La Guía de Cerveza Sudamericana

South America as a whole produces more - and better - wine than they do beer. Let's not discuss cocktail variety, because none exists outside of Peru or Buenos Aires. Argentine and Chilean wine are among the best and most widely distributed in the world, but their beer doesn't register abroad. That doesn't surprise me because South American beer can be summed up in two styles: a light, gutless lager and a malty, at times syrupy, dark lager. During our 2014 trip to Chile and the two months we spent on-continent in 2015, I endeavored to discover craft beers while sampling all the generic brands in hopes of discerning which were worth drinking.

In order to save you some time and coin, I hope you find my South American Beer Guide below helpful.

Peru

Cusqueña - This is the big dog of Peruvian beers for good reason. The golden, sweet cerveza is refreshing and full-bodied. It's from the city of Cusco (although I'm pretty sure it's brewed in Lima) and features Machu Picchu on the label. How much more Peruvian can you get?

Arequipeña - In the tradition of naming beers after the city of origin, obviously this is the main beer from Arequipa. The beer is drinkable but lighter in body and flavor. It's pretty typical of your average South American beer and doesn't really stand out.

New World Brewing Cabo Blanco - We visited Chacqao in Arequipa, a cafe specializing in homemade dark chocolate and serving a collection of Peru's emerging craft brews. New World is a product of Lima, but I found it to be the best true craft beer in South America. At Chacqao, we tried the Cabo Blanco whitbier, which was an excellent representation of the style. If you like Hoegaarden or Harpoon UFO, New World nails it in this similar unfiltered wheat beer.

Sierra Andina Shaman IPA - Sierra Andina hails from the mountainous city of Huaraz. They offer a full range of styles, but I wanted to try their IPA. It was decent, but the hops were strong and unbalanced, making this taste more like a homebrew than a professional product.

Chile

Austral - The best cerveza artisanal in South America comes from Patagonia and the Lakes Region of Chile, hands down. Many Germans emigrated to cities like Punta Arenas, Puerto Varas, and Valdivia and brought with them a taste for quality brews. This brewery hails from Punta Arenas, deep in Patagonia. They produce a wide lineup of of beers, but their lager and pale ales are easily found and pleasantly drinkable.

Kunstmann Gran Torobayo - Gran Torobayo is my favorite beer from the South American continent. Its style is a doppelbock, and an awesome one at that. High in alcohol content and heavy on flavor, this beer is refreshing and impressive. I drank it at restaurants in Chile and Argentina every time I got the chance, although it's not as easy to find in Argentina. Kunstmann is based in the Pacific coast town of Valdivia. They make the best lineup of beers in South America and anything of theirs you come across is worth trying.

Bolivia

Lipeña Quinoa Beer - I had to try a quinoa beer after seeing a few types in Peru and Bolivia. This one I found at the odd "salt hotel" we stayed at in the Salt Flats region. It was DEFINITELY unfiltered, with chunks of quinoa malt extract saturated at the bottom. It's really unique and worth a taste for the experience, but I wouldn't make the switch from wheat-based beers. It is similar in body to a wheat beer, but with much less sweetness.

Huari - A pretty run of the mill light lager, but I really enjoyed it with salteñas - the best food item we've encountered on the whole trip.

Paceña - This is the national brew of Bolivia. It's a decent but unremarkable light lager. The state-owned brewery produces this beer, Huari, and a handful of others. I don't think craft brews exist in this highly socialist structure.

Argentina

Salta - Like the rest of South America, Argentine breweries typically offer a light and dark lager. They are two styles interestingly at opposite ends of the spectrum. The lights totally lack character, and the darks have a super-sweet, malty body like a brown ale. Salta beer (again, as the name implies, brewed in Salta) dominates the northern part of Argentina. Salta light lager is remarkably unimpressive. It reminded me of Natty Light... enough said. Salta Negra was actually very drinkable. It's sweet but not syrupy. It was probably my favorite dark beer alongside Quilmes Negra.

