Chile
German settlers brought brewing to southern Chile from the 1840s. Anwandter of Valdivia, founded in 1851, brewed 25 million litres a year by 1914, before the 1960 earthquake destroyed it, and Austral has brewed in Punta Arenas since 1896. CCU, with Cristal and Escudo, holds about two thirds of the market, and AB InBev’s Cervecería Chile is its rival. Kunstmann brought brewing back to Valdivia in the 1990s. Craft brewers such as Kross, LOA and Tübinger now win world awards. Beer in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay tells the story.
Breweries in Chile
CCU (Compañía Cervecerías Unidas)
CCU: Chile's largest brewer since 1902, maker of Cristal and Escudo, controlled by the Luksic family and Heineken.
Cervecería Anwandter
Anwandter, Valdivia: the German immigrant brewery of 1851 that made Valdivia Chile's beer city, destroyed by the 1960 earthquake.
Cervecería Austral
1 styleCervecería Austral, Punta Arenas: José Fischer's brewery of 1896, which calls itself the southernmost brewery in the world.
Cervecería Chile
Cervecería Chile: AB InBev's Santiago brewery of 1991, maker of Becker and Báltica and CCU's main rival.
Cervecería Cuello Negro
2 stylesCuello Negro, Valdivia: a craft brewery of 2003 known for its amber ale and an 8% foreign extra stout.
Cervecería Guayacán
Guayacán, Elqui Valley: the solar-powered brewery of 2009 in Diaguitas, whose brand now belongs to Kunstmann.
Cervecería Kross
Kross, Curacaví: a Chilean craft brewery of 2003, maker of Kross Golden and Kross 5, 87% owned by Viña Concha y Toro.
Cervecería Kunstmann
Kunstmann, Valdivia: Armin Kunstmann's brewery of the 1990s, which brought brewing back to the city of Anwandter, half owned by CCU.
Cervecería LOA
3 stylesLOA, Santiago: a craft brewery of 2019 that doubled its sales every year and claims to lead Chilean craft brewing by volume.
Cervecería Szot
Szot, Talagante: Kevin Szot's family brewery of 2006, one of Chile's craft pioneers, brewing near Santiago.
Cervecería Tübinger
1 styleTübinger, Pirque: a brewery founded by a German in 2007, run by an Irishman, whose Irish Red Ale won World's Best Amber in 2025.