Raise a glass

PEDRO NAVARRO, CO-FOUNDER AND CO-OWNER OF SANTANA BREWING COMPANY IN QUITO, TALKS ABOUT THE COUNTRY'S GROWING CRAFT BREWERY SCENE

- ANGELA LOCATELLI

When did beer brewing begin in Ecuador?

Something that’s not widely known is that Ecuador had the first brewery in all the Americas. It was built in Quito’s Convent of San Francisco, the oldest religious monument in the country, by a Flemish monk who arrived in the capital in the 16th century, bringing brewing grains along with him. That brewery stayed in operation for around 500 years, until the 1970s, mostly for the benefit of its beer-loving monks. It’s been restored and is now open to travellers. It’s worth a visit!

What inspired you to set up a craft brewery?

Around 15 years ago, some Ecuadorians experimented with craft brewing, but it wasn’t easy. Industrial products like Miller and Heineken were what the locals knew. But with time, people started to travel and see what was happening in other countries, mostly in the US, where the craft brewery movement had already begun. That was when it started to take off here, too. We wanted to show people there were other types of beer they should try. I founded Santana Brewing in 2012 with my three siblings, and four or five other craft breweries started in Quito around that time.

How has Ecuador’s beer scene changed? 

Over the last 10 years, Ecuador’s craft brewing industry has grown exponentially. We formed the Association of Craft Brewers of Ecuador, which has around 100 associates — quite a lot for a country like ours. We know there are over 100 other unaffiliated breweries, too. We’ve started a culture and, year after year, we make better beers. It’s a great community; when you’re small, there’s friendship. We help each other, make beers together and collaborate.

Where’s Santana Brewery located?