Try “stout”, “Citra”, “Belgium”, “Oktoberfest” or “yeast”.

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Brazil

South America's beer giant, where ice-cold lager meets a creative craft scene that invented its own fruity sour style.

South America

A short history

Indigenous peoples in Brazil have long made fermented drinks. Cauim, made from cassava or corn that was chewed to start fermentation, was recorded by early European visitors and is still made by some communities today.

European beer arrived mainly in the 19th century. When the Portuguese royal court fled to Brazil in 1808, trade opened up and imported British beer became fashionable. German immigrants who settled in the south, especially in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, brought brewing know-how. Brahma was founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1888, and Antarctica Paulista in São Paulo followed around the same time.

The two rivals merged in 1999 to form AmBev, which later combined with Belgium’s Interbrew and then Anheuser-Busch to become AB InBev, the world’s largest brewing company. Brazil’s own brewers have therefore shaped global beer.

The beer culture

Brazilians like their beer “estupidamente gelada,” stupidly cold. It is often shared from 600ml bottles kept in insulated sleeves at the table and poured into small glasses so nothing warms up. The boteco, a casual neighbourhood bar with plastic tables on the pavement and salty snacks, is the heart of everyday drinking. Beer flows at football matches, beaches and, of course, Carnival.

The craft scene has grown rapidly since the 2000s. Blumenau in Santa Catarina hosts Oktoberfest Blumenau, one of the biggest outside Germany. Brazilian brewers experiment with native ingredients like cupuaçu, açaí, jabuticaba, guava, cachaça barrels and native Amazonian woods for barrel ageing.

Signature styles

  • Brazilian Lager: pale, light and crisp, often with corn in the grain bill, built for heat.
  • Catharina Sour: a light, tart wheat beer with fresh fruit, developed in Santa Catarina and recognised by the Beer Judge Certification Program in 2018.
  • Schwarzbier: dark German-style lager, popular thanks to the southern immigrant heritage.
  • Amazonian fruit ales: craft beers celebrating the country’s incredible biodiversity.

Traveler’s tip

Head to southern Brazil to explore the German-influenced “Rota da Cerveja” (beer route) in Santa Catarina, or join Oktoberfest Blumenau in October. In Rio or São Paulo, grab a table at a boteco and order a round of cold bottles with pastel and coxinha. Share generously: pouring for others is standard.