Beer in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has a very strong beer industry centered on mass-produced Lagers. Imperial beer, produced by Florida Ice & Farm Co. is known and associated with Costa Rica all around the world.

Due to its geographic location, Costa Rica is not able to grow the raw materials for beer, which hinders the growth of a completely local food product, and depends heavily on imported raw materials.

History

In 1867, James Hasland, British, and Arthur Kopper, German, opened a beer brewery in Cartago. Next year, 1868, the President of Costa Rica, José María Castro Madriz, requested that Carlos Johanning construct a brewery in San José.

José Traube Tichy, born and raised in Saaz, Bohemia, founded Cervecería Globo (Globe Brewery) in the late 19th century in Cartago, which was later moved to San José and was known as Cervecería y Refresquería Traube (Traube Brewery and Bottled Drinks). This brewery produced the Pilsen Traube, Selecta and Pájaro Azul beers.[1]

On September 16, 1908, the three Lindo Morales brothers from Jamaica started in Siquirres, Limón Province a company located in a farm called La Florida, which until then was a major producer of ice and other agricultural produce. This company was called Florida Ice & Farm Co., inscribed in English due to their native language, which was the most common in the Costa Rican Caribbean by then.

In 1912 Florida Ice & Farm Co. acquired Cervecería y Refresquería Traube with which the company started to brew its own beers, the beer known as Pilsen is the same as Pilsen Traube.

Around the same decade, in 1914 an immigrant family from Spain, headed by Mr. Manuel Ortega, and his sons, Antonio, Eloy and Manuel, were the owners of a bottled drink factory which used mineral spring waters from Salitral, Santa Ana, San José, and decided to start to brew the beers Imperial and Bavaria using such source of water. In 1957 Florida Ice & Farm Co. acquired the Ortega beer brewery, and continued the production of the Imperial and Bavaria beers to the date.

Cervecería Tropical, founded and owned by Cuban immigrants brewed Cerveza Tropical, in 1977 Florida Ice & Farm Co. acquired part of the company, and finally bought it completely in 1988, thus consolidating the beer production in the country in a single company.[2][3]

Craft beer in Costa Rica

Until the beginning of the 21st Century, there was no easy way to acquire or taste other kind of beer brewed in Costa Rica other than those produced by Florida Ice & Farm Co., which reduced the available styles to industrial-scale Lagers. The lack of local ingredients and not very clear laws restricting the volume of beer brewed by individuals or small companies, were also factors on the lack of variety.

The now defunct restaurant K&S in Curridabat, which opened in 1997, started the production of craft beer for general consumption in its premises.[4] After closing the restaurant, they continued the production of their beers "Chivo Blanco" and "K&S Lager" until 2009.

Later, in 2010, Costa Rica Craft Beer Co. jumpstarted the trend by producing its own brands, "Segua" and "Libertas", and several microbreweries started to appear in the next years, many of them guided by the experience of expatriate residents coming from the United States.

Around 2012 a few companies such as TicoBirra and La Bodega de Chema started to import and sell to particulars the required ingredients (such as malt, hops or yeast), the equipment and tools, and also started to teach in workshops how to brew beer. This accelerated the creation of new breweries.

Since 2012, the Festival de Cerveza Artesanal (Craft Beer Festival) [5] showcases the current brews in the craft beer scene of Costa Rica, its growth from 400 attendees in the first appearance to around 3000 in the 2014 edition shows the significant growth of the industry and the newly acquired taste for different kind of beers for the local Costa Ricans.[6]

By 2014 the impact of the microbreweries on the local market prompted Florida Ice & Farm Co. to start its own craft beer division, called La Micro Brewing Company.[7]

Trademark disputes

In 2013, the microbrewery El Búho Cervecería Artesanal, started to sell their beer, Búho, an imperial stout style of beer, however the trademark was not registered. In 2014, the microbrewery offshoot of Florida Ice & Farm Co., La Micro Brewing Company, started to produce and sell Búho, a bock style beer, and registered the trademark name. A legal dispute was ensued, and the trademark office of Costa Rica, finally issued the trademarked name "Búho" to Florida Ice & Farm Co. El Búho Cervecería Artesanal changed its name to Bora Brewing Company. [8]

