Huskie Craft Beer

Earlier this year, brewer and regular Ferment contributor Charlotte Cook made her way to Malta on what I dare say became a busman’s holiday. Fortunately for us, she wrote about what she’d learned of the country’s beer scene in a superb feature for Ferment, and ultimately concluded that in spite of rarely appearing outside their domestic market, Maltese breweries have a lot to offer in the way of craft beer. 

Huskie Craft Beer was one such brewery, so we immediately set out to learn more. Huskie Craft Beer began in 2017, founded by Jean Bickle and Miguel Camilleri, both of whom were nuclear medicine physicists who had just returned to Malta following a two-year stint working at the Leeds Cancer Centre in the UK. The pair began home brewing as a hobby in a garage in Miguel’s parents' house. Around 18 months later, driven by a lack of local craft beer in Malta and spurred along by the encouragement of friends and family, they decided to take their hobby to the next level. 

“We were lucky to find a warehouse in a repurposed quarry in Qrendi, in the south of Malta, and set about converting the space to fit a little brewery in,” says Jean. “Unfortunately, just as we were ready to begin distributing our beers, COVID struck, making it impossible to enter the market. We were fortunately able to stick through it, and by 2022 Huskie’s beers began making their way to several bars and restaurants across the island. Today the brewery employs five full time employees and a few part-timers to help during the busy periods. Friends and family still help out a lot and it wouldn’t be the same without them.”

Jean says that in 2025 the brewery’s main goal is the launch of the taproom, which will become a hub for locals and visitors to enjoy Huskie in a social, welcoming space. “Increasing craft beer awareness across Malta remains a priority, as does expanding our reach to international visitors. By fostering both local pride and global curiosity, we hope to make Huskie a symbol of Maltese craft beer excellence.”