions in wet or heavily soiled attire are encouraged to change prior to visiting the Balashi Beer Experience. Only guests of 18 years and older are allowed access. A valid, government-issued ID may be required. More information on tickets and tour options at balashiexperience.com.