Beer World Cup 2014: Group C
Hi guys
It’s now time to review group C and find out which team has the best beers.
Columbia
The top rated beer in Columbia is by the BBC. No, not that one – I am referring to the Bogota Beer Company. A microbrewery set up in 2002 in the nation’s capital with just a $40,000 investment is now the second biggest brewery in the country turning over $12 million a year. Inspired by a trip to the UK, the owner Berny Silberwasser, wanted an alternative to lager. They brew British-style ales, with the most popular ones online being a porter and an IPA. The BBC now has 13 pubs across the nations capital and are now selling bottled beers in local supermarkets and looking to expand outside of the capital. For more information about BBC, check out an article by the other BBC on the brewery. Otherwise the beer market is dominated by Cerveceria Bavaria who produce blonde lagers such as Aguila, Pilsen and Poker. Another interesting drink is Refajo which is a mixture of beer and Columbian champagne cola. Sounds odd, but I would love to try it. Columbia are big favourites to win the group.
Greece
The Greeks are known more for their fine cuisine rather than beer. But we should not underestimate the Greeks as they have been brewing for a very long time. None of their breweries have been taken over by corporate giants so they can concentrate more on producing good quality beers. There are two big beer brands in Greece. Mythos, which is a light lager that you may have heard of and is available in bottles from a variety of shops. There is also Fix who have been brewing lager for 150 years in Greece. They struggled in the 1970s and 1980s and stopped brewing until a successful return in 2010. Another notable mention is Volkan Beer which is made from the famous honey of Santorini and Citron of Naxos Island. Volkan actually won the “New Section Product Innovation of the Year” award at the International Beer Awards in 2013. Greece has some good independent breweries but will that be enough to compete against the world’s best?
Ivory Coast
With Ivory Coast you would have thought they would produce strong powerful beers like their best players, l Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba. However it seems quite the opposite. The only brewery I could find was Solibra based in Abidjan, the largest city in the country. They brew lagers such as Mamba and Flag Speciale and also a Bock beer. I am surprised that Ivory Coast hasn’t got more of a beer scene. They have no chance of qualifying.
Japan
The Japanese are good at most things and you won’t be surprised to learn that brewing beer is also on that list. The most famous Japanese Beer is Asahi which is available in bottles from many different beer shops. There is also Kirin Ichiban which is an excellent lager available in bottles and in draught at some places. Like most countries, the commercial choice of beer is lager but if you look a little deeper you will find many more styles of beer. In England, the other bottled beer you can buy is Hitcahino Nest which is the one with the colourful bottles and the anime-style owl on the front. They produce a variety of beers including a weizen and a sweet stout. There are also over 200 microbreweries in Japan who are producing lots of different styles with many having a low malt content to pay less taxes. The Japanese have lots of great beers and should easily get out of their group.
Kind Beergards
Jon
About Jon Stone
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