Beer in Chile facts for kids
Did you know that Chile has a long history with different kinds of drinks? While wine and other beverages are popular, a type of beer called pale lager is widely enjoyed. Chile also has a special tradition of making a corn drink called chicha. The way beer is made in Chile has been greatly influenced by Germany. This is because many German immigrants settled in the southern Chilean lake district during the 1800s. Today, Chile also makes craft beers, which are special beers made in smaller amounts. The city of Valdivia in southern Chile is even known as Chile's "beer capital"!
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A Look at Beer History in Chile
For a very long time, people in Chile have made a drink called chicha. You could think of it as a type of corn beer, but it's seen differently in South America. Originally, chicha was made from corn, a tradition that came from the Andean cultures in northern Chile and Peru. Later, during the time when Spain ruled Chile, people started making chicha from apples and grapes. This was a cheaper way to make a drink than wine. In those old times, Chile had four main alcoholic drinks: wine, pisco (a type of brandy), and both apple and grape chicha.
Modern beer, known as cerveza chilena in Spanish, began to appear in Chile in the 1800s. This was after Chile became independent from Spain. Around 1850, many German immigrants arrived in southern Chile. They brought their brewing skills with them, and that's when large-scale beer making really started. Chile's very first beer brewery was set up in Valdivia in 1851 by a person named Carl Anwandter. By the end of the 1800s, people all over Chile were enjoying beer. The love for beer grew from cities like Valdivia and Valparaíso, where many immigrants lived. In 1907, Valdivia alone produced 20 million liters of beer! By 1997, people in Chile were enjoying about 28 liters of beer per person each year. This number grew to 40 liters per person per year by 2013.
Beer's Place in the Chilean Economy
While Pisco, wine, and rum are popular drinks in Chile, the sales of lager and pale ale from local small breweries and imported beers have been slowly increasing. Even though Chile's overall beer popularity is lower than some other South American countries, beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink there. It makes up 60% of all alcoholic drinks sold. Special, higher-quality beers, called "premium beers," make up 18% of the market. This is the highest share for premium beers in the region.
Today, there are more than 300 small breweries in Chile that make craft beers. These special beers are part of the "premium" market and have become much more popular recently. A local company called Cía Cervecerías Unidas SA (CCU) is the biggest beer company in Chile. They mostly make lager beers.
Popular Chilean Beers
In Chile, there are two main large companies that produce beer: Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas (CCU) and Cervecería Chile. All other beer makers are considered smaller producers or craft brewers.
Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas (CCU)
This company was formed in 1902 when several beer companies joined together. They make their own beer brands and also produce some international brands under a special agreement. They also make soft drinks and other alcoholic products. Some of their popular beers include:
- Cerveza Cristal (and its varieties like Cristal Light and Cristal Zero, which is non-alcoholic)
- Escudo
- Royal Guard
- Malta Morenita
- Dorada
- Lemon Stones (a low-alcohol lemon-flavored beer mix)
- Heineken (made under license)
- Tecate (made under license)
Cervecería Chile
This company also produces its own brands and many well-known international brands. Some of their products are:
- Baltica
- Becker
- Malta del sur
- Brahma (made under license)
- Beck's (made under license)
- Stella Artois (made under license)
Smaller and Craft Beer Makers
These are smaller companies that make unique or special "premium" beers. There are over 150 craft beer makers across Chile's 15 regions! Here are a few examples:
- Kunstmann: This brewery is from Valdivia. It was first started in 1850, but a big earthquake in 1960 destroyed it. It was later restarted as Kunstmann Brewery. It's known as a craft beer and offers many different types, like Torobayo, Lager, Honey, and Blueberry beers.
- Austral: Founded around 1896 in the Patagonia region in Punta Arenas, this is one of the southernmost beer companies in the world! They make varieties like Lager, Ale, and Patagona Pale Ale.
- Kross: From Curacaví near Santiago, Kross is a very recognized craft beer brand that has won many awards.
- Del Puerto: This craft brewery is from Valparaíso.
- Cuello Negro: From Valdivia, this is a well-known brewery in the south of Chile.
- Guayacán: This brewery is from the Coquimbo Region and is famous in northern Chile.
- Tübinger: Located in Pirque near Santiago.
- Szot: From Talagante near Santiago.
- Granizo: This brewery is from Olmué, in the Valparaíso Region.
See also
In Spanish: Cerveza de Chile para niños
