This August 5 marks International Beer Day, the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. In this context, we tell you about the price differences between buying it in a restaurant or in the supermarket, but at a Latin American level. On the other hand, there are some beers without components of animal origin and suitable for vegans.
This August 5 is celebrated International Beer Daythis alcoholic beverage made with germinated grains of barley or other cereals fermented in water, and which has a variety of aromas and types.
But how much can the price of this liquid vary in Latin America? According to figures from Statista, there are differences both in the city and in the establishment where it is purchased.
According to the Numbeo database, buying a beer in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, whether in the supermarket or in a restaurant, can cost less than half that in Montevideo, Uruguay.
While in Santiago, a restaurant can charge an average of US$3.36 (something like 3,087 Chilean pesos) for a 0.5-liter/17-ounce beer, compared to US$1.27 (about 1,167 Chilean pesos) in a conventional store.
On the other hand, in Panama and Mexico, having a couple of beers away from home may mean having to increase your budget, since prices are almost double what they are in supermarkets.
On the contrary, in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), San José (Costa Rica) and La Paz (Bolivia), the difference between a beer in a gastronomic establishment or in a local store is just a few cents.
Average price of half a liter of national beer in different selected cities in Latin America in 2022 (in US dollars):
Montevideo: at the supermarket ($1.91) and at a restaurant ($3.42).
Santiago: at the supermarket ($1.27) and at a restaurant ($3.36)
Santo Domingo: at the supermarket ($2.48) and at a restaurant ($2.76).
City of Panama: at the supermarket ($1.22) and at a restaurant ($2.50).
Mexico City: at the supermarket ($1.25) and at a restaurant ($2.44).
Lime: at the supermarket ($1.55) and at a restaurant ($2.30).
Peace: at the supermarket ($1.96) and at a restaurant ($2.19).
Saint Joseph: at the supermarket ($1.83) and at a restaurant ($2.10).
Sao Paulo: at the supermarket ($1.36) and at a restaurant ($1.93).
Buenos Aires: at the supermarket ($1.25) and at a restaurant ($1.86).
Guatemala city: at the supermarket ($1.26) and at a restaurant ($1.74).
Bogota: at the supermarket ($0.78) and at a restaurant ($1.17).
Beers for vegans
Despite the fact that beer is the most consumed drink in the world, not all of them are suitable for all audiences, in this case for those who are vegan or vegan.
The base ingredients of all beer are barley, water, hops and yeast, however, there are some that could contain components of animal origin.
For this reason, the Fundación Vegetarianos Hoy grants a seal that certifies whether or not it is a product suitable for vegans.
In the process of clarifying beers -which consists of eliminating sediments that are released during fermentation, which remain floating- ingredients of animal origin are generally used, such as gelatin (animal bones and cartilage), tendons and ligaments from pigs and cattle, or “fish tail” (fish swim bladder).
Some beers even contain egg whites or use glycerol, pepsin or lactose, ingredients that could also be of animal origin.
In this regard, the regulations and/or legislations are not always obliged to detail the use of these agents on the labels, since they are considered an element of action in the beer, but not an ingredient.
Also, some brands indicate when they use, for example, egg white, due to compromised food allergies.
In this sense, from the Coordination of Corporate Campaigns of Fundación Vegetarianos Hoy, they comment that “there are numerous brands and services that use a seal or symbol based on their image as a ‘vegan product’ without being 100% vegan or without being certified; it is our responsibility as consumers to recognize the true seals and ask companies that want to use them to be certified”.
Vegetarianos Hoy grants two types of certifications in Latin America: “Vegan Seal”, created in 2013 by the same NGO and “V-Label”, of Swiss origin, which has become the most used vegan symbol worldwide with more than 40,000 certified products. Both guarantee that the product is completely free of ingredients of animal origin.
Roots Brewery
One of the brands that has this certification is Cervecería Raíces, a Chilean, craft and independent brewery that has the “Vegan Seal”.
They make vegan beers free of any derivative of animal origin, where they perform the clarification in a natural way, only applying cold maturation.
Having this seal gives transparency and clarity to its consumers. It is a guarantee for vegans and vegetarians, since they have a reliable reference when buying, without the need to carefully read labels or rely on labels that are applied under different criteria.