In Ecuador, everyone drinks Pilsener. It’s just what you do. It’s a sponsor of a major soccer team, its logo is seen plastered everywhere.
But there is also Club, or Club Premium I should say. It comes in a small bottle and is branded as a higher end option, yet tastes pretty similar.
For the vast majority of people who visit, or even live in Ecuador, that is the extent of their Ecuadorian beer experience. Pilsener or Club (both brewed by the same big brewery, Cervecería Nacional Ecuador, part of SABMiller).
However – there are more options.
2014 Update: Keep on reading below, but check out my Complete List of Craft Brewers in Ecuador post if you plan to enjoy some beers in Ecuador!
Club Roja, Dorada and Conquer are found in some places. If you’ve tried them all that’s great, but you’ve still missed the best. As these beers are still brewed by the big brewery!
The good news is that there is a growing craft beer scene emerging in Ecuador. With a bit of effort you can unearth companies like Cerveza Umiña, Roche’s Brewery, Cherusker and Montañita Brewing Company.
Find these craft brewers and your beer selection in Ecuador suddenly includes stouts, IPA’s and strong Belgian-style tripel ales! Flavours like chocolate, hops, bananas and raisins can be found in decently complex, small-batch brewed beers.
I wasn’t able to sample all the craft beer in Ecuador (sadly none of it exists on the Galapagos Islands yet, where I spent most of my time), but I managed to sample a mix of eight different macro and micro brews from the country. I shall return sometime in 2013 to try the rest…
Popular Beers of Ecuador
Pilsener by Cervecería Nacional Ecuador
This is easily the most popular beer in Ecuador. Yes, it is grainy. It has a bit of sweetness that makes it taste decent when cold. A typical corny, light lager beer that is great in the Galapagos and heat of the day or for a long night outs at the club. It is better than many macro lagers in Canada or the US, so don’t be gutted if it is the only beer you can find.
Club Premium
This very light coloured lager comes in a green bottle. It is quite sweet, and is often slightly skunked – but still drinkable. Fresh it’s a better lager than Pilsener but not by much and it’s not usually fresh. Different flavour profile, not quite as grainy, yet no flavours that really stand out either. Not worth paying more for than Pilsener, except to say you tried it.
Club Premium Roja
Roja beers seem to be all the rage down in South America right now. A little darker than your typical lagers, but still usually pretty generic. In the case of Club Roja, it is an amber ale colour and decently malty for a South American brew. It sustains a lingering, foamy head which is also a nice surprise. No skunky aroma and no off-taste. Quite drinkable, even when not ice cold. A big step up from regular Club or Pilsener offerings.
Craft Beers of Ecuador
Roche Roja
I enjoyed the Roja, Rubia and Tripel offerings from Roche’s microbrewery at Mulligan’s Pub & Grill in Quito.
This is a medium orange-red colour beer. It has little head but is bursting with a strong musty, malty aroma – fitting for the style. More rough than sweet. Undertone is some mild fruit, like bananas.
You will notice a bit of alcohol on this one yet it drinks smooth, with a very nice bitter finish. Not hoppy, just solid flavours and smells here. Overall this beer tastes good, a solid upgrade from the usual beer suspects in Ecuador.
Roche Rubia
Tastes slightly metallic and tinny. Somewhat disappointing. Took some time to get from the keg without a glass of head, ah well it’s been around for a while I assume. But wait, there is hops in this beer. Or something. Flavour exists. Let’s look at this blonde beer closer…
Wet on the lips at first but indeed there is a strong bitterness factor. It’s a moderate orange colour, slightly lighter than the Roja. Aroma has hints of papaya or something exotic once you get past the tininess. That papaya is prominent on the taste as well. Clingy, sticky head on the glass shows this beer still has character.
Getting through the beer more it is less tin and more beer flavour. Lots of potential here…need to find a fresh pint of this next time as it has gone stale and lost its zip.
Oh – but even with the tinned taint, I’d drink this beer stale over a Club or Pilsener any time.
Roche Belgian Tripel
Required a double pour from tap as the keg was head heavy. Glass arrived 90% full, but it’s a 7%+ beer so can’t complain about that.
How about that – a strong Ecuadorian beer! It is reddish in colour though, a bit odd, as many Triple style beers are a light blonde, yellow colour.
It smells yeastier than the other beers, with a bit of a spicy mix to it. No huge floral bouquet like the great Belgians but can you really expect that? Alcohol is fairly evident but not overpowering.
