# Beer in Chile

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The primary [beer](/source/Beer) brewed and consumed in [Chile](/source/Chile) is [pale lager](/source/Pale_lager), though the country also has a tradition of brewing corn beer, known as [chicha](/source/Chicha). Chile's beer history has a strong [German influence](/source/Beer_in_Germany) – some of the bigger beer producers are from the country's southern [lake district](/source/Chilean_lake_district), a region populated by a great number of [German immigrants during the 19th century](/source/German_colonization_of_Valdivia,_Osorno_and_Llanquihue). Chile also produces English ale-style craft beers while also developing its own craft beer identity.[1]

The city of [Valdivia](/source/Valdivia) in southern Chile is often referred as Chile's "beer capital".[2]

## History

There is long tradition of brewing a drink called [chicha](/source/Chicha)[3] that might be classified as corn beer by modern standards, though is not considered as such in South America. Chicha was originally brewed with corn, influenced by the Andean cultures of northern Chile and Peru, but during colonial times apple and grape chicha started to be brewed across the country as a cheaper alternative to wine. There were at least four major alcoholic drinks during colonial times in Chile: [wine](/source/Wine),[4] [pisco](/source/Pisco),[5] [aguardiente](/source/Aguardiente),[6] and chicha.[7]

Modern beer (Spanish, *cerveza chilena*) history in Chile began in the 19th century when European beer was first introduced in the years after Chile gained [independence](/source/Chilean_War_of_Independence).[8] With the [arrival of German immigrants](/source/German_colonization_of_Valdivia,_Osorno_and_Llanquihue) to southern Chile around 1850, massive beer production began. Chile's first beer brewery was established in [Valdivia](/source/Valdivia) in 1851 by [Carl Anwandter](/source/Carl_Anwandter).[9][10] The introduction of beer is credited for causing a decline in chicha production in areas that traditionally supplied Valdivia with that drink such as [Máfil](/source/M%C3%A1fil).[11] By the end of the 19th century, beer was consumed all over the country. Beer consumption and culture then spread across the country from cities with high immigrant populations such as Valdivia and Valparaíso. In 1907, 20 million litres of beer were produced in Valdivia.[12] A study by the Association of Chilean Beer Brewers (Spanish: *Asociación de Productores de Cerveza de Chile*, ACECHI) informed that beer consumption had been rising steadily in Chile, with a peak in 2021 of 65,6 liters per capita before falling to 59 liters per capita in 2022.[13]

## Economy

[Pisco](/source/Pisco), [wine](/source/Chilean_wine) and [rum](/source/Rum) are popular alcoholic drinks in Chile but there has been a slow increase in the sales of [lager](/source/Lager) and [pale ale](/source/Pale_ale) from local microbreweries and imported [pale lager](/source/Pale_lager). Although Chilean beer consumption is low compared to the rest of the South American region, beer is still the most consumed alcoholic beverage and takes 60% of the total market share for alcoholic drinks. Premium beers alone hold an 18% share of the total market, the highest share seen among the countries of the region.[14] Craft beers in Chile.[15][clarification needed] Part of the so-called premium sector, craft beers have gained ground in recent years,[16] and today there are more than 300 micro-breweries in Chile. Cía Cervecerías Unidas SA, a local company, is the leading Chilean beer company, producing mainly lager beers.[17]

## Chilean beers

There are two main big industrial large-scale beer producers in Chile: Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas (CCU) and Cervecería Chile. All others are considered small producers (low volume) and/or craft producers.

### Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas (CCU)

Created in 1902 with the merge of Plagemann, Limache and Gubler & Cousiño beer companies. They produce their own brands of beer and some international brands, along with soft drinks and other alcoholic products.[18] Products include:

- [Cerveza Cristal](/source/Cerveza_Cristal) and its varieties Cristal Light and Cristal Zero (non-alcoholic)
- Escudo
- Royal Guard and its variety Royal Guard Black Label
- Malta Morenita
- Dorada
- Lemon Stones (low-alcohol lemon-flavored [beer mix](/source/Beer_mix))
- Heineken (under license)
- Tecate (under license)
- Coors and Coors Light (under license)
- Sol (under license)

### Cervecería Chile

Produce their own brands and also many known international brands:.[19] Products include:

- Baltica
- Becker
- Malta del sur
- Brahma (under license)
- Beck's (under license)
- Paceña (under license)
- Stella Artois (under license)
- Quilmes (under license)

### Small producers and premium brands

These include smaller volume beer producers and are considered premium brands.

