No beer revolution, that is.
A few days in Lisbon shows that the beer scene has not changed significantly over the last decades. This is a country that can be proud of its culinary level. You have all the rustic fish dishes such as salted cod and grilled sardines. There is splendid pork, veal and beef. The port industry has new products in addition to the more dusty vintages. (Pity that the Port Wine Institute was closed for refurbishment on the night we planned to visit).
It’s getting more modern, though. There used to be a street in Lisbon where they only sold bachalao or salted cod. Now you have the same splendid range in the supermarkets, alongside artisanal cheese and ham. The table wines are reinvented, too, from the crisp Viho Verdes to long lists of quality reds.
A visit to a hypermarket shows that the beer range is not up to the standards of the other food and drink. Loads of pale lagers, a few dark lagers, dry and sweet. A handful of imports – amazing to see that BrewDog has market penetration here, too.
The bars and restaurants have a lager or two on tap, while the wine lists are from tempting to amazing.
The major brands seem to have a dunkel or two plus a stout. This means a Sagres Stout, a Super Bock Stout and so on. I doubt that these are true top fermented beers, but if we are to be open-minded, milk stouts is perhaps the nearest category.
The Super Bock Stout is available on tap at the British Bar, located at one of the squares between the river and the Bairro Alto. It is fairly decent on tap, although it’s not something to get wildly exited about. If you find the domestic beers too boring, the same bar offers a range of Belgians plus a fair selection of bottled Samuel Smith beers. A welcome oasis if you are staying for an extended time, I suppose.
There are several chains of beer themed restaurants across Lisbon and the rest of Portugal. Time to look into them in the next installment.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by UK Beer Bloggers, Knut Albert Solem. Knut Albert Solem said: Portugal: no signs of a revolution: http://wp.me/p7VtG-19C [...]
Interesting blog KnutAlbert. I have visited in Portugal every year since 2001 (usually only in Coimbra) and my notes are similar: no beer revolution in Portugal. Fortunately they are lots of excellent port, red and green wines to drink!
You’re right. No revolution. Sorry about that
Portugal is still a wine country. Not in terms of consumption, where beer probably excels wine, but in the quality side.
We really don’t have a beer tradition and, worse than that, I don’t foresee any change in the coming future. The market is dominated by two brands (Sagres and Super Bock), each of them having their own bland version of a pale lager, schwarzbier and vienna.
There have been some experiments in the past worth to mention. About 10 years ago, Cervejaria Lusitana had one of the best Pilseners I ever tasted. Nowadays, the production is made by Unicer (the makers of Super Bock) and the beer is completely tasteless…
With only two brewpubs, Praxis in Coimbra and Beerhouse in Funchal (Madeira Island), the Portuguese beer scene is practically dead and the excuse for the “wine tradition” is not an option when we see the quality of the beer that is coming from Spain and Italy…
Thanks for the feedback, Fernando. A new post on the beer restaurant chains coming up.
Do you know who brews the Portugalia beers?
You’re welcome.
Portugália and Trindade beers are… Sagres.
Lusitana and República da Cerveja beers are brewed by Unicer. Unicer launched some bottled beers that can be found across those two restaurant chains and also in Adega da Marina in Lagos. They have slightly different labels, but are the same beers. The double bock is without a doubt the best bottled beer you can find in Portugal.
Here’s to hoping that some how Portugal gets more on the beer wagon. It has to only be a matter of time, but you’ve probably felt this way for a while.
Thanks Jim
Yes, you’re right. There’s always some ups (getting Unibrue beers in supermarkets, drinking Rodenbach Alexander by the Marina in Albufeira) and downs (realizing that the gourmet beers announced by Unicer are even worse than the usual stuff, microbreweries shutting down operations). Let’s wait and see when (if?) the revolution happens.
Cheers
Fernando