Opinion – Copo Cheio: Now it’s official, catharina sour is the first Brazilian style of beer

Catharina sour has been talked about for so long in the beer industry that the news seems old, but it is fresh: the beer officially becomes the first Brazilian style listed in the renowned Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guide.

The style was created in the distant year of 2016. The Blumenau brewery, from Santa Catarina, was the first to bottle and distribute the beer, in this case, the Sun of a Peach, a drink with light acidity, low bitterness and marked by the accentuated presence of the beer. peach in the aroma.

Basically, catharina sour is a slightly acidic and highly refreshing beer, which uses the German style berliner weisse as a base and adds a fruit. “The catharina sour is an important and attractive gateway for the consumer to start looking at beer with all its possibilities”, comments Marcos Guerra, from Blumenau.

After being embraced by the state of Santa Catarina, the style expanded to other squares, which also created more possibilities, with the most diverse fruits.

For those who have never seen this acronym in their lives, the BJCP is an organization that trains and certifies judges in brewing contests around the world, thus unifying the evaluations. The BJCP also functions as a detailed style guide. In other words, from now on, catharina sour can be evaluated in official competitions from Blumenau to Oslo, and under the same criteria.

Since 2018, catharina sour has been in the BJCP style guide, but provisionally. Gordon Strong, president of the entity, characterizes the beer with “freshness and vibrancy of the flavor, refreshing quality, acidity that enhances the flavors of the fruit and respect for the ingredients”.

Strong recalls that “during a visit to the country, I sampled many samples, both from homebrewers and commercial brands. Catharina sour is a current style. I really like how the fruits are presented in a natural and fresh way.”

Carlo Bressiani, director of the Escola Superior de Cerveja e Malt, in Blumenau, celebrates the diversity of possibilities that the style presents, citing the combination of beer with fruits such as cupuaçu, seriguela, grapes and red fruits, among others. “In gastronomy, Brazil is recognized for its infinity of ingredients and regionalization. From a beer that allows the addition of fruits characteristic of different regions, it is possible to create a sensory map from Catharina Sour.”

collective release

Those who don’t know the style will have a great opportunity to become an expert in January. On 1/19, 64 breweries from 10 different states present versions for catharina sour. The simultaneous launch is also the biggest achievement around a single style in the national market.

Who is behind the action is the Toda Cerveja Movement, formed by independent craft beers and which launched Bitter Day last year.

For the group, the refreshing and fruity catharina sour has everything to appeal to the taste of Brazilian consumers, as happens with IPAs and weiss. Among the breweries from São Paulo that are part of the project are Cervejaria 77, in the east of the capital, Bragantina, X Craft Beer, and the excellent Gard Cervejaria, in Campos do Jordão.

Brands from Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Paraná and Rio de Janeiro also participate. More information about participating beers on Instagram, on the profile @todacerveja.