- [Kunstmann](/source/Kunstmann): From the city of [Valdivia](/source/Valdivia), founded in 1850 as Anwandter Beer Company, destroyed in the [1960 Valdivia earthquake](/source/1960_Valdivia_earthquake) and refounded as Kunstmann Brewery, it is actually labeled as a craft beer, and is distributed by CCU. Produces a great variety of different types of beer including Torobayo, Lager, Bock, Honey, Blueberry, Wheat, Session IPA, Non-filtered and Non-alcoholic.[20]
- Austral: Founded circa 1896 in the [Patagonia](/source/Patagonia) region in [Punta Arenas](/source/Punta_Arenas) as Cervecería La Patagona, later Polar Beer. It is the most southern beer company in the world. Produces varieties such as Lager, Ale, Torres del Paine, Yagán Dark and Patagona Pale Ale.[21]

### Craft beer brands

Other brands that are entirely considered as craft beers. They are generally low or very low volume producers. In Chile there are more than 150 craft beer producers distributed along the 15 Chilean Regions.[22] The list is long, below are some of the most known:

- Maihue, from [Curicó](/source/Curic%C3%B3), in the [Maule Region](/source/Maule_Region)[23]
- Kross, from [Curacaví](/source/Curacav%C3%AD) near [Santiago](/source/Santiago). Claims to have won more prizes than any other Chilean brewery in the last two years,[24] and ranks first place as the most recognized brand associated with craft beer.[25]
- Del Puerto, from [Valparaíso](/source/Valpara%C3%ADso), in the [Valparaíso Region](/source/Valpara%C3%ADso_Region)[26]
- Cuello Negro, from [Valdivia](/source/Valdivia), in the [Los Lagos Region](/source/Los_Lagos_Region).[27] Best known brewery in the south of Chile.[28]
- Guayacán, from [Coquimbo Region](/source/Coquimbo_Region).[29] Best known brewery in the north of Chile.[30]
- Tübinger, from [Pirque](/source/Pirque) near [Santiago](/source/Santiago).[31]
- Szot, from [Talagante](/source/Talagante) near [Santiago](/source/Santiago)[32]
- Granizo, from [Olmué](/source/Olmu%C3%A9), in the [Valparaíso Region](/source/Valpara%C3%ADso_Region).[33]
- Volcanes del Sur, from [Colbun](/source/Colbun), in the [Maule Region](/source/Maule_Region).[34]
- Jester, from [Santiago](/source/Santiago).[35]
- D'olbeck, from [Coyhaique](/source/Coyhaique), in the [Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region](/source/Ays%C3%A9n_del_General_Carlos_Ib%C3%A1%C3%B1ez_del_Campo_Region)[36]
- Die M, from [Paine](/source/Paine,_Chile) near [Santiago](/source/Santiago).[37]
- Grassau, from [Villarrica](/source/Villarrica,_Chile), in the [La Araucanía Region](/source/La_Araucan%C3%ADa_Region)[38]
- Mestra, from [Paine](/source/Paine,_Chile) near [Santiago](/source/Santiago)[39]
- Polar Imperial, from [Punta Arenas](/source/Punta_Arenas) in the [Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region](/source/Magallanes_y_la_Ant%C3%A1rtica_Chilena_Region).[40]
- Quimera, from [Quinta Normal](/source/Quinta_Normal) in [Santiago](/source/Santiago)[41]
- Capital, from [Batuco](/source/Batuco,_Santiago), north of Santiago[42]

