El Bolsón, a City Crafted by Beer

Many tourists come to El Bolsón asking about our well known local craft beer, especially the one from Cervercería El Bolsón and Otto Tipp. I’ve been approached by foreigners uncountable times asking for directions to get to the breweries so they could try the different varieties of beer or just to enjoy watching the process through which the beers are made.

So, you might be wondering how the idea of brewing even got to El Bolsón. Well, it came by the hand of a jolly German man named Otto Tipp who started the first brewery in our homeland in 1890. He was the one who taught the local residents how to grow hops (in Spanish lúpulo) which has given, since then, our local beer its wonderful flavor.  Back then, when Mr. Tipp had finished producing barrels of beer, he would raise a white flag on the hill where he lived to inform the local people that the beer was ready to be drunk. So all the townspeople would go celebrate and drink Otto Tipp’s beer for 3 days straight.  As a small anecdote, at the time there was a dispute between Argentina and Chile about who this territory belonged to… So, Mr. Tipp and the townspeople had no better idea than to declare that El Bolsón would become a separate country from that day onward, and that it would be called the Republic of El Bolsón. Following this statement, Otto Tipp was elected as President and the rest of his friends were appointed as ministers and secretaries. They had a laugh, but Gendarmerie soon stepped in, and settled everything to the way it now is with El Bolsón belonging to the Argentinean territory. 

Otto Tipp’s brewery remains to this day and lots of tourists don’t miss the chance to get a glimpse of the process in which the famous beer is made. But, another brewery surged in 1984 (almost 100 years after Otto Tipp’s arrival to El Bolsón) which had made our local beer even more famous; it is called Cervecería El Bolsón (El Bolsón Brewery).  Back then, El Bolsón beer was only available in the local Arts/Crafts and Farmer’s Market or in Camping El Bolsón (the brewery’s own campsite). In 1987, after we obtained the corresponding Bromatological permits, we expanded our brand to the entire region, and by 1992 we had obtained the national authorization for our brewery. According to the official page, the scope of the beer goes from the capital city of our nation all the way to the southernmost point of the continent, Ushuaia. This fact, added to its great variety and quality has made it one of the major referents on craft beer in all Argentina. So you can bet that THIS beer is surely worth a try! There is a wide variety of beers you can choose from, starting off by more common beers, like the pilsner-style (rubia), extra dark bock (negra extra) and wheat (trigo) beers. If you’re of the intrepid type, you are welcome to try the chili pepper beer (con aji picante), on the other hand, if you’re more prone to sweets you should definitely try the honey beer. The brewery also offers seasonal brews like the smoky winter triple bock (negra de invierno), as well as a line of gluten-free beers for those who suffer from celiac disease. Due to the fact that El Bolsón is also well known for its delicious berries, there are also some wonderful brews that include them; such is the case of the fruit brews made with raspberry, cherry or cassis, and to close their selection, a sparkling raspberry drink, for special occasions.

To sum up, if we’re talking beer, and particularly craft beer your best bet is bring some friends and drop by El Bolsón to try all of the varieties. Just make sure to choose a designated driver before you come, as I doubt it’ll be just one beer you’ll be trying!  

Fernanda Mercado