Destination Beers -- Brazil
We didn’t originally plan to include the hunt for Destination Beers as a part of our 2025 World Cruise, but once we began our search enhanced our travels.
What’s a “Destination Geer?”
These are destination beers!
January 19, 2025, Recife, Brazil
Brahma Chopp, brewed by Ambev in São Paulo, Brazil
4.8% ABV. This pale lager is Brahma’s leading brand in Brazil. We stopped at a Recife restaurant, Spettus Steak House, as part of our all-day excursion to Recife, Olinda, and the Brennand Institute, to experience the city’s arts and culture. The Brazilian-style barbecue was magnificent. Seven or eight varieties of grilled meat and shrimp, cheesy bread puffs, salads, rice and beans, and more. It was a never-ending parade of food - a truly fantastic experience. Sherpa ordered this beer to accompany his meal. It was the only local beer available—he vigorously refused the offer of a Stella.
Sherpa’s Take: The Brahma Chopp was a “light-bodied, homogenized mass market type of beer.” Though it satisfied the ‘destination beer’ requirement, I wouldn’t purchase it again. 4/10.
January 20, 2025, Maceio, Brazil
Itaipava, brewed by Grupo Petrópolis in Petrópolis, Brazil.
4.5% ABV. The label notes it is a German-style pilsner beer. After our morning excursion, we split off from the tour group, did some shopping at the marketplace, and finally crossed the main street to the beach, where we sat down to enjoy a few cold beverages. According to the brewery’s website, Itaipava Pilsner is a “100% Classic Beer. This goes well at a barbecue, at a party on the beach, in a happy pool, anywhere and anytime of the year…”
Sherpa’s Take: “The setting—sunny & hot with a bit of a sea breeze—made the ice cold beer hit the spot - refreshing. This is the essence of a beach beer - pale in color, a smooth, pleasant flavor, & a light body. For me, Itaipava is not a serious beer, but it worked well as a beach beer.” 5/10
January 21, 2025, Salvador, Brazil
Skol Pilsen, brewed by Cervejarias Reunidas Skol-Caracas in São Paulo, Brazil.
ABV. 6.4%. “Skol” originates from the Scandinavian word skål, meaning “to your health.” Since Skol has been brewed in Brazil since 1967, we determined that it qualified as a “local” beer but not a craft beer.
Sherpa’s Take: Skol Pilsen is a light-bodied beer with a mild flavor and a medium alcohol content. For the style of beer, it’s good. It has more character than the previous Brazilian beers tested, with a slightly citrus flavor and a bit of sharpness. I give it a 5.5/10 and would buy it again.”
January 23, 2025, Buzios, Brazil
SkaLäut, brewed by Läut Beer in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
4.7% Their website states, “This beer won the Blumenau Brazilian Beer Competition 2022 in the Contemporary American-Style Lager.“ We enjoyed two beers while eating lunch near the beach in Buzios. Sherpa had been trying to avoid purchasing a Heineken, but finally gave in and gave it a try after ordering a nearly undrinkable local beer.
Sherpa’s Take: A light-flavored pilsner brewed to please everyone’s palate, but not mine. 4/10.
Heineken is brewed by Heineken Brasil in Passos, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
5% ABV. Sherpa ordered a Heineken because the beer is ubiquitous in Brazil, and the bars/restaurants seem to be favoring it over the local brews.
Sherpa’s Take: For me, Heineken is the quintessential mass market beer. To me, it’s nice but not outstanding. I rate this a 5/10, and for the rest of my beer assessments, I will use this 5/10 as my benchmark.
January 27, 2025, Itajai, Brazil (with excursion to Blumenau)
IPA, brewed by Cervejaria Scholer’s Bier in Blumenau, Brazil
5.6% ABV. 43 IBU
Sherpa’s Take: A beer that I sampled while taking the Beer Museum Tour at the Beer Museum in Blumenau, Brazil. Enjoyable. I would have preferred more time to sip and savor, but we had broken away from our tour group to visit the Beer Museum and had a strict return-to-the-bus time. We don’t always get to enjoy our destination beers the way we hoped, but we’re always grateful that we manage to do as much as we do.
Eisenbahn Weizenbier, brewed by Eisenbahn in Blumenau, Brazil
4.8% ABV. Eisenbahn is a microbrewery founded in 2002 in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The Eisenbahn Weizenbier is a South German-style, unfiltered beer.
