Good Brazilian Beers

Brazilian beer accounted for over 9.6 billion liters of the world's beer market in 2006. That makes Brazil the worlds fourth largest producer. Brewing in Brazil goes back to German immigration with the first breweries dating in the 1830s. Most of the brews belong to Ambev, also known as the Companhia de Bebidas das Américas, translating to the American Beverage Company in English. No doubt a large majority of my favorite Brazilian beers are Ambev products. Let's take a look at some of my most enjoyable ones below.

Bohemia Pilsen - Bohemia Brazilian beers belong to the largest brewer in Brazil, Ambev. Bohemia happens to be the oldest beer in Brazil (and rumored to be Brazilian's favorite). Bohemia was founded by Henrique Kremer, a Brazilian settler and well-known roofer. This beer takes its roots to the mountainous area of Petrópolis in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Bohemia Pilsen has a 5.07% alcohol by volume. Its aroma is sweet malt and grain, and it pours a golden color with a slight head. This beer tastes clean with subtle hints of cereal, bread, hay, and malt. It leaves the mouth feeling light and refreshed. Bohemia Pilsen is a great beer to enjoy at a Pub with pretzels or pizza.

Bohemia Weiss - Bohemia Weiss is my favorite of Ambev's Bohemia line. It's a 2003- created wheat beer with 5.6% alcohol by volume. It's light yellow in color, has a yeast, fruit, and spicey aroma. Bohemia Weiss tastes strangely like banana and yeast. It's soft and crisp with a bit of a bitter fruit aftertaste. I enjoy drinking Bohemia Weiss especially on nights when we're eating Brazilian foods, it just completes the meal.

Xingu Black Beer - Xingu Black Beer is brewed by the Cervejaria Sul Brasileira in Brazil. It is named after a tributary of the Amazon River (Xingu). It's a 4.7% alcohol by volume Schwarzbier. It's available in a bottle, on tap, and in cans. Xingu pours dark brown and reveals an aroma of cocoa, sugar, and toasted malt. It tastes of chocolate, nuts, and malt, bitter at first but then a sweetness takes over. The light smooth feel and short aftertaste is quite pleasant.

Skol Pilsen - Skol, also from Ambev, is another very popular beer in Brazil. It was launched in 1967 and appears to attract a youthful market. The name Skol can be traced to the Scandinavian toast "skål". Futhermore, back in the 1980s, Hagar the Horrible, the cartoon character, was Skol's ad mascot so to speak. Today, Skol's more modern pop-culture advertisements appear everywhere you turn in Brazil. Skol also has its name on many cultural events and sponsorships.

Skol contains 4.7% alcohol by volume. It has a light malt aroma and tastes like cereals and malt. It leaves a lingering smooth taste of hops. If you're on the street or beaches in Brazil, you'll definitely see ice-cold Skol being devoured. Skol can also be found in the USA in bottles and cans.

Bavaria Premium - Bavaria Premium is my second most favorite Brazilian beer. It has been brewed since 1877 in Brazil, used to be part of Ambev, but Molsen, a Montreal company, bought Bavaria in 2000. Bavaria is made with ingredients from the Bavaria region in Germany and obviously that's how it got its name.

Bavaria Premium pours clear, has a sweet malt smell, and tastes of malt and grains. A bitterness lingers afterwards but it's light and flavorful.

Sources:

"Beer in Brazil," Wikipedia.

"AmBev," American Beverage Company.

"Molsen heads to South America," ReelBeer.com, Nov 6 2000.