Bahia Beer Culture

When I was a tourist, my visits to Salvador were sensory overload. I couldn't get enough of the sites, the sounds, the tastes, the colors and the people. Beer was everywhere. I didn't really pay attention to it. I was too busy running around. Of course, I drank it at the beach, everyone does that. When I moved to Bahia, I realized beer has a social significance. 

Before I get into it, some background. I enjoy wine. For eight months of the year, Philly is cold, and four months are freezing.  Wine was inexpensive and kept us warm. I could find very good wines for under $15.  Hell, there was wine warehouse in New Jersey which sold it by the case. I got for $9.00 a bottle!  On cold crisp days, nothing better than a flavorful inexpensive Pinot Noir. Beer was a summertime drink at sporting events and BBQs.

When we moved to Bahia, I really felt the blistering heat here, especially in the summer which is December through February.  The months June, July and August, Bahia locals consider "winter". To me, it feels like a comfortable Spring in Philly. Locals complain about the cold, wrap themselves in blankets, even put on jackets.  I'm walking around saying "hey let's go to the beach I won't evaporate in the heat"...they just look blankly at me. Back to the beer. 

As freaking hot as it is in Bahia during the summer, beer makes a lot of sense. First, they always serve it ice cold. They have coolers and refrigerators that keep it at the perfect temperature. Also, locals prefer glass bottles which adds to the frostiness.  When the sun it is blazing, which it often is, and you want refreshment, yeah, a beer will do. Makes sense. 

Now, the cultural contrast. Americans like big things, big SUVs and tall glasses of beer. Americans like the British, pints of beer are common. We even have towers of beer. Don't get me started about the millions of microbreweries. There are cathedrals of beer we call sports bars where beer flows and flows when cheering on your sports team or crying it when they lose. 

Bahia beer culture is different. The beer glasses are small. So, I say to my Brazilian family, What am I supposed to do with this? It's a thousand degrees and I only get two sips. Can I have my own large bottle? No gringo, that is rude. We share large bottles with each other. We pour for each other. We take a small sip and keep repeating this over and over for hours and hours...and hours. Now folks, at the beach this makes perfect sense. The beach is an all-day event you want to extend as long as possible. Plus, you really don't want to be drunk, get hit by a rogue wave and get swept out to sea. In the house too? Yes, at family gatherings, we all share. That is our way. 

Bahia beer cultural points:

For reasons I don't understand, you don't drink straight from the beer can, you have to drink from a glass. 

You are expected to bring beer for house parties and family gatherings to share with others. 

Some people have fierce preferences for a certain brand of beer. They will bring their own beer brand if the host doesn't have the same preference. 

Finally, if anyone doesn't adhere to any of these points, they are talked about at length. When it comes to the Bahia beer culture it is serious. 

Below are some examples the local beer brands found in Bahia are under R3,00 per can. In conversion to the US dollar, that means it costs less than a dollar per can! 

Hey beer connoisseurs, there are IPAs here as well. My wife and I went to dinner at a steakhouse.  Our waiter suggested this Coruja IPA to accompany our order of costella (beef ribs).  The waiter uncorked it table side, poured our glasses and placed the bottle in an ice bucket. We never touched the bottle. Our waiter attended to our glasses and poured when he saw our glasses were low.  Bottle service! 

So, what if you don't like beer are you screwed? Fear not! There is wine and many other fantastic tropical drinks that are available.  I will share on a later segment. 

The next segment churrasco (Brazilian BBQ.) 

Thank you for reading my travel blog. My name is Howard W. Tucker. I am honored to be your guide to Bahia, Brazil. I have traveled to Bahia for 10 years. I am currently a resident of Brazil, living in Bahia with my wife and family.  As my travel companion, I will be introducing you to sights, sounds, people and culture of this incredibly amazing and diverse country.  

I welcome your thoughts and suggestions about places we can both explore so please feel free to contact me at htvision4edu@gmail.com