The New Trend of Micro-Breweries & Craft Beers in Costa Rica are on the Rise
In the spirit of Oktoberfest, we thought we would hit on the growing trend of Artisanal Beer in Costa Rica. So raise your glasses friends and “Salud!” to our new favorite Artisanal Breweries in Costa Rica and some old favorites.
Artisanal Breweries in Costa Rica
Fun fact about brewing beer in Costa Rica: None of the raw materials naturally grow here….yet. I am sure someone will figure out how to grow their own hops any day now. But first let’s visit where it all started.
The Roots: Costa Rica’s History of Beer
The beer industry in Costa Rica is actually quite strong with a couple giant companies leading the way. Beer in Costa Rica is a well-loved beverage, but they tend to consume a bit less than their neighbors to the north, Mexico & United States. The fact that there is so much interest, yet still less consumption leads us to think that the Ticos may be more connoisseurs than party drinkers. The Ortega Brewery (CCR) introduced Imperial to market around 1915, but while it is certainly the most popular and well-known, it is actually not the oldest beer. The first brewery in Costa Rica popped up way back in 1867. Costa Ricans have been loving their beer for a good long time it seems!
Imperial, Pilsen and Bavaria: Costa Rica’s Most Popular Traditional Beers
Far and away the most popular beer throughout the country is Cerveceria Costa Rica’s Imperial. With its iconic black eagle logo, if you spend any length of time in Costa Rica at all, the chances are extraordinarily high that you’ll end up with an Imperial souvenir of some sort. Their marketing budget must be astronomical! But it’s certainly paid off over the years because Imperial is known worldwide as the most popular beer sold in Costa Rica. In fact in many minds Imperial beer is synonymous with a warm day on the beach in Costa Rica. There are two other Cerveceria Costa Rica beers which also stand out as “the” beers of Costa Rica, and those are Pilsen and Bavaria. Pilsen is possibly the local Tico favorite national beer while Bavaria is the slightly darker lager. Although perfect for the beaches of Costa Rica, Cerveceria Costa Rica’s beers rate average on the worldwide scale. Thus, it was only a matter of time before the beer lovers began tinkering, experimenting, and coming up with something new, and finally the Costa Rica Craft Beer movement was born.
New Artisanal Craft Brewing Companies in Costa Rica
Though Imperial, Pilsen and Bavaria will never go out of style, variety is the spice of life as they say! New micro-breweries have been moving in to Costa Rica to capitalize on this need for variety, and they’re making quite a splash.
In October 2010, this group of 6 friends made their dream a reality by opening an artisanal brewing company of their own, kicking off the Craft Beer Movement in Costa Rica with vigor. Costa Rica’s Craft Brewing Company became the first microbrewery to sell bottled beers, giving it a huge advantage in this burgeoning market. The most popular micro-brews in Costa Rica, Segua Red Ale and Libertas Tropical Golden Ale are the true stars of Costa Rica’s Craft Brewing Co. After all, with a web address like www.beer.cr, you can be pretty sure that Costa Rica’s Craft Brewing Company was one of the first!
In the 5 short years since Costa Rica’s Craft Brewing Company opened its doors, over 40 new microbreweries have sprung up throughout this little country! That’s a whole lot of beer to try, so you’d better get busy! Here are a couple of breweries worth mentioning:
Costa Rica Beer Factory which is located in San Jose’s trendy Barrio Escalante neighborhood, this brewery is also a pub house with great burgers. The star of the show however is the Escalante Red Ale which is being bottled and distributed throughout the country and has picked up quite a following all over Costa Rica.
Calle Cimarrona has really made a name for themselves in the Costa Rican craft beer movement. With their variety of outstanding Dark IPAs, Pale Ales and Summer Ales available in a large number of establishments, you’re sure to run into Calle Cimarrona a time or two in your travels.
Lake Arenal Hotel and Microbrewery although they do not bottle and sell their beer, this unique brewery in Costa Rica is worth a mention. It is the works of a true crafter who is more interested in brewing and tasting their beer than actually selling it. The brewery is literally in the lobby of their small 21 room hotel complete with its own restaurant that cooks with ingredients found right on the property which sits atop 15 acres of rolling hills overlooking Lake Arenal and hundreds of acres more protected Costa Rican rainforest. The surroundings alone are worth the visit! This is truly the first actual micro-brewery in Costa Rica because this beer is made right here and it stays right here.
Where to Enjoy These Amazing New Artisan Brews in Costa Rica
Costa Rica News recently came out with a comprehensive list of places in San Jose where you can try the best artisan beers in all the land, and let’s just say you’ve got your work cut out for you! Getting through the whole list will be challenging yes, and might leave you a little bleary-eyed and headachy too, but we know you’re up for it, right?
Check out their list of Craft Beers in Costa Rica and the best bars to try a few for yourself.
Just one more thing to love about Costa Rica, the beer! The days of having precious few cerveza options are over, and new choices abound in pubs, restaurants, and even hotels throughout Costa Rica. As this is a trend on the move, we want to hear from you! What is your favorite artisanal beer in Costa Rica and where is your favorite place to drink it? Cheers!