Believe it or not, Argentinians do drink beer – as a matter of fact, the consumption of beer has risen more dramatically than wine over the past decade or so. Celebrations like the Fiestas de la Cerveza (copying  the Oktoberfest) and the Dia de San Patricio (St. Patrick’s Day) provided ample opportunities for marketing companies to create hype and increase the consumption of the brew – and there’s no doubt that they’ve done a good job!  The biggest brewery in the country is Cervecería y maltería Quilmes and it was founded in 1888 in the Province of Buenos Aires by

Otto Bemberg – a German immigrant. In true German style, the company grew quickly and by the 1920’s was the beer to drink in Argentina. Today it’s a national symbol and has 75% of the  market share, but more importantly than that, it supports the Argentinian national soccer team and, like the team, the label is light blue and white. From the biggest to the smallest – we recently read (in a magazine for beer enthusiasts, called Draft) about a microbrewery in Mendoza that really is worth a visit and since it’s relatively unknown, it’s miraculously and wonderfully un-commercialized.  Cerveza Jerome began when Mendocino Eduardo Maccari made friends with 3 Czechoslovakian scientists who were working in Argentina in the 1980s. To cut a long story short,  Maccari found himself in Czechoslovakia where he learnt the art of brewing beer, whereafter he returned to Mendoza and began the task of setting up a microbrewery in his weekend cabin in the town of Portrerillos – in the valley of the Andes mountains.  He now has 5 unpasteurized signature brews that contain no preservatives or chemicals of any kind – pure being the operative word! Maccari heads the Mendoza Slow Food Movement and if you’re lucky enough to visit his establishment, you’ll be treated to homemade sausage and cheese with your beer. He has 4 full time employees and he, with the help of his father, does all the brewing! For beer lovers in Europe and America – he does export to certain selected outlets – so if you want to try his brew – ask your dealer to get hold of some for you.