List of Breweries

Brewery Name Location Founded Notes
7th Street Pub & Brewery Heredia Brewpub
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal Escazu, San Jose 2014
Bora Brewing Co. San Jose Was El Búho Cervecería Artesanal, but lost the trademark against Florida Ice & Farm Co.
Bri Bri Springs Brewery Talamanca, Limón
Caldero Brewing Co. Heredia
Calle Cimarrona San Pedro, San José
Ceres Cerveceria Artesanal Heredia Beers by El Cadejo brewpub
Cervecera del Centro Santa Ana, San José
Cervecería Rancho Humo Nicoya, Guanacaste
Cervecería Santa Apolonia
Cervezas Artesanales Belmar Monteverde, Puntarenas
Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company Ciudad Colón, San José 2010 First microbrewery that sold bottled beers.
CRBF Fábrica de Cerveza Artesanal Barrio Escalante, San José Costa Rica Beer Factory Inc. Brewpub
Cuadriga
Dos Hermanos Cervecería Artesanal Heredia
El Búho Cervecería Artesanal San Jose Known since February 2016, as Bora Brewing Co. due to a trademark dispute with Florida Ice & Farm Co.
El Nogal Craft Brewing Company Heredia
Fercas Brew House
Florida Ice & Farm Co. Heredia 1908 Macrobrewery, the brewery division is also known as Cervecería de Costa Rica
Gallo Tapao Cerveza Artesanal Cartago
Hoppy Ideas Craft Brewing Co.
Jacó Brewing Company Jacó, Puntarenas
La Bruja Cerveza Artesanal Costarricense
La Chimbilaca Pozos, Santa Ana, San José Brewpub
La Cofradia Brewing Co Cartago
La Familia
La Micro Brewing Company Heredia 2014 Microbrewery offshoot by Florida Ice & Farm Co.
La Selva Cerveza Artesanal Cabuya, Puntarenas 2014 http://laselva.cr/
La Troja Cervecería Artesanal San Jose, Colima de Tibas 2013 https://latrojacr.beer
Lake Arenal Brewery Tilarán, Guanacaste Brewpub and Hotel
Monkey Head Brewing Coco, Guanacaste
Niño Huracán
Os Beer Co.
Palmareña Brewing Company Palmares, Alajuela
Perrovida Craft Beer Parrita, Puntarenas
Pico y Pala Canned beers.
Sin Corbata
Stiefel San José Brewpub
Tierra Fértil
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Ciudad Colon, San Jose 2013
Uno Cero Uno
Volcano Brewing Co. Tamarindo, Guanacaste
Wilk Barrio Escalante, San José Brewpub

List of Beers

Brewery Name Beer Name Style ABV Notes
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal Doble IPA Double IPA 7.5%
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal American Amber Ale Amber Ale 5%
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal Centennial Single Hop IPA IPA 5.5%
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal Heffeweizen Tropical Wheat Beer 4.5%
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal Black IPA Black IPA 5.5%
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal American Pale Ale Pale Ale 4.5%
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal Edición Limitada Seasonal beer, once a month maybe.
Cervecera del Centro Ambar Oktoberfest
Cervecera del Centro Trigueña Wheat Beer
La Cofradia Brewing Co San Gron Red Ale
La Cofradia Brewing Co San Pamela IPA
La Cofradia Brewing Co San Adora Pale Ale
La Cofradia Brewing Co San Ate Robust Porter
Bora Brewing Co. Bora Imperial Stout Imperial Stout w/ oats and vanilla 8%
Bora Brewing Co. Bora Strawberry Blonde Blonde Ale 5%
Costa Rica Beer Factory Inc. Escalante Red Ale Available bottled.
Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company Libertas Tropical Golden Ale Golden Ale 4.7% Available bottled.
Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company Segua Red Ale Red Ale 5% Available bottled.
Costa Rica's Craft Brewing Company Malacrianza Scottish Ale Was a seasonal, but now available year round.
Florida Ice & Farm Co. Imperial
Florida Ice & Farm Co. Bavaria
Florida Ice & Farm Co. Pilsen
Florida Ice & Farm Co. Rock Ice No longer produced.
Florida Ice & Farm Co. Kaiser Alcohol Free
Gallo Tapao Cerveza Artesanal La Golosa Brown Ale
Gallo Tapao Cerveza Artesanal Vaca Loca Red Ale
La Micro Brewing Company Búho Amber Bock 5.8%
La Micro Brewing Company #7 Golden Ale
La Micro Brewing Company Tanomanso Wheat Beer
La Micro Brewing Company Fraülein Oktoberfest Seasonal, October 2014
La Micro Brewing Company Guato Gato Pumpkin Ale Seasonal, October 2014
La Micro Brewing Company Barba Loca Chocolate and Mint Ale Seasonal, December 2014
Perrovida Craft Beer Massive Mastiff Black Imperial IPA Black Imperial IPA
Perrovida Craft Beer Black Betty Black IPA Black IPA
Perrovida Craft Beer Mora Mastiff American IPA Seasonal with blackberries.
Perrovida Craft Beer Diogenes the Dog Double IPA Double IPA
Perrovida Craft Beer El Cadejo Pumpkin Ale Seasonal, October 2014
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas La Pelona American IPA 6%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Tumbacalzones Herbed/Spiced Beer 5%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Maldita Vida American Barleywine 9.8%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Majadera American Pale Ale 5%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Malportada Red Ale 5%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Mamacandela Stout 7.8%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Lora Belgian Tripel 8%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Ensayo Seasonal trial, styles changes every month.
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Mercenario Collaborations with local and foreign brewers.
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas 212 English Style IPA 6%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas Hija de Cura Belgian Strong Dark Ale 8%
TreintayCinco Fábrica de Cervezas La Doris Old Ale 8.4% Produced exclusively for Doris Metropolitan Restaurant.
Costa Rica Beers gallery
Cerveza Imperial, brewed by Florida Ice & Farm Co.
Cerveza Imperial, brewed by Florida Ice & Farm Co. 
Cerveza Segua, brewed by Costa Rica Craft Beer Co.
Cerveza Segua, brewed by Costa Rica Craft Beer Co. 
Lineup of some of Costa Rica craft beers in mid 2015
Lineup of some of Costa Rica craft beers in mid 2015 
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal bottled beers
Beéche Cervecería Artesanal bottled beers 
Costa Rica Craft Beer Co. bottled beers.
Costa Rica Craft Beer Co. bottled beers. 

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beers of Costa Rica.

References

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