Beer and Brewer Magazine

It can be tough putting your life on the line to find the best beer experiences in the world, but Wayne Dart braves the crowds of Carnaval to experience the best that Brazil has to offer...

Ah yes... Brazil.

Passionate, cheering hordes partying and dancing through the night; exotically spiced meats and incredibly tasty seafood served plentifully on huge platters; a multitude of stunning, curvaceous bronze skinned Latino ladies dancing upon yellow beaches in their skimpies... And then... beer! Yes beer!

The history of beer production in the region dates back around 4,000 years when the local folks began knocking up their brew from sweet potatoes. In the 1500s the Portuguese began drifting ashore bringing with them more refined brewing methods and more recently a large influx of German, Belgian, Dutch and French immigrants have set up camp, particularly after WWII, thus creating a market for European beers - in particular lighter German-style pilsners.

Brazil is the world's fourth largest beer producer with some 80 million barrels a year and it's a massive consumer due to the deeply entrenched festive and social lifestyle of its 186 million people. In the Brazilian Carnival period in particular, consumption skyrockets. It has been said that in those four days more beer is consumed than the total for the rest of the year! In November with the approach of summer, the manufacture and investment in marketing triples.

It's often hard when traveling abroad to find beer that is kept really cold - particularly in warmer countries like Indonesia, Mexico or in most of the Pacific Isles. But in visiting the shores of Brazil one of the most satisfying aspects of the beer drinking culture is that they will only lubricate their throats with close to sub zero amber fluid. It is for this reason their consumption customs are quite different to our own.

Where we drink from bottles, cans or larger draught beer-filled glasses, in Brazil the normal procedure is for everyone at the table to drink out of smallish 177ml (6oz) glasses - bit smaller than a middy - from the same long neck, which is delivered in a large Styrofoam cooler. This is done for two reasons: first, so that all the beer in the long neck can be savoured while it is ice cold; and second, so the sharing aspect can lend itself to more social interaction. When the long neck is empty the process is repeated with a new bottle coming straight from the fridge - time and time again. The bottles are called ‘longnecks' just like our own, although they pronounce it with a Portuguese twist: ‘long-i-neck-eh'.

Sometimes 350ml (12oz) cans called ‘latas' are available, but aren't seen all too often. You can get them at ‘blocos' (block parties) or at the funky beach bars which sit right on the sand in front of the waves, but realistically you should avoid them as they warm way too fast.

So what of the taste of their fine bubbly concoctions? With the heavy influence from Europe the majority of beers are pleasantly easy to drink, with most of the major brands being slightly similar, mostly light and mildy fruity. For those after a particularly bitter beer the common mass-produced brands like Brahma and Skol may seem a little bland, but search around for some of the increasingly popular micro-brewery produce and you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Keep an eye out for the Eisenbahn range of beers - probably the biggest microbrewer in Brazil. My pick would be the Pale Ale, which is an amber Belgian-style pale ale with mid-range bitterness and like other Brazilian beers has that typical citrusy and clovey hint.

We were fortunate enough to have this tasty treat served at a Brazilian BBQ held in a TV exec's house in Florianopolis that resembled something like the Playboy Mansion. We plonked ourselves at the full wet bar sat on the edge of a curved pool with waterfalls and diving boards and kicked back while Brazilian babes were swimming and sunning themselves to their heart's content (the Brazilians are definitely unashamed to flaunt their attributes). Meanwhile we nibbled on heavily spiced and incredibly succulent barbecued lamb, pork and beef served up in bite sized pieces, typical Brazilian barbie style. Beer Utopia had been found!

Another to go digging for is the Baden-Baden label. Our fave was the Red Ale, which is a very potable rich and creamy English-style Barley wine with a whopping 7.5% alcohol content. They also create the Baden-Baden Cristal - a light, delicate, mildly citrusy Pils with a nice lingering herbal taste. Baden-Baden is actually now being sold throughout the UK and the US and we hope that it finds its way here soon!

In the world of beer travels, Brazil is definitely a must-stop destination.

Host Your Own Brazilian Barbecue

If you can't get to Carnaval but still want to drink beer and sashay your night away, here's B&B's guide to hosting a Brazilian Barbeque...

To get started all you need are some large slabs of beef, lamb, chicken and pork, some salt and a marinade of your choice, why not throw in a Waldorf salad to boot. Next you'll need some large skewers and an open fire with a rotisserie rack or a BBQ with a rack built in.

• The beef isn't typically marinated like poultry and lamb, which are spiced with a rich marinade the night before cooking. The standard formula for Brazilian style barbecue is to coat meats in coarse salt. The meat sits for about 30 minutes to absorb the salt and then is placed over the fire. When cooked the salt blackens and crisps and the meat is sliced and presented with a hard outside and moist inside.
• All meats are places on long skewers and preferably cooked over an open fire. On the menu you can try prime rib, linguica (a Portuguese sausage), lamb kebabs, chicken legs, fish and a whole host of other dishes.
• When cooking using racks placed vertically over the fire, fattier items are placed on top so that the juices drip down and flavor the other cuts. 
• When the meats are cooked, carry the skewers around and carve off pieces onto plates. In a different groove to Aussie barbecues where large slabs of steak are gorged in one go, the Brazilians prefer to nibble and graze over a long period of time so that the person doesn't become bloated and lethargic from over eating.