## See also

- [Beer and breweries by region](/source/Beer_and_breweries_by_region)

## References

1. [Craft Beer in Chile](https://archive.today/20130819153931/http://www.beerandbrewer.com/_blog/Magazine/post/Craft_Beer_in_Chile/#sthash.r5TDaM0L.dpuf) www.beerandbrewer.com retrieved August 9

1. Dannemann, Victoria (2016-08-10). ["Lúpulo germano-valdiviano para el boom cervecero"](https://www.dw.com/es/l%C3%BApulo-germano-valdiviano-para-el-boom-cervecero/a-19464275) (in Spanish). *[Deutsche Welle](/source/Deutsche_Welle)*. Retrieved 2021-01-29.

1. [*Ancient Peru's ritual beer binges*](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3942507.stm), BBC, July 31, 2004, sec. Americas. Retrieved 31 August 2008

1. ["La cultura del vino en Chile"](https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-3511.html) (in Spanish). *Memoria Chilena*. Retrieved 31 October 2025.

1. Cortés Olivares, Hernán F (2005). ["El origen, producción y comercio del pisco chileno, 1546-1931"](https://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-23762005000200005). *Universum (Talca)*. **20** (2). [doi:10.4067/S0718-23762005000200005](https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-23762005000200005). Retrieved 31 October 2025.

1. Lacoste Gargantini, Pablo; Jiménez Cabrera, Diego; Cruz, Enrique; Rendón Zapata, Bibiana; Soto González, Natalia; Solar, Mario; Polanco, Carolina (August 2014). "Rutas del aguardiente en el Cono Sur de América (siglos XVI-XIX): Antecedentes de la Denominación de Origen Pis". *Idesia (Arica)*. **32** (3): 43–50. [doi:10.4067/S0718-34292014000300006](https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-34292014000300006)

1. Lacoste, Pablo; Pszczolkowski, Philippo; Briones, Félix; Aguilera, Paulette; Mujica, Fernando; Garrido, Aldo (May 2015). "Historia de la chicha de uva: un producto típico en Chile". *Idesia (Arica)*. **33** (2): 87–96. [doi:10.4067/S0718-34292015000200011](https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-34292015000200011)

1. [La cerveza en Chile en el sigrlo XIX](http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/historia/v37n2/art02.pdf)

1. Vergara, Jorge Iván & Gundermann, Hans (2012). "Constitution and internal dynamics of the regional identitary in Tarapacá and Los Lagos, Chile" (in Spanish). *[Chungara](/source/Chungara_(journal))*. **44** (1): 115–134. [University of Tarapacá](/source/University_of_Tarapac%C3%A1). [doi:10.4067/s0717-73562012000100009](https://doi.org/10.4067/s0717-73562012000100009)

1. Bernedo Pinto, Patricio (1999), ["Los industriales alemanes de Valdivia, 1850-1914"](http://www.memoriachilena.cl/archivos2/pdfs/MC0001325.pdf) (in Spanish), *[Historia](/source/Historia_(history_of_the_Americas_journal))*. **32**: 5–42

1. Fierro Ascencio, Marcia Evelyn (2009). *Máfil en la Historia y la Memoria 1930-1964* (in Spanish). Editor sin identificar. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-956-8803-00-1.

1. [Investigación aplicada sobre Geografía Urbana: Un caso práctico en la ciudad de Valdivia](http://mingaonline.uach.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-64281998000200006&lng=es&nrm=iso) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141025010536/http://mingaonline.uach.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-64281998000200006&lng=es&nrm=iso) 2014-10-25 at the Wayback Machine Víctor Figueroa, Jorge Gayoso, Edgardo Oyarzun, Lenia Planas[Gestion Turistica](/source/Gestion_Turistica), [UACh](/source/UACh).

1. ["Consumo de cerveza en Chile"](https://acechi.cl/consumo-de-cerveza-en-chile/) (in Spanish). *Chile País Cervecero*. Asociación de Productores de Cerveza de Chile A.G. (Acechi). 27 September 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2025.

