Melo-Abreu: Especial Beer from Azores

Brewed on the island of Sao Miguel at the Melo Abreu distillery in Ponta Delgada, comes the only commercial beer produced in the Azores. Although Portugal is known for its hot summer days and cold beers “Cerveja” in Portuguese, the Azores’ primary market is dominated by local brews Especial by Melo Abreu and the beers from the mainland, which are Sagres and Super Bock, both equally as good of beers. The price for beer in the Azores is low, and in most places, it is cheaper than a bottle of water, at around 1 euro a beer or 80 euro cents if on tap and local. Beer is a part of the Azores’ social culture, just as much as wine and the local pineapple and passion fruit liquors produced on the island. When you are in a place that brews its lager-like in the Azores or Madeira, for example, it is worth trying, with the chances being you will fall in love with the local flavor. The Especial brand of beer from the Azores has a higher alcohol content than most beers on the island with a slightly more of a hoppy taste than the lighter version of Portuguese beer which is Sagres. Sold in almost every store and restaurant on the island, there is no reason for you to visit these unique islands and not try the local brew. The market for foreign beers is not big at all in the Azores, with a few craft brews popping up here and there, but the general market in the Azores remains to buy local, supporting local, which creates jobs for the islanders. The Melo Abreu brand goes far beyond just beer. It produces sodas and juices, and their most famous soda being Kima Maracuja. This passion fruit-based carbonated soda has been the number 1 soda flavor in the Azores and Portugal for decades.