As an exception to the rule, it turns out that the capital of Chile, Santiago, is not the place where beer fans go to taste the best craft beer in Chile. Spanning a variety of countries, each of the brands on the list offers a combination of great beer and something a little unique compared to typical craft breweries. What I love about 3 Cordilleras is that in many supermarkets you can find them in packs of 3 with random selections of their beers, which allows you to try the different beers they offer, without having to shell out a full package for each one. There are a handful of craft breweries headquartered here, including one of Brazil's craft beer pioneers, Cervejaria Colorado, in Riberao Preto, just outside the city, a former center of craft beer production in Brazil.
Beer made with locally produced hops and melted water from glaciers, going to the Patagonia Brewery headquarters is a great place to sit back, enjoy the spectacular views and enjoy a high-quality beer from one of the best craft breweries in South America. The current beer culture in Chile dates back to the first German immigrants in the 19th century, but the Andean people were already making beer with corn long before the colonists arrived. The capital of Argentina is full of breweries and craft beer bars and, despite the long-established custom of drinking wine here, Argentinian craft beer is gaining fans every day. German immigration has shaped the beer industry in this part of the world, and breweries date back to the 1850s, when the Anwandter brewery was created, and they sought to reproduce the style of their domestic beers in their country.
The name of the brand comes from the fact that the Andes are divided into three “branches” as they spread across Colombia, and the three mountain peaks form part of the logo and visual identity of the beers. Another great craft brewery in Patagonia, this Argentine gem is easy to find practically anywhere in the country, so much so that its beers have almost become commonplace in the big lager beer brands in Argentina and Uruguay. Three of the breweries in the area, El Growler, Bundor Beer and Black Collar, were nine of the 41 Chilean beers awarded at the last World Beer Awards. Chilean craft beer continues to thrive in Chile's Lake Region and, in particular, in the city of Valdivia, known as the country's beer capital.
Brazilian craft beer brands continue to win a large number of awards in competitions such as the Copa Cervezas de América. Not only are the beers great (especially the APA “Mestiza”), but thanks to its central location in Medellín, you can easily visit the breweries, which include lots of beers along the way and even live music on Fridays. Most South American brewers would agree that they are at least a generation behind places like the United States or Europe when it comes to the production and demand of craft beer, but over the past decade, this part of the world has experienced a craft beer boom that can't be denied.
