{"id":50672,"date":"2024-07-03T13:26:31","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T17:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/?p=50672"},"modified":"2026-09-29T22:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T02:14:10","slug":"best-selling-beers-in-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/best-selling-beers-in-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"Peru&#8217;s Best-Selling Beers, From Cristal and Pilsen Callao to Craft Brands"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"thebe-3142377583\" class=\"thebe-fuente-preferida-2 thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=thebeertimes.com\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"A\u00f1adir como fuente preferida en google\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1-300x60.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" width=\"175\" height=\"127\"  style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/a><\/div><p>Peru&#8217;s best-selling beers are Cristal and Pilsen Callao, the two flagship brands of Backus, the Peruvian subsidiary of AB InBev that controls the vast majority of the market. Alongside them are regional brands with a long history, the competition Heineken brought in 2020 and an increasingly visible craft scene.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27761\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27761\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27761\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Las-10-cervezas-mas-vendidas-en-Peru.jpg\" alt=\"Best-selling beers in Peru, Cristal, Pilsen Callao and Cusque\u00f1a\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Las-10-cervezas-mas-vendidas-en-Peru.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Las-10-cervezas-mas-vendidas-en-Peru-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Las-10-cervezas-mas-vendidas-en-Peru-114x60.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27761\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Best-selling beers in Peru<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This review covers the country&#8217;s 10 best-known beers, from the big mass-market brands to the craft breweries that have gained ground in recent years. The story of the company that dominates the market is told in the article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/backus-en-el-grupo-cervecero-mas-grande-del-peru-que-comenzo-como-una-fabrica-de-hielo\/\">Backus, the brewing group that started as an ice factory<\/a>.<\/p><div id=\"thebe-3052928042\" class=\"thebe-maridaje-sin-rodes thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 40px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-45353\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71vKJFxJDRL._SL1500_-187x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"125\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71vKJFxJDRL._SL1500_-187x300.jpg 187w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71vKJFxJDRL._SL1500_.jpg 312w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 125px) 100vw, 125px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0GF4CFJBL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Maridaje de cerveza y marihuana. La ciencia sensorial para el sommelier moderno<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ffd100; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0GF4CFJBL\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"thebe-3181429213\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8775458773\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Cristal, the All-Time Favorite<\/h2>\n<p>Cristal is one of the best-known and most consumed beers in Peru. It is a golden lager with a smooth flavor, brewed by Uni\u00f3n de Cervecer\u00edas Peruanas Backus y Johnston, and a regular presence at gatherings, soccer matches and hot days on the coast.<\/p>\n<h2>Pilsen Callao, the Country&#8217;s Oldest Beer<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/pilsen-capital-cerveza-y-cultura\/\">Pilsen Callao<\/a> is Peru&#8217;s oldest beer. It was born in 1863 in Callao, when Federico Bindels partnered with Frenchman Aloise Kieffer to brew the country&#8217;s first beer, and in 1878 it won a gold medal at the Industrial Exposition in Paris (<a href=\"https:\/\/elcomercio.pe\/blog\/huellasdigitales\/2013\/10\/pilsen-callao-150-anos-de-trad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">El Comercio<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Today it belongs to Backus and is a light, refreshing lager that pairs well with Peruvian food.<\/p>\n<h2>Cusque\u00f1a, the Pride of Cusco<\/h2>\n<p>Cusque\u00f1a was born in 1911 in the imperial city of Cusco and has become the country&#8217;s benchmark premium beer, with a smooth, balanced flavor. It comes in varieties ranging from golden to dark.<\/p>\n<h2>Arequipe\u00f1a, the Pride of the South<\/h2>\n<p>Arequipe\u00f1a is named after the city of Arequipa and is one of the best-loved regional brands in southern Peru. It comes in blonde and dark versions and is part of the Backus portfolio.<\/p>\n<h2>San Juan, the Beer of the Amazon<\/h2>\n<p>San Juan is the traditional beer of the Peruvian Amazon. Cervecer\u00eda San Juan was founded in 1971 in Pucallpa, in the Ucayali region, and its brand is the favorite in that city, where it has become a local symbol (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.backus.pe\/marcas\/san-juan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backus<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2>Corona, the Mexican Must-Have<\/h2>\n<p>Corona, the world&#8217;s best-known Mexican beer, is sold in Peru as part of the Backus portfolio. Its light flavor has made it popular at parties and on beach days, and it is served with the classic lime wedge.<\/p><div id=\"thebe-2490970599\" class=\"thebe-libros-amazon thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-43340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Gu\u00eda Pr\u00e1ctica Catar Cerveza Amazon\" width=\"200\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-370x370.