The demise of locally owned beer
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons by Falling Sky
I’ve been travelling a lot recently with a friend who was recently made redundant from giant drinks company InBev (Stella, Beck’s, Bud etc etc). It has become a tradition for us to order a local beer and hold our breath as we check the label. More often than not, it’s been bought up by InBev. Argentina’s Quilmes, Brazil’s Bramha, Uruguay’s Patricia: all InBev. It seems such a shame. However, as my friend reluctantly points out, these local companies can’t compete otherwise. They aren’t connoisseurs’ beers; they are for people looking for something cheap and drinkable. And the best way to keep prices low and consumption high is, of course, to join forces with a powerful multinational. For a proper analysis, see this great article on the globalisation of beer in South America, which details certain rebellions, including Bolivia’s new Coca Colla.
Here in Argentina, there’s isn’t a big microbrewery scene. If anyone knows any good places to try, let me know. I went to a nice one in Bariloche, but the name is escaping me. Antares in Palermo does a little tasting board, with mini pints of a spectrum of beers. It’s fun to share and has more flavour the Quilmes (what doesn’t?), but didn’t strike me as outstanding.
I was quite taken with Salta beer, which I tried last week in Argentina’s north. The negra version (sweet and light) was particularly good. It doesn’t have the word InBev on its label, which made it doubly refreshing. But I rarely see it on the menu in Buenos Aires. Is that because it can’t get the distribution deals?
If anyone knows of a national or regional beer that hasn’t been snapped up by a giant, I’d love to support them. Beer drinking for a good cause – that’s surely a good idea.
It’s funny because I’ve just been in Vancouver and marvelled at the endless choice for local beer. Much of it brewed IN Vancovuer (literally).
But as for national beers? Nope. Can’t think of a one.
Sounds good, Andy. Montreal is also great for microbreweries. This is one of my favs … http://www.dieuduciel.com/
We’re lucky here in the Netherlands to have quite a few very local breweries.
Belgium, of course, is very close, and the mecca of local breweries. Every village seems to have its own. Luckily, in Amsterdam I can drink many of these local Belgian brews, or Dutch ones. For example at one of my favorite Amsterdam beer cafe: http://www.spottedbylocals.com/amsterdam/engelbewaarder
Hi Vicki. If you want to see some great locally owned and locally brewed beers come here to Yorkshire. My local in Leeds has more locally brewed and owned beers that it does ones owned by big firms.
Oh Tom, how I’d love a good pint in a Yorkshire pub right now.
Vicky,
You probably went to Blest in Bariloche. Locally, in Baires, you have Microcerveceria Buller with two locations. You can also find Otro Mundo in many stores and they are a small brewery with one of the partners being one of the guys that started Buller.
You also have Gulmen, which to me, makes one of the finest wheat beers in Argentina.
There is also a microcerveceria/resto in Pallermo Hollywood called Donde. The address escapes me at the moment, but I will get back to you on that one.
There are quite a few more.
I might have to call you on our next micro brewed beer outing…
You might also be interested in this from another UK expat.
http://www.casamatienzo.com/2010/03/seminario-de-elaboracion-y-degustacion.html
Hi Vicky,
The nice place in Bariloche may well have been Berliner, which in my opinion makes the best single beer I’ve tried so far in Argentina (their IPA).
A good place to try good local beer (“cerveza artesenal”) in Buenos Aires is Cossab in Boedo (how happy I was to live in Boedo for a while recently and have that as my local!) – on the corner of Carlos Calvo and Jose Marmol.
Happy drinking!
Alan
Thanks Alan for another reason to go back to Bariloche. I completely missed that one.
Although there was another really nice place just outside of Villa Langostura that also had some nice pizza.
I am going to have to dig up my flyers, pictures and cards from that trip.
Things are looking up. Thanks Frank, thanks Alan. You have given me lots of ideas. Frank – you have micro-brewed beer outings? That sounds like my sort of trip.