5 Brazilian Craft Beer Finds Worth Seeking Out
Five Brazilian craft beers
For generations, beer in Brazil has been about refreshment served as cold as possible. Walk into almost any beach kiosk, neighborhood boteco, or churrascaria and you’ll find labels like Brahma and Antarctica lining the coolers, with locals at each table drinking chopp. Pronounced “shoh-pee,” this draft beer arrives ice cold in a short glass, ideally at zero graus (32°F/0°C), topped with a thick, creamy collar of foam.
The author with a chopp. Photo credit Camille Morgenstern
This tradition hasn't disappeared, but a vibrant craft beer scene has quietly emerged across Brazil. Independent breweries are experimenting with new styles and creating beers that reflect the country’s creativity and biodiversity.
“Over the past few decades, Brazil has surprised the beer world. We have become the third-largest producer and consumer of beer globally,” says José Padilha, a Beer Expert with Zona Sul, a gourmet grocery chain in Rio de Janeiro.
Beer Expert José Padilha
Padilha points out that in recent years, Brazilian breweries have taken home gold medals at some of the world’s most prestigious beer competitions, and today Brazil is home to more certified beer sommeliers than any other country.
I asked Padilha what excites him most about Brazil's beer scene today. “We have an unmatched diversity of native fruits and woods for barrel aging,” he says. Here are four standout breweries and one distinctly Brazilian beer style worth seeking out.
Hocus Pocus Orange Sunshine. Photo credit Hocus Pocus
If one brewery captures the energy of Brazil's modern craft beer movement, it’s Hocus Pocus.
“They were two extremely intelligent economists who decided they wanted to make beer. They made the first New England-style IPA in Brazil and started a movement towards hop-forward beers,” says Padilha.
Long before taprooms were commonplace in Brazil, Hocus Pocus opened one in Rio de Janeiro’s trendy Botafogo neighborhood. People came not just for the beer, but for an experience. Today, its hazy IPAs and its blonde ale Orange Sunshine have become icons of Brazil’s craft beer scene, while its taprooms represent a new generation of Brazilian breweries that see beer as part of a larger cultural experience.
A can of Dogma’s La Piña Colada. Photo credit Dogma Cerveja
Founded in São Paulo in 2015, Dogma quickly established itself as one of Brazil’s most respected independent breweries. Its portfolio balances technical precision with a playful willingness to experiment. Beers range from crisp session IPAs and traditional German roggenbiers to tropical sours brewed with fruits like pineapple and coconut. While its beers regularly earn international acclaim, Dogma has remained deeply rooted in its local community, cultivating a loyal following through four taprooms across the São Paulo area and its annual anniversary festival.
Bottles of beer from Caatinga Rocks. Photo credit Caatinga Rocks
Brazil’s craft beer revolution isn’t just happening in São Paulo and Rio. Founded in the northeastern state of Alagoas, Caatinga Rocks is redefining what Brazilian beer can be by weaving regional identity into every bottle. Mandacaru Atômico is a sour beer made with three types of cacti found in the region, while Zumbi Republic, a tropical stout, incorporates coffee, chocolate, and coconut. The lineup of beers celebrates the flavors, landscapes, and culture of Brazil’s Northeast, proving that world-class craft beer can be unmistakably Brazilian.
Glasses of Colombina. Photo credit Cerveja Colombina
While many craft breweries borrow inspiration from Europe or the United States, Cerveja Colombina looks inward, celebrating the flavors of Brazil’s Cerrado, the country's vast tropical savanna. Based in Goiás, the brewery incorporates native ingredients and even regionally grown hops into its beers. I'd happily travel for Colombina’s Passion Fruit Sour or Brut do Cerrado Jabuticaba & Pitaya, a beer brewed with uniquely Brazilian fruit that offers a local taste you won't find anywhere else. Their commitment to showcasing the Cerrado’s biodiversity makes Colombina a standout in Brazil's terroir-driven beer movement.
Catharina Sour
Unika’s Catharina Sour. Photo credit Cervejaria Unika
Brazil’s most influential craft beer may not come from a single brewery, but from an entirely new style. Developed by brewers in the state of Santa Catarina, the Catharina Sour is the first Brazilian beer style officially recognized by the Beer Judge Certification Program. Inspired by Germany’s Berliner Weisse but transformed by Brazil's extraordinary fruit harvest, these lightly tart wheat beers showcase local ingredients in a distinct style.
“One of the style’s most decorated examples is Catharina Sour Caju Pytang from Cervejaria Unika in Santa Catarina. Brewed with caju (cashew fruit) and pitanga (Surinam cherry), it has been named the world's best Catharina Sour multiple times,” Padilha says. “Another standout is I'm Sour from Three Monkeys Beer in Rio de Janeiro. Brewed with pitaya (dragon fruit) and guava, it earned a gold medal the very first year Catharina Sour was introduced as an official competition category.”
Refreshing, approachable, and unmistakably Brazilian, the Catharina Sour has become the defining style of Brazil's craft beer movement and a source of national brewing pride.
As a native of Rio, it’s been a joy to watch Brazil's beer scene evolve. The country's beloved lagers aren't going anywhere, but the emergence of independent breweries celebrating Brazil's extraordinary landscapes, native ingredients, and regional identities has added an exciting new dimension to our drinking culture.
Should you find yourself in Brazil, order a chopp for a traditional beer experience, then leave room for something unexpected. Whether it’s a hop-forward IPA from Rio, a cactus sour from Alagoas, or a fruit-filled Catharina Sour, Brazil’s craft brewers are creating beers that reflect the country’s remarkable diversity.