One of national passions, beer has a guaranteed space on the table in any season. Craft breweries, which have proliferated in Rio Grande do Sul in recent years, are showing that beer lovers can keep the habit alive even when the temperatures drop.
They just should know how to choose the appropriate type for the season: the beers consumed in winter have a higher alcoholic content, unlike Pilsen, widely consumed in Brazil. The beers produced by the state's master brewers have flavors that range from caramel to coffee, chocolate to cereals, citrus to smoked. It can have different levels of bitterness, freshness, color, alcoholic content and ideal temperature for consumption.
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To visit the craft breweries of Rio Grande do Sul, call ahead and prepare yourself. Since it is time for the World Cup and lots of celebration, how about taking this time to try the best craft beers that are already famous among the Gauchos?
Check out below some hot tips of craft breweries that produce excellent quality labels.
Baldhead
Like most of the craft breweries, Baldhead was created from the desire of Giuliano Vacaro to produce beers that were different to the industrialized ones found on the market. He began, with his brother's help, with homemade beers, what we call "sauce pan beers".
He gradually improved his knowledge and technique. Giuliano became a master brewer and decided to invest in a craft brewery. It currently produces about 5,000 liters/month. Baldhead produces chopp (draught beer) for pubs and beers Bitter Pale Ale (with medium bitterness and a slightly fruity aroma), Kölsch (with wheat malt, slightly fruity aroma and low bitterness) and Dark Strong Ale (with a fruity aroma, dark color and medium bitterness).
www.baldhead.com.br
Abadessa
After a decade living in Munich, Germany, Herbert Schumacher returned to Brazil and devoted himself to fulfill the dream of producing beers with a level similar to the best beers in the world.
Plant installed in Pareci Novo and the brewery regularly produces: Slava (classic German Pilsen), Helles, Export (with three types of malt) and Dunkel (dark beer, with notes of coffee and chocolate). Among the seasonal beers are Weinzenbier (with barley malt and wheat), Dopplebock (a dark beer that is in production for the winter), Alt Schumacher (a light brown beer, with aroma of wheat and mild fruity) and Frankonia (with aroma and flavor of smoked malt).
www.abade.com.br
Barley
Barley began with Francisco Assis Strümer e Vitor Hugo Schwarz producing beers at home, as a hobby, in 1992. In 2002, it was transformed into a craft brewery in Capela Santana.
The brewery produces Barley Natural (an unfiltered Pilsen, with a fruity and smooth hop aroma and very light bitterness), Cristal (a yellow-gold Pilsen with sweet aroma of cereals), Pilsen (full-bodied, smooth aroma of cereals, refreshing residual sensation and slightly bitter), Hefeweissbier (clear malts, malted wheat and a touch of hops, refermented in the bottle) and Âmbar (a limited winter edition, unfiltered, with slightly toasted aroma).
www.barley.com.br
Eisenbrück
The partners at Eisenbrück (iron bridge, in German) were former workmates at the Serramalte brewery, in the town of Feliz. In 2006, they joined forces to do what they were experts at: produce beers.
There are currently five types of natural, unfiltered beers without pasteurization or preservatives being produced: Pilsen (clear and with little bitterness), Extra (with creamy head and light bitterness), Weiss (wheat beer, fresh touch of clove and banana), Dunkel (dark brown, it uses four types of malt in its production) and Süss (Malzbier-type with slightly sweet flavor).
www.eisenbruck.com.br
Irmãos Ferraro
This brewery in Anchieta neighborhood, in Porto Alegre, is quite recent: it began to produce Pilsen chopp (draught beer) in January of this year.
The craft brewery can produce 5,000 liters/month. The Ferraro brothers, Rodrigo e Marcelo, were joined by two more partners and join the bottled beer line. Irmãos Ferraro produces Irish Red Ale (with four different malts and coffee flavor), Pale Ale, Weiss (wheat beer), Stout and Helles beers.
www.irmaosferraro.com.br
Seasons
The award-winning brewery is part of brewery district of Anchieta, in Porto Alegre, and has won many awards with its craft production.
Besides seasonal styles, Seasons produces: Funhouse Belgian Blond (with hints of oats and wheat malt and aromas of orange, pear and coriander), Green Cow IPA (with citrus and floral aroma), Cirilo Coffee Stout (black in color, with predominant aroma and flavor of coffee) and Wallace Amber Ale (with flavors ranging from caramel to biscuit and a slight touch of chocolate).
www.cervejariaseasons.com.br
Schmitt Bier
Partner Gustavo dal Ri started the production of beers at home over 20 years ago, from an exclusive recipe he got from a neighbor who was a German descendent.
The brewery produces: Schmitt Ale (with three varieties of hops and refermentation in the bottle), Barley Wine (highly rounded, with a high concentration of malt), La Brunette (without the use of caramel and freshly roasted barley), Hefeweizen (wheat, not pasteurized) and Sparkling Ale (with double fermentation in a sparkling wine bottle).
www.schmittbier.com.br
Lagom Brewery & Pub
The brewery, which works in Anchieta neighborhood, has a bar and a pub that offer their own beers, in addition to national and imported craft bees. Lagom produces 40 different styles of beer. It is a good place to taste and harmonize them with the dishes offered on the restaurant's menu.
Lagom, in Bom Fim neighborhood (Bento Figueiredo, 72), is open from Monday to Saturday, from 6 pm to 11 pm and has 12 taps. Brewery & Pub, in Moinhos de Vento (Comendador Caminha, 312), opens from Monday to Saturday, from 6 pm to midnight, and has 30 taps.
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