La Burra - La Burra is a craft brewery from Buenos Aires, and they offer a full range of wheat, IPA, dark and light lager beers. Since craft brewers are so scarce in South America, I bought a couple of La Burra's offerings: the wheat beer and their heavy (8%!) negra lager. Both were unimpressive. In each, the hops dominated the taste of two styles that otherwise shouldn't be hoppy.

Quilmes - Quilmes is the Budweiser of Argentina (and fittingly happens to be owned by A-B InBev). It is distributed nationwide, and you can find the brand plastered on everything from billboards to football jerseys. I avoided drinking it for a long time on the assumption that its omnipresence must equal poor quality. I was wrong on that one. For a major brand, Quilmes does the typical light and dark lagers very well. I enjoyed both and drank them regularly once I acquiesced to trying them.

Patagonia - The naming rule doesn't apply to this beer line, as it hails from Buenos Aires and is brewed by Quilmes. However, I found this to be one of the best beers of South America. It doesn't fit my definition of a craft breweries since they are a widespread producer, but their quality says otherwise. It is very pricey compared to other Argentine beers, probably three times more than Salta or Quilmes. A liter will cost around $7.50 in a grocery store, while the others run around $2.50. That's not expensive compared to quality U.S. beer, but doesn't necessarily fit as a travel budget-friendly daily drinker. I really enjoyed their Bohemian Pilsner and Wheat Beer.

Andes - Andes is the prevalent light lager of western Argentina around the Mendoza region. It is drinkable and refreshing when ice cold, but unremarkable other than that.

Isenbeck - This is yet another unremarkable brand in a sea of light lager. Not bad. Certainly better than Salta, but skip it if the establishment carries Quilmes.

Barba Roja - Simply awful. This is another Buenos Aires-based craft brewer. Their offering is pretty wide, so at a cafe in Salta I picked out a Double Bock that said "award winner" on it. It didn't specify the award, so I'll give it my own accolades for "Most Disappointing Beer of the Continent". I expect a double bock to be malty and strong. This exhibited neither. Just a healthy dose of bland hops.

Uruguay

Pilsen - Like everything in Montevideo, this beer is lackluster. It is a run-of-the-mill light lager, which the generic name signifies. I might have tried one other beer during our two days in Montevideo, but it must've been so unimpressive that I forget the name and failed to take a picture.

Finding original and quality cocktails in Argentina is like trying to find fresh produce in a Walmart - it might be there, but it won't be a diverse range and it won't be good.

Certain countries are known for signature cocktails. For instance, Mexico has the margarita and Peru has the pisco sour. In Argentina, you are likely to find the typical run-of-the-mill selections - whiskey and cokes, bad frozen margaritas, rum and cokes, and vodka sodas.

However, Argentina is known for a few unique concoctions which I sampled. One that stood out is the Gancia Batido. The other, which might be the most famous, is the Fernet Cola.

Gancia Batido

4 oz Gancia Americano liqueur

1 lemon, juiced (lemon is traditional, or instead try a lime)

1 tablespoon simple syrup or white sugar

Shake and serve over ice in a Collins glass

Fernet Cola

1/2 measure Fernet Branca

1/2 measure Coke

Stir and serve over ice

These are both the only truly Argentine cocktails I could find. I really enjoyed the bittersweet taste of the Gancia Batido. If you like Campari drinks, or drinks heavy on the bitter/sour, you'll love it.

I had tried a Fernet Cola in the US years ago, and I hated it. Upon drinking it again in a tango club, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I didn't hate it. Be warned - Fernet is very herbal, aromatic, syrupy and strong. It looks like Jagermeister but tastes more like the Czech liqueur Becherovka.

However, we also ventured to a few craft cocktail joints in Buenos Aires. The city is experiencing a trend of speakeasy-style bars. In the hip areas of BA, such as the Palermo neighborhood, there seems to be a "speakeasy" on every other block.

We visited Verne Club and Victoria Brown in Palermo. At each establishment, the decor and setting were meticulous. Both had loads of copper fixtures, leather furniture, dark woods, and low lighting. Verne was a little more traditional; Victoria Brown was styled a little more "steampunk". Their menus were full of avant-garde drinks with creative twists using atypical ingredients. We were excited to try these two places. Unfortunately, for all their creativity, they need to refocus on their taste. Each of the cocktails had an attribute that impressed me, but their comprehensive taste was mediocre.

