BALASHI, Aruba -- If visitors haven't been to Aruba in a few years,
they might be surprised when ordering a Balashi.
For years, Balashi was the name given to water from the area
where the island's water plant is located.
In 1996, the Hamburg, Germany-based Brewtech brewing company
came to the island and set up shop near the water plant.
Brewtech spent a few years perfecting its beer before opening
the brewery to the public in 1999.
The Balashi Brewery offers free 30-minute tours every half-hour
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily.
Tours of the brewery show how the beer is made.
Visitors are taken past the malt, barley and hops vats; the
containers filtering the beer; the cylinders holding the final
product, and the bottling and sanitation areas.
The minimum age for touring the brewery is 15 years. Younger
children can wait in a playground.
When the tour is completed, visitors can stop at the Balashi
Gardens & Restaurant for a light lunch or dinner, served from
10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and of course, sample the beer brewed on
site.
"It's a big tourist thing," said Gerben Tilma, general manager
of the plant. "Everyone wants to know what the best local products
are. Now we can tell them."
When ordering a Balashi, visitors can get a regular or a light
version of the product.
For more information, call (011) 297 854-805.