Tasting

What does a Catharina Sour taste like? The first thing you notice is the freshness: the acidity is clear but not sharp, accompanied by the scent of fruit. Depending on the brewery, it may recall passion fruit, guava, or mango. The body stays light, the finish dry and short.

A well-known example comes from Cervejaria Blumenau, which helped shape the style. Many small breweries in Santa Catarina now have their own versions. They differ in fruit and acidity level but follow the same blueprint.

The Eisenbahn beers show a different side of the city. The brand is considered one of Brazil's pioneers of beer with more character than the usual pale lager. Its beers are found in shops well beyond Blumenau.

Chopp, the draft beer, is served very cold in Brazil, often with a small, firm head of foam. At Oktoberfest, the 600-milliliter tulip glass is the common choice. Brahma has supplied most of the draft beer there since 1990.

The Catharina Sour suits a smaller glass, such as a tulip or a wheat beer glass. Well chilled but not ice-cold, the acidity and fruit come through more clearly.

When pouring, tilting the glass helps keep the acidity from foaming up too much. After that, a slow sip rewards you: the aroma first, the acidity last. After a few minutes, once the beer has warmed slightly, the fruit usually becomes more pronounced and the acidity feels rounder.