Gasosas Berardo Méndez (Sandiás): 80 years of a Limia factory

Gasosas Berardo Méndez was a small drinks factory in Sandiás, founded in 1945 by Berardo Méndez. On 5 July 2025, on its 80th anniversary, the Museo da Limia, in Vilar de Santos, hosted the event "Gasosas da Limia: tributo á bebida de todos e todas" (a tribute to everyone’s drink) ^[1][2].

The 2025 event

More than fifty people gathered at the Museum to honour a drink that was part of the collective memory of A Limia for decades. There was a "conversa na taberna" (tavern talk) with Xavier Feijóo, grandson of the founder; the historian Miro M. Cerredelo; the bottle collector Jorge Pulido; Juan Carlos Villar Angeriz, author of Apuntes sobre la gaseosa en la provincia de A Coruña; the painter Miguel Martínez Coello, a student of the gaseosa; and a representative of the Cid fizzy-drinks factory in O Pereiro de Aguiar. The announcement also mentioned the participation of Manolo Cerredelo, a drinks distributor ^[1][2].

Bottles and memory

Attendees saw samples of bottles with the original screen-printed designs from the collection of Celso Gómez, a collector from the comarca, which stayed on display for the whole month in the Museum’s tavern. The talk covered the social, economic and cultural importance of these small industries in rural Galicia in the mid-20th century and, specifically, in A Limia, with anecdotes, photographs and memories ^[1][2].

The role of the gaseosa was above all festive: festivals, pilgrimages and family gatherings of earlier generations. The event ended with wine with gaseosa and empanada for everyone present. The Taberna da Trocha and Vilar de Santos Town Council collaborated ^[2].

Context

The Cid fizzy-drinks factory in O Pereiro de Aguiar was also represented at the event, which shows that such small factories existed in several parts of rural Galicia ^[1][2]. For another local industry of the comarca, see Propasi and the feculera.

Links

• Economy of A Limia
• Sandiás
• Propasi and the feculera
• Rooms, board and library of the Museum

Sources

1. «Gasosas da Limia. Tributo á bebida de todos e todas», Museo da Limia, 2 de xullo de 2025. https://museodalimia.com/gasosas-da-limia-tributo-a-bebida-de-todos-e-todas/
2. «Acto público Gasosas da Limia 80 aniversario», Museo da Limia, 5 de xullo de 2025. https://museodalimia.com/acto-publico-gasosas-da-limia-80-aniversario/