Ecuadorian Craft Beer

1224POSTS

7 years ago

Beer drinkers in Ecuador probably know the industrial variety of beers that are locally sold including the two most popular brands, Pilsener and Club. This thread is to share information about Ecuadorian craft beer.

The main difference between industrial beer and craft beer is taste. Obviously, craft beer tastes much better and in many ways much better quality.

In Quito, Camino Del Sol is the most popular craft beer brewer and has been crafting beer since 2011.

They offer 5 kinds of craft beer:

Tortuga Pale Ale
Red llama Ale
Condor Stout
Iguana I.P.A
Lagarto Lager

At some pubs you can request a tasting set in which you’ll be given small portions in cute little beer glasses to sample each beer. I did that a while back and ever since have always opted for the Lagarto Lager. This is actually my favorite beer for a number of reasons. It tastes good, has a nice texture, and did I mention it tastes good.

It’s also 4.2% ABV which is my preference.

For expats who like their beer stronger, the 7.2% ABV Iguana I.P.A should suffice. As for the price, they all cost the same with a 330ml glass costing $3.50, a pint is $4.50, a 1 liter glass is $8.90, and a 3 liter tower is $25 and ideal for sharing. They also sell these brews in bottles at some supermarkets, but I have never tried the bottles as I prefer craft beer on tap.

If you are in Quito or visiting, the main Camino Del Sol location is at Plaza Foch. This is IMO the best place for pure freshness as they finish their kegs pretty quick and always maintain their pipes.

2 members reacted to this post

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dumluk Serial expat

430POSTS

7 years ago

Sounds pretty pricey for a country with an average monthly wage of less than $400......But then craft beer is not made for them anyway.......When I was there, the best I found first trip to Ecuador was at T.J.s in Moñtanita and another gringo created micro brewery bar in Los Baños........They both had an I.P.A. which was strong and tasted like real beer......when its that good, you tend to forget about how much it costs........This last trip I was given free bottles from some expats who were making the rounds in Olon giving out samples of a new cerveza artensal from Cuenca.......I forget the name of it.......but the ones he gave to me didnt really impress me too much....One was just ok......not all craft beer is equal.........Colombia has way better national beer......The Club Colombia line is all better than the Ecuadorian national beer IMHO.......The Trigo and the Octoberfest are like craft beers and they cost a buck........

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lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

7 years ago

I enjoy beers from Paramo, Santa Rosa, hopfen, cero latitud. I am sure there have been others but I can't think of them.

Distribution seems to be a big challenge for the craft brewers here. One of the tiendas on my street occasionally stocks something other than the national beers.

And I do like Club Verde a lot in the hot climate of Guayaquil.

However, my taste is usually for Belgian style ales, stouts, porters, dubbels, bocks.

I like my beers like I like my women: dark and sweet.

Which is why I came to Ecuador...

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vsimple ViP

1224POSTS

7 years ago

With regard to the price being pricey as dumluk put's it, we have to keep in mind that those prices are from one brand, Camino Del So which is mainly sold in higher-end pubs.

There are of course cheaper craft beer brands, but for a light beer that tastes great, I haven't found a local equivalent (yet) to the Lagarto lager. And speaking of Belgium beer, the lagarto has a bit of that fruity taste that's in Hoegaarden, a favorite of mine as well.

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

7 years ago

For the cost of a half liter/US pint, it's about the same as craft brewers in Ohio, my home state. When I am looking for high quality brew, I will pay a premium, just like home. When I am looking to quench my thirst fast in hot weather, I can get Club Verde 50 steps from my door.

If the craft brewers here could get good distribution and marketing like what is possible in some states (I can find a dozen local craft brews in almost every gas station or convenience store in Ohio or Kentucky), then craft could explode here. The best local craft brewers people in Cincinnati use P&G's pro marketing and advertising partners to create alluring indie beer brands.

Maybe Some enterprising Ecuadorian Brewer would find a clever way to create profitable 75 centavo craft beers for the working class. Everbody wins.

1 member reacted to this post

vsimple ViP

1224POSTS

7 years ago

lebowski888 wrote:
For the cost of a half liter/US pint, it's about the same as craft brewers in Ohio, my home state. When I am looking for high quality brew, I will pay a premium, just like home. When I am looking to quench my thirst fast in hot weather, I can get Club Verde 50 steps from my door.

If the craft brewers here could get good distribution and marketing like what is possible in some states (I can find a dozen local craft brews in almost every gas station or convenience store in Ohio or Kentucky), then craft could explode here. The best local craft brewers people in Cincinnati use P&G's pro marketing and advertising partners to create alluring indie beer brands.

Maybe Some enterprising Ecuadorian Brewer would find a clever way to create profitable 75 centavo craft beers for the working class. Everbody wins.

Distribution is problematic for many small companies. IMO, one of main reasons is transportation. Let’s take Quito to Manta as an example, it’s merely a 250 mile/400km trip but it takes as much as 7 or 8 hours because the terrain is difficult and mountainous.

Another reason is marketability (as dumluk alluded to). Although, the market is indeed Ecuadorians as can be attested when frequenting these pubs and also reading promotional material. But, that market is a minority of Ecuadorians, the ones who have good income and are more adventurous. So, to have these craft beers in gas stations and convenience stores outside affluent areas is in many ways a waste of space.

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

7 years ago

Add to that list of Ecuadorian craft 🍺 KIMO cacao nibs Stout!

1 member reacted to this post

vsimple ViP

1224POSTS

7 years ago

lebowski888 wrote:
Add to that list of Ecuadorian craft 🍺 KIMO cacao nibs Stout!