A definite stronger beer that has been spiced up. Drinks more like a strong Belgian ale than a tripel as it has good complexity. Perhaps the best South American brew I’ve had – it really changes it’s profile from start to finish. I can’t quite put a finger on the spices. Not your typical coriander and citrus twist. It’s deeper, thicker than that. Let’s say some ginger, some very mild raisins. I’m probably over-analyzing it.
Unique among brews I’ve had in South America. First beer in Ecuador I’ve had that has a lingering finish with a flavourful profile right to the end. Good effort, would love to see a fresher, livelier version. So many flowers, herbs, fruits and options around locally in Ecuador…take advantage of it!
Roche Negra
This was sold as the ‘artesenal de la casa’ beer at Brau Plata in Quito, but pretty sure it was from Roche Brewing.
Big chocolate flavour, whoa a stout with substance! This was a dark brown beer with a reddish hue that had a small clingy head and a chocolate, sweet smell. Oddly this stout was served in a wheat beer glass, a bit puzzling but all good.
The taste is what pleases most though. It’s a medium-bodied stout with a bit of chocolate, coffee and toffee all mixed together. Heaviest on chocolate, the overall taste is sweet with a enjoyable coffee bean finish.
Well balanced, better than some stouts I’ve had at home from Canada or the US! Almost as enjoyable as the tripel.
Cherusker Roja
Enjoyed at Cherusker Cervecería Alemana in Quito, a nice bar with their own microbrews. This is a good smelling brew, not overt, not subtle, just a nice balance. Roja seems to be a relative term in Ecuador, as this is more orange than anything.
Taste is decent, simple, not as good as I expected. No stand out flavours for good or bad, just a safe beer with some flavour. Cherusker was a very friendly place, with a great vibe. I would have liked to have had time to enjoy more of their beers, but will have to return.
When I was in Ecuador in late 2012 Cerveza Umiña was only selling their beer online, available for delivery to your home, hotel or business. I was also unable to locate any beers from Montañita Brewing Company in Quito. If you’re out in Quito, Ecuador I can recommend all of the places mentioned in this post, as well as Turtle’s Head Pub & Microbrewery as places to find a good selection of beer.
Want more information on Ecuadorian beers? Check out my updated post: Complete List of Craft Brewers in Ecuador
Damn, I wish I had found this a few months ago! We were just in Ecuador in October, we drank mostly Club–we preferred it slightly to Pilsner. I never saw any of these other beers sold, but we weren’t really looking– we just figured they didn’t exist. When we were in Chile we found a few microbrew beers at cafes in Santiago. Bogota, Colombia has the Bogota Beer Company which was really good, but otherwise that was the extent of craft beer I’ve seen in Latin America, though I think (hope!) the industry is growing.
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Ahhh, you have to go back to Ecuador! Haha. Bolivia had good micro brews years ago, and I have had some good craft beer in Argentina and Peru as well…so nice to hear that Chile and Colombia should be on my beer travel list!
Where are Cherusker and Brau Plata located? I live in Quito and want to try these places out.
Ryan
Hey Ryan!
Brau Platz and Cherusker are a 2 minute walk from each other. Brau Platz is across from Finn McCools on Pinto and Cherusker is around the corner on Foch. Go check them out and let me know what beers you find.
I’ll be back in Quito later this year….
Have you made it down to Cuenca yet? I was in Quito and Cuenca in the summer fo 2011, and my friends and I loved the brewery in Cuenca: La Compania Microbrewery. They have a really fine Stout, Lager, and Red Ale. The Red Ale was my favorite, but I love hoppy ales, and this one was also really potent (at least 9% alcohol content). Since then there is another one: The Andean Brewing Company & Brew Pub, but I don’t know that one.
Hey Bill,
I haven’t been to Cuenca yet. I hope to explore more of mainland Ecuador on my next visit and perhaps visit some microbreweries in Banos, Cuenca, Canoa, etc…thanks for the tips!
Awesome write up. I can’t wait to explore South American craft beer in person. Thanks!
Cheers Chris…there are some great beers happening in South America these days, so you shouldn’t be disappointed if you know where to find them!
So far for South American wheat beers I found:
Brazil: Eisenbahn, Wit, (both exceptional) St. Gallen (good)
Uruguay: Patricia weisse (good)
Argentina: Patagonia weisse (good)
Chile: Grassau (dunkel only), Kunstmann Trigo (good)
Bolivia: none 🙁
Peru: Cusqueña de trigo (ok)
Ecuador: only draught – Cherusker Rubia you have & over the road a place called ‘beerfest’ also has a rubia, both disappointing.
Nice list Gary, thanks for the info!
