Not (Just) For Tourists

Patagonia’s Beer Boom.

Bariloche doesn’t feel like Argentina. Surrounded by mountains and hugging the shore of the imposing Nahuel Huapi, a 23-mile-long glacial lake, the picturesque Patagonian city famed for its Swiss and German influence is full of half-timbered buildings, chocolate makers, and fondue restaurants.

More than 900 miles southwest of Argentina’s frenetic capital Buenos Aires, there’s another reason San Carlos de Bariloche feels different than the rest of the country: beer.

In Malbec-mad Argentina, robust red wine has pride of place. Argentine beer offerings have historically been limited, with the company that owns Quilmes, the ubiquitous but uninspiring national lager, commanding 71 percent of the market. But while red wine may still be king, beer is no longer the court jester.

Craft brewing sales grew 50 percent in 2015 and in pockets across the country close to 400 micro breweries are quenching Argentina’s newfound thirst for artisan brews.

Bariloche is one such hotspot. It has at least a dozen brewpubs—serving a population of roughly 150,000—that cater to thirsty tourists and locals embracing a new taste.

Martin Boan, a beer sommelier from the Centro de Cata de Cerveza (Beer Tasting Center), says there has been a recent boom in craft brewing. “The change in the consumption of beer in Argentina has been noticeable for 10 years,” he says. “First it was gradual and in the last five years it has been exponential.”

According to Boan, Bariloche’s location gives it a natural edge in beer production. “Bariloche has very pure water sources and is next to the largest hop-producing area in the country (El Bolsón), which are two great advantages for brewing,” he says.