Brazilians love their beer and prefer it estupidamente gelada (stupidly cold). Beer is for sale everywhere in Brazil, from beach kiosks to fancy restaurants to street-corner coolers, and is frequently enjoyed well before 5 o’clock.
A handful of massive brands such as Brahma -- part of the brewery consortium that bought Anheuser-Busch in 2008 -- have long dominated the Brazilian beer landscape.
As Rio de Janeiro native and self-proclaimed beer historian Claudio Mello says, “Beer is how we cool down from the heat and, in the days before bottled water, it was the safe and affordable way to quench your thirst.
Therefore, the traditional beer of choice is cold, watery and not very strong.”
As the Brazilian economy grows, consumers are demanding more variety, helping the subculture of Brazilian microbreweries burst into the mainstream.
Small batch brands are appearing on the shelves of major grocery stores, brew pubs have opened on Copacabana beach and local pale ales are getting taps alongside the big boys in the more cosmopolitan watering holes.
In turn, these microbrews are evolving local tastes and offering intriguing new choices for travelers.
Much of the microbrew culture was born in São Paulo and southern Brazil where there is a large population of German descendants.
However, this grassroots phenomenon is no longer contained to those areas. Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro has recently opened one of the world's few Delerium Cafés, modeled after the original in Brussels.
The bar carries microbrews and premium beer brands from around the world alongside a full-page list of local brews.
Marcelo Bustamante, the head of marketing for Delerium Café says, “These artisanal beers are still only approximately 2 percent of the market, but there are a lot of beer drinkers in Brazil and we expect that number to keep rising.”
Some of the most popular brands that are all worth a try while in Brazil are Colorado, Coruja, Dado Bier, Bierland, Mistura Clássica and Bamberg.
Colorado is available in bottles at many supermarkets; North Americans may recognize the colorful, hand-drawn labels as similar in style to many of their microbrews.
Most travelers go to Brazil with fun on the agenda and imbibing beers with new Brazilian friends is part of that experience. Nowadays that experience can suit many different palates.
Bustamante from Delerium Café says, “People are discovering a whole new world of flavors and quality… beers that actually taste so good that you don’t have to drink them ‘stupidly cold.’”
msn.com
A handful of massive brands such as Brahma -- part of the brewery consortium that bought Anheuser-Busch in 2008 -- have long dominated the Brazilian beer landscape.
As Rio de Janeiro native and self-proclaimed beer historian Claudio Mello says, “Beer is how we cool down from the heat and, in the days before bottled water, it was the safe and affordable way to quench your thirst.
Therefore, the traditional beer of choice is cold, watery and not very strong.”
As the Brazilian economy grows, consumers are demanding more variety, helping the subculture of Brazilian microbreweries burst into the mainstream.
Small batch brands are appearing on the shelves of major grocery stores, brew pubs have opened on Copacabana beach and local pale ales are getting taps alongside the big boys in the more cosmopolitan watering holes.
In turn, these microbrews are evolving local tastes and offering intriguing new choices for travelers.
Much of the microbrew culture was born in São Paulo and southern Brazil where there is a large population of German descendants.
However, this grassroots phenomenon is no longer contained to those areas. Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro has recently opened one of the world's few Delerium Cafés, modeled after the original in Brussels.
The bar carries microbrews and premium beer brands from around the world alongside a full-page list of local brews.
Marcelo Bustamante, the head of marketing for Delerium Café says, “These artisanal beers are still only approximately 2 percent of the market, but there are a lot of beer drinkers in Brazil and we expect that number to keep rising.”
Some of the most popular brands that are all worth a try while in Brazil are Colorado, Coruja, Dado Bier, Bierland, Mistura Clássica and Bamberg.
Colorado is available in bottles at many supermarkets; North Americans may recognize the colorful, hand-drawn labels as similar in style to many of their microbrews.
Most travelers go to Brazil with fun on the agenda and imbibing beers with new Brazilian friends is part of that experience. Nowadays that experience can suit many different palates.
Bustamante from Delerium Café says, “People are discovering a whole new world of flavors and quality… beers that actually taste so good that you don’t have to drink them ‘stupidly cold.’”
msn.com
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