If we travel to the southern part of the American double continent, we are not only surrounded by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but also by numerous specialities. Culinary, the fourth-largest continent on earth spoils us with refreshing, delicious beers, among many other delicacies. With just a sip of the aromatic beverages, we travel the countries of South America: The mild yet bitter taste of Cerveza Quilmes from Argentina, fresh and slightly sweet Red Stripe lager welcomes us to Jamaica and the delicately sour Polar Pilsener takes us to Venezuela. Join us on a culinary adventure through South America and get to know the most delicious beers from the south.
The history of our delicious South American beer began with nothing more and nothing less than a few corn cobs. The Maya in South and Central America tried to brew a beer-like drink from them, and thus laid the foundation for today's South American beers.
Further north, the Aztecs also used maize to make an alcoholic drink. It was later replaced by a brew made from agave juice, the so-called pulque, which is now considered the Mexican national drink.
From the 16th century onwards, the Spanish conquistadors created a large number of small breweries, the so-called cervezerias. And so, little by little, lager beer cooled with ice began to compete with the popular tequila.
But now our journey is just beginning. We are going on a search across South America: because we want to find out which is the most popular beer in South America.
We start in the northern part of South America, in Venezuela. Here we enjoy the Venezuelan beer Polar with the national dish Cachapa as Pilsner, Light or in special editions. With its aroma of sweet grain malt, it already spoils our nose. The taste is captivating with a delicately sour note in which the grain and the wonderful sweetness unfold. In the finish, the drink says goodbye with a refreshing bitterness.
We continue to Colombia, where we can't pass on the second-largest brewery in South America: Bavaria S.A. is known for its Club Colombia Dorada, among other things. The pale yellow beer welcomes us with a decent malt body and a strong, spicy flavour. The fruity note from red berries and grapes is particularly refreshing.
Arriving in Brazil, we can look forward to delicious cerveja, as beer is called in Brazil. Skol is found everywhere in the largest country in South America. Originally developed in Europe in the 1950s, it is recognized as a Brazilian brand due to its great popularity in Brazil. The bright yellow to orange-coloured beer is considered rather thin. Thus, it offers excellent refreshment in the usually very high Brazilian temperatures.
Our last stop is in Argentina, where we drink Quilmes, of course. Argentina's most famous beer brilliantly combines body, mildness and bitterness. We recognize it by its light golden appearance, its fresh and slightly sweet aroma and its unique taste: sweetish, mild, it almost reminds us of a lemonade. It is best drunk at 5-6 °C on hot summer days or with a fiery Argentinian meal. Sounds delicious? You can order the delicious Quilmes beer in our online shop.
So what is the most popular beer in South America? I'm sure everyone answers this question a little differently. But what we definitely know after our trip is that South America has a lot to offer when it comes to beer and gives us delicious lagers, black beers and pilsners that promise a real taste experience. With this in mind, there is only one thing left to say: ¡Salud!