The Dude was not kidding when he said he liked his beer dark and sweet. Yeah, I looked at the numbers for the KIMO cacao nibs stout, and the IBU (International Bitterness Units) number is only 13. That is quite low considering the most popular stout on the planet - arguably Guinness Stout has an IBU of 45.

I haven't tried the KIMO, but considering the ABV (Alcohol By Volume) is 5% and the IBU 13, it's worth a try.

BTW, an IBU of 13 is basically the equivalent of a Budweiser in terms of bitterness.

NHLFAN Active member

63POSTS

7 years ago

This is a little off track but any wine makers out there? I made wine for years in the US but was never was able to get wine grapes in Colombia. I did make some respectable plum and mango wine along with some skeeter pee (hard lemonade) in Colombia. Any chance of finding Chilean wine grapes in Ecuador? Or any wine grapes for that matter? I plan to bring some of my wine making stuff with me and would love to be able to make some decent grape wine. Will be in Manta in a couple weeks.

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

7 years ago

#10

I am now at a indie beer bar in Baños de Agua Santa. Yesterday, I had Ale's Art Llama's Breath Belgian blonde, Stray Dog stout. Today, Atahualpa Gold Ale. Next??

I have loved the craft beer scene globally for 25 years. but I never imagined such a little country like Ecuador would have made such a fine contribution

vsimple ViP

1224POSTS

7 years ago

#11

lebowski888 wrote:
I am now at a indie beer bar in Baños de Agua Santa. Yesterday, I had Ale's Art Llama's Breath Belgian blonde, Stray Dog stout. Today, Atahualpa Gold Ale. Next??

I have loved the craft beer scene globally for 25 years. but I never imagined such a little country like Ecuador would have made such a fine contribution

Yes, Ecuador is special and lovely in so many ways. I also enjoyed craft beer on tap tonight, and residents of Ecuador should be more than pleased that this beautiful little country offers us so much of everything,

To put it in perspective in terms of craft beer, a local newspaper article last year stated that there were 80 brands of craft beer throughout the country.

Yes, 80 different brands of craft beer in Ecuador. That was last year, it's probably 80+ now.

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

7 years ago

#12

Mas cervezas artesanales!! Hermann brewing, abysmo, sabai, cherusker at Ficoa beer garden in Ambato. Drinking abysmo Hades Bock! Dark and sweet like mi novia.

Also, $4 a pint

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vsimple ViP

1224POSTS

7 years ago

#13

Lebowski is quite the connoisseur of Ecuadorian craft beer.

I tried the Cherusker Sommer and it was okay. Nothing special, but I’ve heard positive things about their other choices.

If a particular beer is real good, point that out so we can have some info on which to try.

vsimple ViP

1224POSTS

7 years ago

#14

Here's my review of Condor Stout (by Camino Del Sol ). I'm not a connoisseur like the dudes on beer forums but I'll try my best.

296 ml bottle
ABV 5.4%
Price: on sale for $1.59 and reason why I bought a few of these.

Poured extra-chilled and directly into a lager glass (don’t have a stout glass). The head was small but noticeable, I think it would have been more bigger if it the stout wasn’t as cold. Nice dark black color like with all proper stouts with good body, also comparable to many stout beers.

Smells roast-y, coffee-ish, and chocolate-y. The taste starts out sweet but with an after taste that I can best describe as a unsweetened natural ginseng drink that are sold at Asian stores.

I liked it, the first time I tried it was at a pub and didn’t like it then. Yeah, it’s okay and more importantly it’s a real stout. I’ve had better, but this one is good also.

I’d give it 3/5 stars.

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

7 years ago

#15

A tiny tienda (La Bodeguita) in my neighborhood is now selling craft beer. Although not Ecuadorian, I picked up a porter from Bogata Beer Company. I've had better Ecuadorian porters, but the point is the ability to find cerveza artesenal in random little tiendas in less than posh neighborhoods. Tastes are changing.

parrotsrest Active member

83POSTS

6 years ago

#16

A little or a lot off topic, but wife and I are moving to Salinas in the next 6 months and I'm a bourbon Drinker anybody have any idea how much bourbon cost in Ecuador? Salinas and Cuenca the two cities we plan on going to and staying in for a few years , but when we did a trial visit we forgot to check on prices of booze? Anybody got a guess.
Nate

lebowski888 Serial expat

318POSTS

6 years ago

#17

I am also a Bourbon afficianado. I spent over a decade in Kentucky.

As of June 2019, Finding Bourbon in Guayaquil is nearly impossible. I have visited high end liquor stores in the most expensive neighborhoods (Samborondón, Urdesa, Kennedy norte) and always come up empty handed.

I have seen some bottles of Maker's Mark for sale on MercadoLibre for about triple the price in the US. Who knows if you'll buy the real thing!

My strategy is to load up when I leave the country. I think the limit is 3 liters per person. At this point, I have 4 bottles stocked in my home bar in Guayaquil.

Don't make the mistake of putting a bottle that isn't duty-free in carry-on bags. I did. Even though I knew better, I made a mistake because I was in a hurry while packing. I almost cried when TSA confiscated a small bottle of four roses in FLL.

antialiased Contributor

136POSTS

6 years ago

#18

Also love bourbon... And, yeah, it isn't actually (legally) available that I've seen. My best option was importing a still and some oak (also nearly impossible to find here, at least in my region).

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parrotsrest Active member

83POSTS

6 years ago

#19

Wow. Lebowski I thought. I remembered it as no bourbon in the stores. But my consumption level will not be supported by a few liters every few months!! I think I remember blended whiskey being available? Any input on that? $?
Thanks