1. [Chile lidera consumo per cápita de cervezas premium](http://www.economiaynegocios.cl/noticias/noticias.asp?id=109436) Economía y Negocios, Constanza Rodríguez, June 05, 2013 retrieved August 8, 2013

1. [Las variedades de cervezas que presenta Chile](http://cnnchile.com/noticia/2013/06/18/las-variedades-de-cervezas-que-presenta-chile) cnnchile.com June 18, 2013, retrieved August 08,02013

1. [Five of Chile's best craft brewers](http://www.thisischile.cl/7250/2/five-of-chiles-best-craft-brewers/News.aspx) www.thisischile.cl/ November 15, 2011, retrieved August 9, 2013

1. [euromonitor.com](http://www.euromonitor.com/Alcoholic_Drinks_in_Chile) Retrieved 31 August 2008

1. [Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas](http://www.ccu.cl) retrieved August 9, 2013

1. [Cervecería Chile](http://www.cerveceriachile.cl/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150914055302/http://www.cerveceriachile.cl/) 2015-09-14 at the Wayback Machine retrieved August 9, 2013

1. ["Cervecería Kuntsmann"](http://www.cerveza-kunstmann.cl/). *www.cerveza-kunstmann.cl*. Retrieved February 1, 2017.

1. ["Cerveza Austral"](https://www.cervezaaustral.cl/). *www.cervezaaustral.cl*. Retrieved February 1, 2017.

1. ["Cervezas artesanales en Chile | TomoCerveza"](http://www.tomocerveza.cl/guia-de-cervezas/cervecerias/). *www.tomocerveza.cl*. 26 February 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2018.

1. [Cerveza Artesanal Maihue](https://cervezamaihue.cl/) retrieved 2011

1. [Cervecería Kross](http://www.kross.cl/) retrieved August 9, 2013

1. ["Encuesta de Percepción de la Cerveza Artesanal en Chile 2017", TomoCerveza, July 2017](https://www.tomocerveza.cl/noticias/encuesta-de-percepcion-de-cerveza-artesanal-en-chile-2017/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Del Puerto](http://www.cerveceradelpuerto.cl/) retrieved August 8, 2013

1. [Cervecería Cuello Negro](https://www.cuellonegro.cl/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. ["Encuesta de Percepción de la Cerveza Artesanal en Chile 2017", TomoCerveza, July 2017](https://www.tomocerveza.cl/noticias/encuesta-de-percepcion-de-cerveza-artesanal-en-chile-2017/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Guayacán](https://guayacan.cl/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. ["Encuesta de Percepción de la Cerveza Artesanal en Chile 2017", TomoCerveza, July 2017](https://www.tomocerveza.cl/noticias/encuesta-de-percepcion-de-cerveza-artesanal-en-chile-2017/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Tübinger](https://www.cerveceriaprincipal.cl/tubinger/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180920201215/https://www.cerveceriaprincipal.cl/tubinger/) 2018-09-20 at the Wayback Machine retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Szot](http://szot.cl/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Granizo](http://granizo.cl/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Volcanes del Sur](https://volcanesdelsur.cl/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Jester en TomoCerveza](http://www.tomocerveza.cl/cervecerias/jester/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Marcas CCU](https://www.ccu.cl/marcas-productos/d-olbek/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Die M](http://www.cervezadiem.cl/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Grassau](http://www.cervezagrassau.cl/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100507011135/http://www.cervezagrassau.cl/) 2010-05-07 at the Wayback Machine retrieved August 9, 2013

1. [Cervecería Mestra](http://www.mestra.cl/)[dead link] retrieved August 8, 2013

1. [Cervecería Polar Imperial en TomoCerveza](http://www.tomocerveza.cl/cervecerias/polar-imperial/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Quimera en TomoCerveza](https://www.tomocerveza.cl/cervecerias/quimera/) retrieved September 20, 2018

1. [Cervecería Capital](http://www.cervezacapital.cl/beer/) retrieved August 8, 2013

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Beer in Chile](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Chile) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Chile?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.