Taste of Colombia: Discover Popular Colombian Beers !

When considering Colombian alcohol, the first beverages that often come to mind are the country’s famous eau de vie, the aguardiente, or its potent rums. But did you know that Colombia also boasts a selection of high-quality beers, both lager and wheat, and even IPA. In fact, beer consumption in Colombia is significant, with approximately 50 liters of beer per person per year, making Colombia the third biggest consumer of beer in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico.

According to the president of Bavaria, Colombia’s leading beer manufacturer, the Departments of Boyaca and Cundinamarca, along with the Caribbean Coast, were the first nationwide beer consumers. Indeed, these regions are particularly linked to the long history of beer brewing in Colombia, dating back to the 19^th century, when Colombian entrepreneurs initiated the country’s beer industry.

In this article, we will explore the stories of these Colombian brewers and introduce the main beer brands in the country.

Don Rufino, the first Colombian Beer

The first Colombian beer brand was launched by the Cuervo brothers, Rufino José and Angel, in 1868. Inspired by British brewers, the Cuervo brothers started studying brewing following the death of their father, Rufino Cuervo, a former Vice President of Colombia.

From their country house (finca) in Sopó, located within the Cundinamarca Department, they crafted “Cerveza Don Rufino” the first beer produced in Colombia. The beer quickly found success, earning numerous quality awards and contributing to a drop in English beer imports. However, the personal projects of the Cuervo brothers eventually led to the end to the success story. Opting to relocate to Europe, they sold the brewery in 1881 in order to fund their journey.

Bavaria Brewery, a pioneer in Colombian beer brewing

Years after the brewing adventure of the Cuervo brothers, another company was established, destined to leave a lasting legacy on Colombian brewing: the Bavaria Brewery.

Founded in 1889 as Kopp’s Bavaria – Fabrica de Cerveza Alemana (German Beer Brewery), this brewery emerged from a collaboration between Leo Sigfried Kopp, a German migrant, and Colombian brothers Santiago and Carlos Arturo Castello. Gradually, Bavaria rose to become the country’s largest brewer, eventually dominating nearly the entire beer market in Colombia. Today, the beer brands developed by Bavaria over the decades, mainly lagers, remain the country’s most consumed.

The oldest of these, still in production today, is Pilsen lager beer, created in 1904 in Medellin. Following Pilsen’s success, Bavaria launched Costeña, in 1934, from a brewery based in Barranquilla, situated on the Caribbean Coast. The popularity of Costeña prompted the creation of its derivative, Costeñita, arguably the most emblematic beer of the Colombian Caribbean Coast. Later, in 1949, to mark the brand’s sixtieth anniversary, Club Sesenta was introduced; now known as Club Colombia, it is one of the country’s most popular beers. As the company grew, Bavaria acquired other beer brands, such as Poker in 1929, and Aguila, founded in Barranquilla in 1913 and bought by Bavaria in 1968.

The growing artisanal beers market

Although the major beer brands are industrially produced, the artisanal beer market has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years. Today, Colombia boasts approximately 250 artisanal breweries, with Bogota accounting the 44 percent of the market. Other major cities like Cali, Medellin and Cartagena are also expanding in this sector.

Among the most prominent Colombian artisanal beer brands is Bogota Beer Company (BBC). Founded in 2002 by Berny Silberwasser, a brewer from Cali, the company now operates 28 brewpubs across the country. BBC offers a wide range of beers, including lagers, IPA, bitters, stouts and witbiers. Thanks to the exceptional quality of its products, the Colombian artisanal brewery has received several awards, including the prestigious Monde Selection award. Another notable player in the Colombian artisanal brewing scene is 3 Cordilleras, a brewery based in Medellin. Established in 2008 by Juanchi Velez after a trip to the United States, 3 Cordilleras offers six different artisanal beers of premium quality.

In Colombia, brewing has become synonymous with redemption: in 2020, former FARC guerrilla fighters inaugurated “La Casa de la Paz” (the house of peace), in Bogota, an artisanal brewery dedicated to offering high-quality beer and educating visitors on Colombia’s internal armed conflict.

Now that you are more familiar with the Colombian beer landscape, the next time you visit Colombia, remember, “¡A beber!” (let’s drink!).