One of the most remarkable things I've seen in cocktail-ery is the smoky old fashioned at Verne Club. The bar has a unique culinary machine that creates smoke and infuses it into drinks. Verne uses dried herbs instead of charcoal, and pipes it into the glass after the cocktail is made. The barman quickly slaps a lid on the glass to capture the smoke, and removes it upon presentation to enjoy the cocktail in its smoky glory. The smoke infusion gave the drink such a singular, but not an overpowering, flavor. However, the fact that they made this expensive concoction with Jim Beam could not be overlooked. This is just one example of why bartenders should focus on quality over kitsch in their drinks. Many of the other cocktails in BA followed suit; the creative effect was overshadowed by an incomplete taste.

Mendoza, Argentina is the largest wine producer in Latin America. The region is far west of Buenos Aires, set against the towering presence of Aconcagua (the tallest mountain in the Americas, and the Western and Southern Hemispheres) and a short distance from the Chilean border.

The region is famous for its quality and abundance of malbec wine. This grape, one of the six traditional Bordeuax grapes, has seen its prominence decline in France, but skyrocket in Argentina.

Visiting Mendoza has always been high on my list, and this trip didn't disappoint. The area is lovely, with its majestic backdrop and a climate evoking that of California. This blog post is primarily about the wine. Check out our Americas blog for more info and stories about our whole experience.

There is a wine bar in the heart of central Mendoza called the Vines of Mendoza (creative!). Their claim to fame is that they collect the best wines of the region for sampling and purchase. This is mostly geared toward those tourists who don't have time to visit many wineries themselves, and I was skeptical of their quality.

My initial doubt was misplaced, because VoM really does have an impressively good wine offering. We started by sampling four glasses, which quickly evolved into a full-on tasting and the decision to buy 12 bottles.

Side Story: In Cafayate, we purchased seven bottles of wine with the intent that we would ship six home, along with six we were to acquire in Mendoza. We couldn't have been more naïve. Shipping wine from outside the U.S. is nearly impossible. We investigated all our options upon arriving in Mendoza. The UPS clerk laughed us out of his office. Not even possible. The DHL guy was very helpful, but it would cost $500 per dozen or $350 for six because they have a special (costly) relationship with a licensed alcohol distributor.

We were out of options and fearing the worst. Once we reached VoM, we had an idea. They would ship our six wines home for $220, and if we bought 12 bottles from them, shipping only costs $1. The deal seems to-good-to-be-true, but it's legitimate.

So began our wine tasting odyssey. We quickly struck up a friendship with Justin and Kate, two Americans from D.C. sitting next to us. Julia from VoM gave us the royal treatment, even opening up new bottles just so we could give them a try. It was such a fun, social experience. Hats off to Vines of Mendoza for not just living up to, but exceeding their reputation. We made some tough decisions, and settled upon these bottles (including a few multiple purchases):

Bressia Monteagrelo Syrah 2008

Bressia Monteagrelo Cab Franc 2009

Cuvelier Los Andes Grand Vin Blend 2007

Cuvelier Los Andes Colección Blend 2008

Enamore Blend 2009

Lindaflor La Violeta Malbec 2007

Lindaflor Malbec 2008

Gran Lorca Poético Petit Verdot 2008

Gauchezco Plata Malbec 2009

Bonomo y Montiel Malbec 2012

Gran Malbec de Angeles 2009

By far, our favorite wines were the Gran Malbec de Angeles and the Lindaflor La Violeta. They were simply incredible malbecs. I'm not sure which of these you can find in the U.S., but if you can find them, they will be worth any price.

After spending two days in the city of Mendoza, we headed out to the town of Maipú, about 30 minutes south. There are three major valleys in the area: Maipú, Uco, and Lujan de Cuyo. Maipú is the most frequently visited and easily accessible. We rode the light rail (yay transit!) to the edge of town and walked to the center.

