The Buzz on the Buzz in Peru

I just got back from two weeks in Peru and it was an eye-opening experience to say the least. I’d never been to South America before, so I had no idea what to expect and even if I had, nothing would have prepared me for the reality. I wouldn’t have dreamed that there’s a craft beer scene growing in Lima and Coca leaves to chew everywhere in Cusco. Naturally, I partook freely in both.

Lima’s a huge city by any standard. Like Los Angeles, it’s coastal and sprawling, with quarters as upscale as any American or more specifically European city (think Barcelona) and neighborhoods that border on shanty-towns. The Peruvian people that I met were wonderful and the craft beer and Coca leaves weren’t half-bad either.

With a population approaching 9 million, Lima is the capital and the largest city in Peru. It’s also home to the majority of the region’s craft brewers as far as I could tell. It’s no surprise that big beer brands dominate here. Peru’s Budweiser is Cusqueña, a Golden Lager that’s pretty much everywhere. Equally prevalent is their popular Pilsner, Pilsen Callao. And given that craft beer in Peru is not even close to being widely distributed, I found myself drinking both brands a lot – and both beers were enjoyable enough for what they were.

I happened upon two significant craft beer brands while in Peru. My daughter, who is currently working in Lima, said she knows of five – and that she’s beginning to see more and more of them. I had my first IPA from Lima’s Barbarian Brewery at the trendy La Mar restaurant, a luncheon-only place known for its ceviche where people dine for hours and leisurely drink a lot. Barbarian 174 was as close to an American IPA as any of the craft beers that I sampled in Peru. It had a pronounced hoppiness that I hadn’t as yet found south of the equator and clearly aspired to be an American-style IPA. If it were brewed in Escondido, it would be considered decent – but in Lima, it tasted amazingly like home and I loved it. I can’t imagine that there’s not a brewer somehow associated with the states involved with the Barbarian Brewery.

I had my first beer from the Cumbres Artisinal Brewery while in Cusco. (It’s also were I purchased my first bag of Coca leaves to chew but I’ll get to that in a minute.) Like the Barbarian Brewery, Cumbres images itself in that cool and sophisticated style that is so much a part of the American craft beer scene and their beers were more than solid. My favorite beer from Cumbres was a 9% ABV Porter (it paired nicely with my ground alpaca burger!) that I enjoyed while waiting for a train that was taking me deeper into the Andes.

Now let’s talk Coca leaves. I had my first Coca tea upon arriving at my hotel in Cuzco. Located in the southeastern region of Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range, Cusco stands at 11,200 ft., and altitude sickness is a very real possibility. Coca tea is served widely there to combat altitude sickness. And since the altitude left me weak and woozy, I drank it non-stop. I wouldn’t say that the tea made me any more alert, but it did do something and I did feel better as long as I continued to drink it.

But the effects of chewing Coca leaves were a different matter all together…

Chewing Coca leaves correctly (I knew the Fodor’s travel guide would be good for something), does create more alertness and energy, which explains why the locals of all ages who traverse this mountainous region use it frequently and abundantly. And having experienced the Coca leaf’s benefits while climbing around Machu Picchu, I can attest to its value and am totally on board.

So here’s the buzz on the buzz in Peru. The craft beer scene, although still in its infancy, shows much promise. What they’re doing, they are doing right. And the Coca scene is far from new – it’s ancient, as a matter of fact. And trust me…they’ve totally got that one down.