Had enough of Malbec? Michael Holder goes in the search of a good pint.
As anybody in Mendoza will tell you, there´s a lot more to Argentinean wine than just Malbec. A less well established notion, though, is that there's anything of interest worth drinking in Argentina beyond wine. But if you´ve come to Mendoza simply for the bodegas, consider also checking out what Argentina´s breweries can offer. You may be pleasantly surprised.
In many places around the world, the first place western visitors look for familiar beer and comfort is the nearest Irish pub. And in Mendoza it is no different.
You won´t just find Guinness being served at the Believe Irish Pub (www.believeirishpub.com.ar) on Av. Colon in the city centre, the pub stocks an impressive range of world brews.This includes several specialist beers brewed in Argentina, and Believe has helped to introduce some of the best of Argentina´s beers to both locals and foreigners alike.
Gonzalo Rodriguez runs Believe Irish Pub with his Irish wife Kelly – he estimates 70% of their clientele are locals from Mendoza, and ex-pats and tourists make up the remaining 30%.Whereas most bars have an exclusive deal with one of the huge global brewing companies preventing them from selling beers from many of the smaller breweries in Argentina - Gonzalo is proud to have avoided this.
"Things have changed from 7 years ago when we first opened," explains
Gonzalo," The quality of our beers has improved a lot, more people here are now trying more beers – different beers – and they also know much more about beer." One of the things Gonzalo hopes more people are discovering is just how versatile beer can be."Argentinean wine has become a lot bigger and we can do a lot of different things with the grapes, but there are also so many different things you can do with beer too."
OtroMundo (www.otromundo.com/), one of the most famous small brewers, started making beer at their 100 year-old San Carlos brewery, Santa Fe, back in 2004. Their beers can sometimes even be found sitting on the usually Quilmes and Andes-dominated shelves of the supermarket. Like many wineries in Argentina, they also source their most important ingredient from the fertile lands of Patagonia. A practice that has taken place ever since German settlers came to the area in the 19th century, it was apparently a man called Otto Tip that first taught locals how to grow hops after arriving in El Bolson in 1890. In honour of the man, there is now a brewery named in after him in the town.
Despite this history, it has taken a number of years for craft beers to gain a footing in wine-dominated Argentina – but they are now growing in popularity. Antares is one of many breweries that have enjoyed considerable growth since microbreweries started to open in the late 1990s. Starting out as one brewery with attached bar, it now owns 11 pubs in cities across Argentina. Leo Ferrari, Brewmasterof Antares, believes the reason for this increasing popularity is both economic and social: "Mass produced beer has changed into a lighter, blander, graceless product steadily for the last 30 years," says Leo. "This has conversely generated a renewed interest in good beer from consumers, who are now looking for 'quality products' from alternative sources."
Another smaller craft brewery in Mendoza is the Jerome brewery, based 2,500 meters up in the Andes in El Salto, near Potrerillos. Its brewery-cum-pub is a 90 minute bus journey from the citycentre, and a visit is best enjoyed after some hiking through the picturesque mountainsides and lake (or dam). Once you´ve earned your rest, you can sample some of the excellent beers, alongside German and Czech-style food.
The idea to start a brewery came after founder Eduardo Luis Maccari helped to rescue a Czech man lost in the Andes, and was subsequently invited visit to Prague in 1983. Beer is, of course, the national drink in the Czech Republic (they have the highest beer consumption per capita in the world), and so Eduardo spent the lion's share of his time away tasting his way through an array of Czech beer. After returning home, Eduardo felt inspired to start creating his own beers - naming hisnew brewery after his loyal dog, Jerome. Nowadays theybrew five different beers –including El Diablo (the devil).
With the growth of craft beers both locally and nationally in the country, what does the future hold for Argentine beer? The newly formed Association of Argentine Craft Brewers made a census last month, and came with over 85 microbreweries or brewpubs that are formally operating under a brewing license in Argentina. As such, Leo is optimistic about the future, "we have excellent water, malt and hops; and Argentina is already recognized as the leader in our region when it comes to craft beer."
But a revolution this is not. In typical Argentinean fashion, Leo isn´t getting carried away with optimism, adding a sobering conclusion. "I also think that it will remain a small niche that might hit a couple percent points of market share in the next 5-10 years. I don't see it as something that will replace ABInbev's (Quilmes/Andes)beers."
For the hop lovers out there, though, there is still plenty of interesting artisan beer to wet your whistle with.
Beer Trivia
- It's the kind of question pub quiz fans drool over: what country can claim to be the origin of lager? Germany, Belgium, the UK... although these may be the usual suspects, the actual answer could surprisingly be Argentina. Germany started lager brewing 500 years ago but it wouldn't have worked without the special immigrant yeast from Patagonia, Argentina. How it got there is still under debate, but what is certain is that it is only this Argentine yeast that can produce the golden lager we know today.
- Despite the fame of St Paddy's day for beer drinking, St Patrick is not the patron saint for beer.
- Cordoba's beer industry partly originated from German settlers who came to
Argentina on a war conquest with Nazi Germany. When their battleship, the Graf Spee, started sinking, Han Langsdorff ordered the ship to be scuttled and sunk for good and survivors made off to settle and make beer in Cordoba.
Places for a pint
Antares: Check out their home brews and if you feel indecisive go for a 'degustacion' of 8 beers on a sampler plate. Aristides 153.
Believe Irish Pub: The first Irish pub in Mendoza, beer on the tap and a real institution in the city centre. Colon 241.
William Brown: The new Irish pub in town, a gastro pub feel, English rock, draft beer and decent pub grub. Aristides on corner of Olascoaga.
Jerome: Set against the stunning Andes you can find some stunning beers at Jerome. El Salto. Jerome beers can also be bought in The Park Hyatt and The Liverpool Pub.
Artisan brewery: Opposite Trapiche winery, this small brewery is an essential beer lover's stop off for a break from the wine trail.
Jumbo: If you want a good pint at home, this supermarket leads in the beer stakes with an admirable amount of shelf space devoted to artisan beers.
Names to watch out for:
Patagonia – A southern brewer making three good beers usually available is
in supermarkets and in big bottles. Berlina – Two brothers in Bariloche make a handful of different ales and seasonal brews worth checking out. If you are in Bariloche, you can sample their brews and tuck into hearty food at their brewhouse and restaurant on Av Bustillo.OtroMundo, Jerome, Antares
Beer Lingo
Need some code words for 'drink beer' to confuse your wife? Take a look at some of our top phrases: (any other suggestions are always welcome on www.facebook.com/winerepublic)
"crack a cold one"
"blow the froth off one"
"have a creamy one"
"let's have some barley pop"
"want to go for a cold coffee?"
"fancy a brewski?"