We booked four nights at a vineyard guesthouse called Posada de Cavieres and highly recommend it. It was peaceful and idyllic, and the Belgian owner Hans is incredibly hospitable. (Read more in the other post.)

We arrived at Cavieres on harvest day and were lucky enough to watch the farm hands methodically and rapidly collect the grapes.

In Maipú, we decided to scale back our tasting schedule. Mendoza is not nearly as easy to navigate as Cafayate without a car. We also wanted to relax more, and the pool at Cavieres was irresistible.

Luckily Hans kept a full stable of mountain bikes for his guests' use.

On the first day, we rode 10 minutes up the road to Tempus Alba for lunch. Their rooftop deck was comfortable and modern. The food was very good, although overpriced. The wine was not as impressive. Their Cabernet Sauvignon was actually their best, and the rest were mediocre.

Following Tempus Alba, we decided to ride our bikes up to Bodega La Rural. It was a far ride - like 8 km - and we paid for it in sweat and sore bottoms. La Rural is one of the older and larger wine producers of the Maipú region. Their labels include San Felipe, Rutini, and Trumpeter (in ascending order of quality). We sampled a Rutini sauvignon blanc and malbec, which were both pretty good. We later bought a bottle of Trumpeter malbec in Buenos Aires, and enjoyed that too. La Rural exports to the states, and if you can find a bottle less than $40, it's worth the money to try it. (The Trumpeter cost $15 here in a grocery store, and that is a moderately high price for wine.)

La Rural also has a wine museum. We didn't pay for the tour, but still got to see some interesting old winemaking equipment near the cavernous tasting room.

The next day, we rode 2 km down to Carinae. This winery is owned by a couple of French ex-pats, and I must say their wine is excellent. We paid for a full tasting of their offerings, which span the whole spectrum of grapes grown in Mendoza. Their "Carinae Prestige" blend (malbec, cabernet, syrah) is their top offering, and is one of the best I tasted in Mendoza. We purchased a bottle of their "Octans" blend for dinner that night and were also happy with the purchase. Luckily, Carinae exports to the U.S., so keep your eye open for it.

We were only able to get to three vineyards in the two days we allocated to bodega hopping in Maipú. Lindsay's bicycle tire popped right after Carinae, so we had to walk back to Posada Cavieres and called it a day. However, because of our prodigious sampling at Vines of Mendoza and our strong desire for rest and relaxation, we were perfectly content only visiting three wineries. Again, if you want to visit more in the Mendoza region, we strongly advise renting a car.

Finally, I wanted to note one more winery that we did not visit. For our anniversary dinner, we ate at the Terruno Restaurant at the Club Tapiz winery. The meal was excellent (lamb ravioli and filet), and we enjoyed a bottle of Benegas Malbec 2011. This malbec was excellent. We also enjoyed a bottle of the Benegas Finca Libertad blend (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot) with our dinner at Don Julio in Buenos Aires. Based on these two wines, this has become one of my favorite Mendoza wineries. AND it appears you can buy it through Total Wine in the U.S. We highly recommend trying it.

When researching our visit to Salta, Argentina, we learned about that region's wine area - Cafayate. It is located 200 km south of the city of Salta - about a 4 hour bus ride away.

We spent three days in Cafayate, and another post on our "Americas" blog is dedicated to reviews on the town, but I wanted to make a specific post with a review of the wineries we visited and the wines we tasted.

The most interesting and convenient factor is that many winemakers have their bodega (a.k.a. cellar door, wine shop, winery, etc.) located near the central part of town. They grow their grapes in vineyards outside of town, but truck in the harvest to make and age the wine in town. This is a unique but nice change from typical wine regions where the cellar door is located on the vineyard property. It makes doing 3+ tastings a day very easy since you can walk between them. It also makes it convenient to visit Cafayate without a rental car.

Cafayate is Argentina's second largest wine region, but is typically overshadowed internationally, and even domestically, by Mendoza. The star grape of Cafayate is the torrontes, a white grape with a range of tastes. Cheaper versions resemble a cheap pinot grigio, but higher quality torrontes tastes like a good sauvignon blanc, although less citrusy. The region is not known for vino tinto, which is what we prefer. Malbec doesn't do very well there, but tannat and bonarda do. Everything from syrah to cabernat sauvignon to merlot grow there, but tannat stands out. Interestingly, the wines have a very high alcohol content (most >14%) due to the hotter, drier conditions that produce more sugars in the grape.