Surprised you didn’t find any in Bolivia as there was a good craft beer vibe in towns like Sucre when I was there many years ago, I would have hoped it had gotten even better. Argentina is now a big wheat producing nation so I imagine wheat beers may become more common there.
Hi Red,
Didn’t get to Sucre, only Uyuni & La Paz- the head brewer at Adventure Brew Hostel (La Paz) insisted there were none, but he’d had a bad wheat beer experience so maybe was biased.
Update for Wonderful Colombia:
Bogota Beer Company – very good Chia Tipo Weiss & Bacata Blanca (Belgian style)
In Medellin – Tres Cordilleras (Blanca) & Apostol (Tipo Weizen) are both worth drinking.
Hallo. We are at Gaalapagos right now. Just had a Brown Ale from Roches Brewery at a small pizzeria at Darwin street. They also had a Kölsch and a IPA. Will try the IPA tonigt.
Daniel – that’s awesome news. First time I’ve heard of good beers making it to the Galapagos Islands! Do you mean Charles Darwin Avenue in San Cristobal Island…or was this on Santa Cruz Island?
RH,
Seeking out good, local craft brews is one of my favorite parts of traveling. I did Ecuador years ago and got stuck with the usual choices as we were fairly remote. I’ve got no issues with lager except when it’s my only choice, so by the end of the trip my taste buds were on life support. I’ve got a few days to kill in Quito, so your post saves some time for beer hounds like me. Thanks.
Todd
Great to hear man! Glad I could help.
Let me know if you find anything new. I am returning to Quito and Ecuador next week and have a few new breweries / beers on my hit list already. Cheers!
You can also get Brahma (from Brazil, but owned by InBev) and Budweiser (also owned by InBev), but is a little harder to find and some places more expensive.
Lee
True Doug, I’ve seen those around in the big bars and at supermarkets. I’ve seen a Canadian beer (Moosehead) on tap in one bar. I’ve spotted plenty of Guinness, MGD, type beers too.
On the more exciting side of things, I’ve uncovered no less than 15 microbreweries / nano-breweries in Ecuador. A few of these are nothing more than homebrews that sell online, most are small brewpubs/breweries in towns like Cuenca, Guyaquil, Banos. But a few others can be found on tap at various places in Ecuador.
I haven’t sampled many of them yet, but am working on it…so an update to this post will come soon!
Great everyday drinking “beer”. Great for those who need gluten free drinks. It does not contain hops… It is made with rice and plants, look at the label.
Any updates? I am pretty sure some new brewpubs have opened in the last 18 months?
Definitely Shmelvin,
I recently spent a few months in Ecuador again and things have changed A LOT. I tried about 50 new beers from more than a dozen new craft brewers. Bandidos, Quitena, Sinners and Doggerlander are some of the best new breweries to watch. I have a detailed article coming out soon for TAPS beer magazine, be sure to check it out.
Did you write the article for “Taps” I did a search for Ecuador /Quito on the web page and nothing came up?
Hey Shmelvin…the TAPS article is not available for free online, but can be downloaded via Magzter. Check my “List of Craft Breweries in Ecuador” post for a link!
Red Hunt recently posted..List of Craft Breweries in Ecuador
I tried Magzter. but the page “cant be found” ?
I also went to Bandido Brewpub in Quito…Best beer in EC bar none!
Bandido is great isn’t it!?
here is an updated link to the TAPS article on Magzter.
http://www.magzter.com/CA/TAPS_Media_Inc./TAPS_The_Beer_Magazine/Culture/62858
Cheers!
Looks like Roche shut it’s doors? Anyone know the story here?
Hello fellow Red person…I haven’t been in touch with Brandon or Pam recently from Roche’s. I wonder if he ran into visa issues, being an expat? I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough as it is a surprise closure for sure.
Do you know of Any IPA beers in Ecuador?
Hey John, I have heard Sabai makes a decent IPA – http://sabaibeer.com/ – they are relatively new. Probably the best is in Quito at Bandido Brewpub, if you want an American high hoppy type IPA. Most other breweries versions of an IPA in Ecuador are fairly mild, more malty like an English IPA.
Bandito in Quito is the only one worth drinking in EC
What are your thoughts on the Sabai beers schmelvin? I’ll be back in Ecuador in November to see what is new.
They are OK very gassy and a bit sweet, and lets face it anything is better than Pilsener
but since I left EC and now live in Seattle all EC beer pale in comparison to the most pedestrian of beers available here. JMHO
PS… I was dry hopping Pilsener (using Pellets) with mixed but acceptable results.