The first artisan brewer in Peru was Federico Bindels, who founded in Callao, in 1863, Pilsen Brewery, the seed of the current industrial brewing group.
But if we look for the pioneers of beer we will have to go back to the 90’s, when the chemical engineer Hugo Aldón made 15 varieties for the Mamut nightclub in Miraflores. Also around those years, a group of former workers from Pilsen Trujillo brewed beer at the Hops nightclub.
Today, in Perú, there is a real boom with more than 60 small breweries that make more than 200 varieties of beer. 26 of these are grouped in the Union of Craft Breweries of Peru (UCAP). This boom began in 2011, led by Diego Rodríguez, Ignacio Schwalb and Juan Diego Vásquez and their brand, Barbarian, the best known in Peru.
In 2014, Cerveza Cumbres participated in a campaign about the Soccer World Cup. That was the first time that Peruvian craft beer appeared on television.
Last year the craft brewers sold 650 thousand liters. This year they estimate that they will sell 1 million liters.
During our travel Packages to Perú you will have the opportunity to taste this Peruvian Beers.
Brands in Perú
Backus has a notable presence in the Peruvian market, which even increased after it became part of AB InBev. Although there is no official registry, it is estimated that it exceeds 96% presence in the national beer market.
In Peru, Cristal Beer Perú is the main product of Backus’ portfolio. During 2018, this brand represented 42% of the total volume of the company.
Pilsen Beer Perú also has a considerable space within the country. Its volume variation increased during the past year by 9.3% compared to 2017.
Under the premium category, Peruvian Beer Cusqueña is positioned, also within the Backus portfolio. Last year, he highlighted that the Peruvian Beer Cusqueña registered an increase in volume of more than 22%.
The Backus company also offers, in Peru, Super Premium brands. These include: Corona, Budweiser and Stella Artois.
These products registered growth in their volumes greater than 41%; 365% and 44% compared to the consolidated results of 2017.
Among the regional brands, on the Backus side, are Pilsen Trujillo, located in Trujillo and Puno; San Juan, with a high incidence in Pucallpa, and Arequipeña.
Beer Consumption
At the regional level, Peru ranks as the fourth country with the highest beer consumption with 46 liters per person per year, according to Euromonitor International.
Ahead are Brazil (63.8 liters), Colombia (53.5 liters), Chile (47 liters). After Peru are Argentina (38.3 liters) and Bolivia (35.3), to mention the main cases.
However, Europe has a vast advantage over South America when it comes to beer consumption.
Peru’s top 10
Barbarian
They started in 2009 making beer as a hobby. They used a couple of pots, a cooler, and an inherited demijohn. When they opened the first bottle, they named it Barbarian.
When they made more beer than they could drink, they decided to sell it. That happened in 2011. The first beer was a Barbarian Red Ale. Little by little, the production grew.
Thus, in 2013 they moved to Huachipa to a 500m² plant. They also expanded production and the first recognitions came for the Chaski Porter, Red Ale and L.I.M.A. Pale Ale. Their Barbarian Real Ale won the bronze medal at the Global Craft Beer Festival last year in Germany.
Magdalena
Friends Oscar Okuma and Luciano Mazzetti founded in 2013. They are in charge of everything, from their beers and the design of their labels, to the definition of ‘drinkability’. It is well known for its presentation ‘La Muertecita‘, a double IPA beer with a thick texture and abundant foam.
Maddock
They are a brewery dedicated to making high quality craft beers using unconventional recipes created based on unique experiences. It has a variety of beer flavored with rocoto and another made with chocolate.
Summits
Diego Aste, Jorge Jiménez and Miguel Torres created Cumbres, the brand that fuses traditional ingredients (yeasts, malts and hops) with Andean grains. Since they moved to their new premises in 2015, their production capacity exceeds 100,000 liters per month under a fair trade model: they buy directly from small farmers at the price that they themselves set for the quality of their grains.
They make five beers: the Kölsch with quinoa; the Barley Wine with organic coffee; the Imperial Stout with cocoa; and the Export Scottish Ale and Inka Pale Ale with purple corn.
The new World
They love creating new beers for every special occasion. In addition, they offer in their Draft Bar a great variety of beer workshops, tastings and snacks, as well as sale of supplies and homemade kits. They are present in more than 100 restaurants and bars in Lima, Arequipa and Cusco. Their Panam Pale Ale variety won the silver medal at the South Beer Cup.
Melkim
Located in Arequipa, Melkim Brewery is a family business that began its activity in 2005 with a mini-production of 50 liters. Year after year they have grown and now produces between 800 and 1,000 liters per month. They have their own restaurant called “Sillustani”, where they sell their three varieties of beer that they produce: Ale, Pale, Red and Porter beers.
Barranco Beer Company
Barranco Beer Company is an alternative beer experience where customers can taste a wide variety of craft beers. It opened its doors in October 2013. Since then, it has gone from offering just two styles of beer to more than seven, with the intention of continuing to expand its variety and creativity. It is well known for its ‘La Combi’ presentation, made from the mixture of two types of beer and with the Lager and Ale maceration techniques.
Zenith
Beer made in the city of Cuzco. They have gone from being a tiny 40-liter microbrewery to a 500-liter microbrewery with the production of 2000 liters per month. It features aromas and flavors of roasted malts with hints of coffee and quinoa.
Saqra
A cult beer, produced in a small plant, with the best technique and the highest quality, only for the most connoisseurs. Saqra was born from the passion and cult for beers that monks made in Belgium in medieval times. This tradition has generated very complex beers whose prestige is recognized worldwide. Saqra is inspired by this almost sacred art of knowing how to make beer. It takes its essence and incorporates it into its new proposal, which is combined with nuances of Peruvian, mystical and ancestral culture. Known for its Witbier Special Edition variety, produced with inputs collected from the garden of the Astrid y Gastón restaurant.