Chicago: Barra Brava Footy Brews Interview

Barra Brava is a brewing company that operates out of the Marz Community Brewing space in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. I’ve been attending footy events in the space for quite some time, and I recently got a chance to sit down with both of the brothers—Adrian and Sebastian—to talk about their commitment to brewing, soccer, and community.

Sebastian is the lead brewer at Marz, and Adrian is the production manager, so they work side by side to craft and maintain the quality of beverages Marz is known for. The two are originally from the West Texas border city of El Paso, where the local cuisine and culture continue to influence their work.

Another major influence is football. Both are rabid supporters of their respective clubs—Man U for Adrian and Liverpool for Sebastian. To reconcile that rivalry, I believe they both also support Real Madrid. Beyond fandom, the brothers also support a football-inspired line of beers, most notably the #10, a classic Mexican lager, and the #9, an amber version of the same style.

I also got some unique insights from others at the brewery. Xavier, another production manager, explained some of the challenges in maintaining quality and meeting demand in craft brewing. He told me how they’ve been able to hold their place in the market by continuing to innovate—not just with alcohol, but also with non-alcoholic beverages and new flavors.

Shana, the packaging lead, shared a few concepts with me while I tried not to get in her way. My main takeaway was the idea of “cap-on-foam,” which is beautifully illustrated in the video for this post. Essentially, it limits oxygen from entering the can, helping to preserve the freshest taste when opened. She also mentioned that the packaging machine is lovingly referred to as Vergil, a name that evolved from “Ver(6).”

But the beer is really just the beginning. Adrian also hosts a bi-monthly radio show, Lumpen FC, on Lumpen Radio every Thursday. And at Marz, the football events never stop. There’s almost always a viewing party or tailgate happening. They regularly bring in supporters groups and open the doors to anyone helping build Chicago’s soccer community. There’s even a soccer town hall coming up at the brewery featuring Chicago Fire FC’s head coach, Greg Burkhalter—more on that later.

Barra Brava’s mission isn’t just to be the beverage of choice for footy fans, but to provide a home and a welcoming experience for them as well. Like everything at Marz, community is always at the forefront of what they’re doing. So it’s no surprise that they’ve been so successful.

Full Interview Here: