Patagonian Craft Beer Trail, Playa Bonita & Lakeside Breweries Guide

Long before craft beer taprooms spread across Buenos Aires and Mendoza, San Carlos de Bariloche was already brewing small-batch ales and lagers at the foot of the Andes. Backed by Central European brewing traditions brought by early-twentieth-century immigrants, ultra-soft glacial snowmelt water from Lago Nahuel Huapi, and aromatic Cascade, Mapuche, Traful, and Nahuel hops cultivated just one hour south in the fertile valley of El Bolsón, Bariloche produces more than three million litres of artisanal beer a year and is protected by its own official Geographical Indication (IG Cerveza de Bariloche).

1. Iconic Lakeside & Forest Breweries Along Avenida Bustillo & Circuito Chico

Combining an afternoon drive or bus ride along Avenida Exequiel Bustillo and Circuito Chico with a sunset tasting flight is a quintessential Bariloche ritual (always designate a non-drinking driver, use a taxi/remis, or ride Mi Bus Line 20, as breathalyser checkpoints are strict along Bustillo):

• Circuito Chico Km 24.7 (Overlooking Lago Moreno): Perched high on a wooded promontory just past the Lago Moreno bridge near Punto Panorámico stands the flagship mountain microbrewery of Cervecería Patagonia, where floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor firepits look straight out across the islands of Lago Moreno toward Cerro López (advance online table reservations are essential for afternoon and sunset slots; walk-in garden areas also operate). Nearby on Circuito Chico and in Colonia Suiza sit the main brewhouse of Cervecería Berlina and the country taproom of Wesley Brewery.
• Avenida Exequiel Bustillo & Playa Bonita (Km 4 to Km 12): At Km 4 of Avenida Bustillo, visit the sprawling timber taproom of Cervecería Blest, founded in 1989 by pioneer homebrewer Julio Migoya and widely credited as Argentina's oldest modern craft brewery (famous for its Scotch Ale, Pilsen, and seasonal raspberry Frambuesa beer). At Km 7.6 and Km 8 (Playa Bonita), stroll the lively pebble beach facing historic Huemul Island before stopping at lakeside beer gardens such as Kunstmann and Berlina Km 11.5.

2. Downtown's "Brewery Quarter" (Calle Juramento & Calle Morales)

If you are staying near the Centro Cívico and want to walk between taprooms on foot, head two blocks uphill behind the Club Andino Bariloche to the cobbled streets of Calle Juramento, Calle Morales, and Pasaje Juramento. Every evening from 18:00 onward during happy hour, local favourites such as Manush, Antares, Bachmann, and Konna pour hop-forward IPAs, Baltic Porters, and honey ales paired with smoked trout and wild boar platters.