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Gu\u00eda pr\u00e1ctica para catar cerveza: C\u00f3mo apreciar correctamente todas las cervezas del mundo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ffd100; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Tres Cruces, Heineken&#8217;s Gateway<\/h2>\n<p>Tres Cruces was a Grupo AJE brand that Heineken bought in 2020 for about 50 million dollars, the deal through which the multinational entered the Peruvian market (<a href=\"https:\/\/gestion.pe\/economia\/empresas\/heineken-cierra-compra-de-cerveza-tres-cruces-e-ingresa-al-mercado-peruano-junto-a-aje-noticia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gesti\u00f3n, 2020<\/a>). Today it is sold in Lager and Light versions.<\/p>\n<h2>Heineken, the International Touch<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/heineken-lager-notas-de-cata-y-maridajes-recomendados\/\">Heineken<\/a> arrived in Peru in 2020 together with Tres Cruces and Amstel, distributed in partnership with AJE. The Dutch lager is now one of the most visible imported premium options in the country.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-361834575\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><div id=\"pf-15242-1\" data-format=\"display\" ><script>window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: \"683988d268662b3361d8a48f\", id: \"pf-15242-1\"})<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>Barbarian, Craft Innovation<\/h2>\n<p>Barbarian is one of Peru&#8217;s best-known craft breweries. Born in Lima, it is famous for creative beers, from heavily hopped IPAs to robust Stouts, and has been one of the brands that most boosted the Peruvian craft scene.<\/p>\n<h2>Candelaria, Craft Passion<\/h2>\n<p>Candelaria is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/la-brewers-association-planea-modificar-su-definicion-de-cerveceria-artesanal\/\">craft brewery<\/a> inspired by the festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria, one of Peru&#8217;s most important celebrations. It brews a range of beers that show craft care in every detail.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-1681910984\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1179889612\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>In Peru beer is part of the culture, from the Pilsen shared at a family gathering to the craft beer sampled in a Lima bar. That mix of century-old brands and new breweries defines the country&#8217;s beer scene today.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<h3>1. What is the best-selling beer in Peru?<\/h3>\n<p>Peru&#8217;s best-selling beers are Cristal and Pilsen Callao, the two main brands of Backus, an AB InBev subsidiary that controls the vast majority of the country&#8217;s beer market.<\/p>\n<h3>2. What is the oldest beer in Peru?<\/h3>\n<p>Pilsen Callao, born in 1863 in Callao thanks to Federico Bindels and Aloise Kieffer. In 1878 it won a gold medal at the Industrial Exposition in Paris.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Which company brews Peru&#8217;s most popular beers?<\/h3>\n<p>Uni\u00f3n de Cervecer\u00edas Peruanas Backus y Johnston, an AB InBev subsidiary, brews Cristal, Pilsen Callao, Cusque\u00f1a, Arequipe\u00f1a and San Juan, and distributes Corona. Its main competitor is Heineken, which arrived in 2020 with Tres Cruces, Heineken and Amstel.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Which Peruvian craft beers stand out?<\/h3>\n<p>Barbarian, born in Lima, is one of the best known and has boosted the craft scene with styles such as IPA and Stout. Candelaria, inspired by the festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria, is another craft brand with a strong presence.<br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"1. What is the best-selling beer in Peru?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Peru's best-selling beers are Cristal and Pilsen Callao, the two main brands of Backus, an AB InBev subsidiary that controls the vast majority of the country's beer market.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"2. What is the oldest beer in Peru?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Pilsen Callao, born in 1863 in Callao thanks to Federico Bindels and Aloise Kieffer. In 1878 it won a gold medal at the Industrial Exposition in Paris.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"3. 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Candelaria, inspired by the festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria, is another craft brand with a strong presence.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-2908484997\" class=\"thebe-maridaje-cerveza-marihuana thebe-entity-placement\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional-370x370.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Maridaje-de-Cerveza-y-queso-profesional.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4qHemVH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Maridaje de cerveza y queso profesional. Ciencia, t\u00e9cnica y sinergia sensorial<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ffd100; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><h2>Recommended<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/best-selling-beers-latin-america\/\">Which Are the Best-Selling Beers in Each Latin American Country?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/chicha-de-jora-recipe-how-to-make-the-ancient-inca-beer\/\">Chicha de Jora Recipe, How to Make the Ancient Inca Corn Beer<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"thebe-4127706942\" class=\"thebe-adskeeper-fin-articulo thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1705281\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cristal and Pilsen Callao, from Backus, are Peru&#8217;s best-selling beers. Learn their history and other brands such as Cusque\u00f1a, San Juan, Tres Cruces and Barbarian.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21154],"tags":[21170,21476,22294],"class_list":["post-50672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-mercados-en","tag-peru"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50672"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50673,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50672\/revisions\/50673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}