Sherpa’s Take: “It’s a nice change of pace and true to its style. I rate it a 7/10.
Imperial, brewed by Cervecería Costa Rica (Florida Bebidas) in Costa Rica
4.5%
This light-flavored beer, brewed for general consumption, was served with our meal at the Gato Blanco Restaurant on the canal. It was the only available beer, and so even though it was brewed in Costa Rica, we deemed it the day’s destination beer.
Sherpa’s Take: “a nondescript, rather bland beer.” 3.5/10.
We focused on specific themes during our 5-month-long travels—art, beer, and nature were the top three—so it was only right and good that we take the all-day excursions to Blumenau, the Craft Beer Capital of Brazil. We had to finagle a little to see the highlights most important to us, but in the end, we were well pleased with both the stops we made and the opportunity to purchase beer in a shop with an enormous selection.
Eisenbahn Pale Ale, brewed by Eisenbahn Brewery in Blumenau, Brazil
4.8% ABV.
Sherpa’s Take: A Belgian-style beer with an amber color, nicely hopped, citrus overtones, and a medium level of edginess. This is one of the few Brazilian Pale Ales, making it a rarity for beer enthusiasts and a welcome change - 8/10
The Imperial IPA, brewed by Schornstein Brewery in Pomerode, Brazil.
8.5% ABV. Sherpa had been saving this beer for a special occasion since it is an IPA, his favorite style of beer. He purchased this IPA along with six other beers during our visit to Blumenau several weeks ago.
Sherpa’s Take: Spicy and sharp, with hints of black pepper and a prickly carbonization, it has a medium body and a nice lingering dryness on the palate. It has a deep, golden amber hue. This is my favorite beer of the cruise so far. I’d add this beer to my favorite beer rotation if it were easily available. 9.5/10
Ranna Rider, brewed by Bastards Brewing in Curitiba, Brazil
4.5% ABV. and 9 IBU
Sherpa’s Take: It is accurately labeled as a Sour. A pale golden color and very light fruity aroma, it has a bright feel on the palate. Sours can be tricky because they can taste too fruity, but this one is well-balanced. It leaves a slight pucker in the mouth, very refreshing. The more I drank it, the more I enjoyed it—pairs nicely with seafood. For sour lovers, this is highly recommended. 9/10.
Blumenau Capivara Double IPA, brewed by Cerveja Blumenau in Blumenau, Brazil
8.2% ABV. and a bitterness of 65 IBU.
Sherpa’s Take: This beer was disappointing. IPAs are my favorite style of beer, so I had high expectations for this Double IPA. The beer was lightly hopped, particularly for a Double IPA. The hops were harsh, and the beer had a sour aftertaste. Very lightly carbonated. 3/10. Would not recommend.
Blumenau Capivara IPA, brewed by Blumenau Brewery in Blumenau, Brazil
6.6% APV, 55 IBUs
Sherpa’s Take: American IPA, medium gold color. Pleasantly hopped, not too bitter. Lingering on the palette. A light touch of hoppy bitterness. Unlike their Imperial IPA, I’d buy it again. 6/10
Billy the Hop IPA, brewed by Faroeste Beer Co. in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil
6.4% ABV. 55 IBU
Sherpa’s Take: This beer was shared at one of my Sea Day Taste Tests, and either we were having so much fun that we forgot to rate the beer, or I wrote my notes on a piece of scrap paper that was forever lost to our superb housekeeping staff.
Vecchia Birra, brewed by Big Jack Cervejaria in Orleans, Santa Catarina, Brazil
5.6% ABV. 25 IBU
Sherpa’s Take: Ditto. Another sea day, taste test beer. The notes for this beer mysteriously disappeared following my deep clean of our stateroom.
January 28, 2025 Sea Day
Irish Red Ale Brazilian Craft Beer brewed by Forno Cervejaria Búzios in Buzios, Brazil
5.0% ABV. A World Beer 2024 winner. Sherpa purchased this from the brewery on the main street of pretty Buzios after we’d already eaten lunch and he had tasted-tested two beers.
Sherpa’s Take: “Crisp with a caramel malt flavor. Nice sharpness, a very nice change of pace from the other more homogenized beers of Brazil.” 7/10
Next post: Destination Beers from Uruguay and Argentina.