South America

[mckenry]

Hi All,
Its not a land well known as a beer lovers paradise, but none-the-less I am going there this Sept/Oct. Will be in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. Was wondering if you guys know of any good beers / breweries to check out? :chug: Any suggestions will be most welcome. Dont bother with the Corona gags... :lol:
Thanks in advance,
mckenry

 

[bugwan]

You could try some Chicha while you're there. Traditionally made by women in Amazonian tribes, chewing on all sorts of fermentables and spitting them into a bucket to prepare for fermentation. I don't know much about the product, but here's part of the process to whet your appetite;

From here

 

[sinkas]

http://ohhh.myhead.org/

These swedes, seem to travel the word drinking beer, and there is a long write up on South America,

 

[Guest Lurker]

Last time I was in Santiago there was a microbrewery in Las Condes, but that was a few years ago and I heard a rumour it went broke. I was told that the best beer in Chile is further south where there is a lot of German influence.

 

[sinkas]

Just to agree with GL's assertion,

There are some great german helles style beers in the extreme south, inland of Porte Mont, there is a german village, with lovely cafe's bakeries and 2 breweries, from memory,

 

[Trent]

I have spent more than my fair share of time in peru, and can highly recommend Ariquepena when drunk in its native town of Arequipa. Actually found a bar that sold it by the yard glass for $US3, though I was very smashed by the time my mate and I found that bar, couldnt tell ya what it is called. It is actually fairly slim pickings in Peru, I believe that Cusquena finally sold out to Anheuser Busch in 02 or 03, and their beer is the worse off for it. None the less, it is one of the better beers, and if ya can get it in its native Cusco, it is quite nice. Both of the above beers are fairly well megaswill, from memory, but I discovered them before my beer snob days. Cusquena Malta is a nice black beer, and about the only one you will find in the country. Around Lima you will get alot of Pilsen Callao (it is brewed in Callao), and also Cristal. I still to this day blame a massive night on Cristal for the worst case of dysentery I have ever had, so i would probably avoid it, as even my local friends reckon it is OK, but there is just the odd bottle that will get ya...
In the North you will get alot of Pilsen Trujillo (brewed in Trujillo), much like Callao, and they are both the Peruvian versions of New/VB. I know that some friends of mine there were german born, Peruvian raised, and they were there for their dads working in the Cusquena brweery, so it may have used to be good, and I am of the belief that Ariquipena has some solid German brewing influence, and may be even a Helles for all I knew about beer during my 4 trips there.
My BIGGEST recommendation, is to buy the best bottle of rum I have ever had (we are talking south american rum, not the Aussie stuff that I cant even smell), and get your hands on a bottle of Ron Cartavio, tres anos, amber. They have Blanco and *****, but the Amber is the best. Drink it cuba libre style, with coke and a quarter of lime squeezed in. The Cartavio tres ano runs at about $US4 a 750mL bottle, and is by far one of the most expensive local liquors you will find. Well worth the extra $2. A longneck (750mL) of beer will set ya back about $US1. If you surf, take a board, if ya wanna know anything else about the food or places to stay (in Lima), just PM me.
BTW, I am very jealous, I havent been back in 4 years, and I am missing it badly.
Have fun
Trent
PS I know there were some good beers in Chile, but I had a bad case of food poisoning from my last night in Peru, and couldnt drink - stay away from mayonaise down there.