Stéphanie Rull and Bière du Canigou: brewing Catalan

From her return to the Pyrénées-Orientales to a range inspired by Catalan ingredients, Stéphanie Rull’s story sheds light on the choices and constraints facing a craft brewery.

In Le Soler, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Stéphanie Rull has built a brewery around both a production choice and a regional identity: bringing Catalan ingredients and flavours into her recipes without obscuring the taste of the beer. Launched after a career far removed from brewing, the business also reveals the practical realities of small-scale production: learning the trade, selling, financing equipment, and balancing brewing with management.

Returning home and changing careers

Before founding Bière du Canigou, Stéphanie Rull studied the environment and worked in the pharmaceutical industry. Her interest in small breweries grew during stays in North America, where she discovered a brewing scene that, in her view, was less dominated by large groups. Her desire to return to the Pyrénées-Orientales gave the project a local anchor, but that alone was not enough to turn it into a business: she needed to acquire expertise and find outlets for her products.

A 2017 article in « Midi Libre » reports that she completed brewer training, undertook an internship at Brasserie de Fort Boyard, and then began selling her own recipes. The same article describes a gradual start: the first beers were initially made with the support of a brewery in Arras, before production equipment was installed in Le Soler. It also mentions her dealings with banks, at a time when the business had no sales history. This stage illustrates the transition from developing a recipe to financing production equipment.

A Catalan identity translated into recipes

The regional connection is about more than the name of the mountain range. In her report for ICI Roussillon, the brewer mentions water from Canigou and ingredients associated with the département, particularly peaches, honey, figs and Muscat grapes. The brewery also lists fig and peach recipes on its website, alongside brown, amber and white beers. These examples show a range strategy: drawing on local reference points to set the products apart while retaining recognisable styles.

Adding fruit, honey or a spice is not, however, enough to make a beer distinctive. The proportions must work with the malt, hops and fermentation, and the ingredient must not take over. ICI Roussillon reports that Stéphanie Rull seeks a balance in which the added aromas do not mask the taste of the beer. This is a design choice that also matters commercially: a distinctive recipe can attract attention, but it must remain clear to customers and reproducible from one brew to the next.

The brewery says it offers around fifteen beers in rotation. A changing range makes room for the seasons and available ingredients, but also requires production and sales to be planned. For agricultural products, availability and harvest schedules can affect the recipes; for the business, every product takes time to brew, package and market. Variety is therefore a choice about identity, but also an organisational burden.

Brewing, selling and managing: balancing three roles

ICI Roussillon’s report describes brews of around 1,000 litres and fermentation lasting three weeks. These details give an idea of the pace of production: the work involved in a tank does not end on brew day. Bottling, storage and delivery must also be planned, while the recipes need to find a place in orders from bars, restaurants and private customers.

In the early days, « Midi Libre » reports, Stéphanie Rull handled many tasks alone, from brewing to accounting. ICI Roussillon’s more recent report now mentions help from Sandrine and Laure. This support marks a new stage in a venture that is now being run by several people.

The beer also reaches restaurants and gastronomic events. ICI Roussillon mentions collaborations with a pub and a chef from Perpignan, as well as beer and tapas pairings. These partnerships give people opportunities to discover the products and connect the brewery with other local businesses. They do not, however, replace regular sales: for a small operation, continuity also depends on repeat orders, controlled production and sufficient cash flow to absorb the gaps between outgoings and income.

Terroir as a business choice

Stéphanie Rull’s approach thus brings together three decisions: returning to her region, producing on a small scale and making local ingredients a recognisable feature of the range. Catalan identity provides a guiding thread, but viability depends on less visible tasks: developing her skills, securing finance, organising brews and building sales outlets.

For consumers, a beer rooted in its terroir therefore says more than where it comes from. It reflects recipe and sourcing choices in a product sold alongside a broader range of options. For the business, this distinctiveness only matters if it can be produced, distributed and explained consistently. The brewery’s development depends on balancing local character with the everyday demands of running a business.