We loved our experience in Cafayate and highly recommend it. Below you'll find a review of the wineries we visited.

Nanni - This is the first winemaker we visited. They are one of the older brands and make organic wines. The premises includes a nice secluded courtyard and a tasting room. They have a restaurant with great online reviews but didn't have the chance to eat there. We bought a tannat reserva and reserve blend. Tannat is a grape that is originally European, but has taken well to certain regions of South America. It is similar to malbec or syrah in body and taste. The tannat was quite good, but Nanni's malbec was terrible and too acidic. The bodega staff was nice, and this is an overall decent place just a few blocks from the center of town. - RECOMMENDED

El Transito - This bodega is down the street from Nanni, and is modern and luxiurious in its appearance. They offer a free tasting, which is rare, but only two wines are open at a time. This is a frequent occurence in Cafayate. You generally aren't able to sample their full range of wines, only what they "have open" that day. They had a very mediocre Malbec, and an unremarkable blend of their marquee label. It was a nice building and atmosphere but we were totally unimpressed by wine. (We were told they open different wines on different days, so we returned the next day to find the same two wines for tasting. We turned around and walked out.) - NOT RECOMMENDED

Salvador Figueroa - This bodega had a great oak aged malbec, which we bought. The other "open" wine was an unoaked malbec, which was pretty mediocre. It's a very small bodega, and our tasting was hosted by winemaker/janitor, after he finished sweeping the floors. The wine was recommended by our waiter at Restaurant Terruno the previous night, and we're glad we visited. They have super-small production and is a wine you won't find outside of that region. - RECOMMENDED

Vasija Secreto (a.k.a. La Banda) - This bodega is a short walk outside of town. The tasting fee was waived because we bought wine. We purchased a $7 bottle of torrontes reserva, which was the best we had tasted up to that point. It is a nice estate with a well-ranked restaurant, but we visited late in the day between tasting and dinner hours. The tasting staff was friendly and patient. - RECOMMENDED

Jose Mournier (a.k.a. Finca Las Nubes) - This winery was perhaps the most spectaular setting for a vineyard. The name means Estate of the Clouds, and it is fitting for its location nestled among the mountains. It's reached by walking 4 km (1 hour 15 min) west of town. Expensive tasting, but they offered three wines - torrontes, rosado, and a malbec. They buy most of their grapes from other growers because their finca (estate) is small. We enjoyed a very good torrontes for lunch with a nice cheese/meat/olive plate (picada). We didn't care for the strong acidic rosado of malbec/cab sav. We bought a bottle of their marquee label malbec/cab blend, which is all grown on small estate. The wine is decent, but the visit is worth it alone. Simply stunning, and our favorite overall experience. - RECOMMENDED

El Porvenir - Hands-down the best wine we tasted in Cafayate. It was also the most expensive tasting at 50 pesos (about $5.75) per person, but we got to sample four wines, including an incredible dessert torrontes. The bodega is located centrally in town and is organized around a nice hidden courtyard. The winery tour was thorough and informative, although we didn't find out until the end of the tasting that the woman spoke very good English. I struggled the whole time to translate what she was saying. We bought two bottles of a fantastic cheap cab franc blend and a bottle of malbec rosado to enjoy that day for lunch. It is not a huge production winery, but they do export to Miami through Graziano Imports, so you can find where they sell it in Florida. It's not the best wine in the world, but it is very good quality, the best in Cafayate, and one of the few that exports to the States. - RECOMMENDED

Domingo Hermanos - This was the worst bodega we visited. They are probably the largest volume producer of locally-consumed wine (for instance, they make jugged wine). The production facility is huge and operating at all hours of the day. A highlight was that we got to watch the grape crushing and bottling processes. We tasted two reds and a white and didn't care for any of them. Even their upper brand labels were poor quality. - NOT RECOMMENDED