On International Beer Day, we highlight craft breweries located throughout the country, whose geography gives them a particular character and enchant palates in Chile and the world.
Fog catcher:
Located in the Cerro Grande Ecological Reserve in the Coquimbo Region, this brewery - created by brothers Miguel and Marco Carcuro - owes its name to the fact that the water used for its production comes from fog, a typical climatic characteristic of northern Chile, which the native peoples called Camanchaca. Through four fog-catcher panels, they manage to "harvest" between 2,000 and 3,000 liters of water per week. This water, which comes directly from the Pacific clouds to the winery, is introduced into the mashing process and, according to some tasters, gives it saline notes that are not found in other beers. They produce two varieties: Brown Ale and Scottish Ale.
Guayacán:
Since its founding in 2009 in the Elqui Valley, Cervecería Guayacán has been a pioneer and innovator in several aspects. In 2013 it was the first Chilean and Latin American brewery to raise capital through the crowdfunding investment system. The following year, they installed photovoltaic panels in their production plant, contributing to lowering the carbon footprint through the use of emission-free solar energy. And in 2017, they were certified as a "B Company", becoming the first "B Beer" in Latin America. Committed to sustainability and the environment, they annually reuse 8,000 glass bottles and have a recycling point to responsibly manage waste. Some of the varieties they produce are: Golden, Pale, Stout and Ipa.
Credit: Guayacán
Beer +56:
This brewery seeks to deliver, in each bottle, flavor and freshness along with identity and Chilean pride. Thus it was born in 2013 with the name of the country's telephone code +56, allowing to connect the essence of Chileans with a craft beer. "Our goal has always been to enhance the local, which reflects the label of our beer. We want our consumers to be able to live the full experience, to know our history, our typical phrases and our beer" states the commercial director of Cervecería +56, Francisca Pacheco. They produce four varieties: Pale Ale, Ambar Ale, Stout and Ipa.
Credit: Beer +56
Hathor:
This enterprise formed solely by women and named Hathor in honor of the Egyptian goddess of celebration, pleasure and beer, won the Gold Medal Copa Cerveza America in 2018. Located in the Curacaví Valley, they use groundwater from subway napas for brewing. "Working with women is an experience that has been lost throughout history, I think it used to be more common, the great complicity that we women have has been erased. Besides, working with women is part of what I hope to be a horizontal space," says Marcela Jiménez, founder of the brewery. They have five varieties: Stout, Scottish Ale, Belgian Pale Ale, Weizen, Faraona American Ipa.
Credit:Hathor:
Miga Beer:
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a baker and a brewer joined forces to create Miga Beer, a beer that is brewed by replacing barley with leftover bread, generating a more sustainable product and contributing to both the circular economy and the environment. This beer is produced specifically with leftover bread from La Benjamina bakery. They produce Wheat Ale, a refreshing wheat beer with more hop character and less yeast than typical German wheat beers.
Bundor:
In 2013, in the heart of Valdivia, Bundor beer was born, a craft production that gradually conquered palates inside and outside Chile. Today they produce varieties such as Blonde Ale, American India Pale Ale, Irish Red Ale and Oatmeal Stout, and often add seasonal creations to surprise their fans. In 2017 they opened Bundor Bar in Isla de Teja -surrounded by the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, Cau-Cau and Cruces rivers-, which has become a must-stop to taste the best craft beers in Valdivia.
Credit: Bundor
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