Let us confess something… at Panama Living, we are very fond of beer, and so is the entire country. In 2019, the yearly consumption per person was estimated at 75 liters of beer, the highest in Latin America.
This hobby is not limited to industrial beers produced by large multinationals; there are also plenty of craft beers. In this article, we will talk about the three most emblematic local breweries in the country.
Most of these beers are found in various restaurants in Panama City, supermarkets, and liquor stores such as Felipe Motta, Bottega Varela, or Beermarkt. Some even have their taprooms and we will share their location below.
Casa Bruja
It is impossible to talk about craft beers in Panama without first mentioning Casa Bruja. Casa Bruja, one of the first ventures in this sector, has grown exponentially. In the beginning, they only produced four styles of beer, and today their offer exceeds 50. Over these eight years, they have won more than 40 medals at an international level, have started a program of aging in wooden barrels, and have a quality control laboratory.
Within its wide range, three classic recipes stand out: Fula, Chivoperro, and Chitra. Fula is a soft-bodied golden beer, a fusion between Pale and Pilsner barleys, with an IBU of 14. Chivoperro, on the other hand, is considered the first bottled Panamanian India Pale Ale with an IBU of 60. Finally, the Chitra beer is a Pale Ale of American hops with an IBU of 40.
Learn more about Casa Bruja by scheduling a tour on Saturday or visiting its taproom in Costa del Este, where you can try its more than 50 beers, either bottled or draft, along with the gastronomic offer of its food truck. Are you more of buying online? You can do it through their online store!
Cervecería Central
An idea that was also born among a group of friends in 2014 with a 20-liter pot, a ladle, a manual mill, a refrigerator, and two plastic bottles of water that served as fermenters; and now offers seven different beers, distributed from its brew cellar with 4 ABE fermenters and a total capacity of 9,600 liters.
The two most recognized beers are River Down (blonde ale, IBU 25) which refers to the Rio Abajo neighborhood where its brew room is located. Also, India Dormida beer (Indian pale ale, IBU 55), is named after the famous hill within the Anton Valley. Their Veranera, Guachimán and Lagertija also stand out. You can taste their beers in their taproom, located on Calle 74, San Francisco from Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m. You can also buy online or contact them through Whatsapp
La Rana Dorada
La Rana Dorada is such a classic brand in Panama that many forget that it is a craft brewery. With Panamanian and Colombian investors, La Rana Dorada opened its doors in 2010, with the support of the same group behind Bogota Beer Company.
Choosing which beers to recommend from La Rana Dorada is a challenge, they are all very good! When you visit one of their locations, you can order their beer flight, which includes the Blanche, Pils, Porter, Grand Cru, Pale Ale, and IPA. The Grand Cru stands out as a fairly creamy Belgian-style blonde beer IBU 21. Its Pale Ale IBU 35 also stands out as a British style with a particular reddish copper color; and of course its Pils, a classic German lager-style beer with a characteristic malt flavor, herbal and floral notes, and IBU 23.
Twelve years after its inauguration, La Rana Dorada has 10 stores around Panama City and has ventured into the world of rum, sodas, and hard seltzers. In their locations, you can also enjoy appetizers, pizzas, hamburgers, and more. Of course, La Rana Dorada also offers the option to buy online and take a tour of its facilities, and even can its beers!
