Ever heard of Green Cow IPA, produced by Seasons Brewery, in Porto Alegre? Or Colorado Vixnu, from Ribeirão Preto, in the state of São Paulo? Or Ithaca Imperial Stout, also brewed by Colorado, in Ribeirão?
These three beers are among the best produced in the country, according to Gordon Strong, president of the Beer Judge Certification Program, a reference in beer contests around the world. He just visited several Brazilian brewing centers and summed up his impressions to Paladar blog, published by daily O Estado de S. Paulo. Generally speaking, Strong said that the Brazilian (artisan) beer he drank were mostly correct and he praised both their “basic qualities and boldness”. But he complained that they were served excessively cold in a festival he attended in of the country’s beer meccas, Blumenau, in the state of Santa Catarina, which compromised their balance.
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I just got back from Sao Paulo, where I tried one of the Colorado brews. It was the Weissbeir, I forget the name. I though it was … not very good? It wasn’t bad, and it certainly had more flavor than, you know, Brahma or Skol, but I still found it to be lacking in flavor. I wonder if this is an effort to forge a middle ground between the Brazilians’ want of a light, generally flavorless lager-style beer and the developing tastes of more astute beer-drinkers?
Have you tried any of them? Personally, I love Xingu for a dark beer. It’s got a good taste, but can still be drunk when it’s hot!
I once had a smoked lager called Defumada, by Eisenbahn. I had it in Philly, though, and have never seen it in Brazil. It’s also not listed on the Eisenbahn website (http://www.eisenbahn.com.br/site/produtos.php). But it exists, and here’s the proof: http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/25704_374724883451_547278451_5018185_4962750_n.jpg
(also, I’m sure “Excessively cold” beer is probably not a problem anywhere in Brazil beside this one particular festival he was at).
Zack, I am a very mainstream beer drinker, faithful to Malzbier (I know, I know, girlie beer), Bohemia and, sometimes, Cerpa. I never tried the beers the connoisseur recommended but, the same way in blind tests consumers frequently prefer cheaper wines, that might be also true for beers. I suppose his criteria are not limited to taste, but also if it respects certain production traditions. Anyway, I added these beers to my to-do list for my next trip to Brazil, in July I hope.