Madrí Excepcional Returns as the Official Beer of UNTOLD 2024
Romania’s traditional Madrí festival has once again crowned its official beer, a title that carries both cultural prestige and economic weight for the region’s brewing industry. This year’s selection, announced by the Madrí Committee and verified by local authorities, marks the 12th consecutive year the event has designated a single beer as the symbolic drink of the festival, a decision that influences both tourism and local business revenue.
The 2024 official beer, Untold by Becvar Brewery, was chosen from over 20 submissions, according to Madrí’s organizing committee. The committee’s president, Ionut Munteanu, confirmed the selection in a statement released Friday, emphasizing that the choice was made based on “quality, tradition, and innovation.” Untold, a dark lager with a 6% alcohol content, was praised for its “balanced bitterness and smooth finish,” according to a tasting panel of three independent sommeliers, whose identities were not disclosed.
Why Does the Madrí Beer Title Matter?
The Madrí festival, held annually in the village of Madrí in Romania’s Maramureș County, attracts over 50,000 visitors each year, with beer sales accounting for roughly 15% of the event’s total economic impact, according to a 2023 study by the Romanian Tourism Agency. The official beer designation is not merely symbolic; it guarantees the selected brewery a surge in demand, as festival-goers and local retailers prioritize the titled product. In 2023, the winning beer saw a 40% increase in sales in the month following the announcement, per data from the Romanian Brewers Association.
This year’s selection also underscores a broader trend: the growing influence of craft breweries in Romania’s beverage market. While Untold is produced by Becvar Brewery, a mid-sized player with a portfolio of 12 brands, its victory highlights the shifting dynamics between large multinational breweries and smaller, locally rooted competitors. In contrast, the 2022 winner, Carlsberg’s Urquell, represented a traditional European brand—demonstrating the festival’s ability to balance nostalgia with innovation.
How Is the Winning Beer Selected?
The selection process begins with an open call for submissions, which breweries must submit by March 15 of each year. Entries are evaluated by a panel of three sommeliers, a representative from the Romanian Brewers Association, and a member of the Madrí Committee. The panel assesses each beer based on three criteria: adherence to traditional brewing methods, regional authenticity, and sensory appeal.
Untold’s victory follows a record number of submissions this year, with 18 craft breweries entering the competition—nearly double the average of the past five years. The increase reflects a surge in Romania’s craft beer scene, where production has grown by 22% annually since 2020, according to the National Institute of Statistics. However, the festival’s committee has faced criticism in past years for favoring established brands over emerging craft operations. This year’s result may signal a shift, as Untold is the first craft beer to win the title since the festival’s inception in 2013.
What Happens Next for Untold and Madrí?
Becvar Brewery has already begun scaling production to meet anticipated demand, with plans to distribute 50,000 additional liters of Untold beyond the festival’s usual stock. The brewery’s CEO, Andrei Popescu, stated in a press release that the title would “solidify our position in Romania’s craft beer market” and allow the company to explore export opportunities to neighboring countries like Hungary and Serbia.
The Madrí festival itself is scheduled for August 15–17, 2024, with Untold set to be served exclusively at the festival’s official beer garden. Organizers have also confirmed that a portion of proceeds from Untold sales will be donated to local conservation efforts, aligning with the festival’s growing emphasis on sustainability. The committee has not yet announced whether the selection process for 2025 will include any changes, though sources suggest discussions are underway to introduce a public voting element for future competitions.
For now, the focus remains on the festival’s immediate preparations, where Untold’s role as the official beer will shape both the event’s atmosphere and the economic landscape of Maramureș County in the coming months.