Portuguese are more beer or wine drinkers? Both!
There is a saying that where there are snacks and good food there is beer or wine to drink with it. And if the English prefer beer, the French wine and the Russians vodka, the Portuguese are beer lovers, but they are also fan of a good glass of wine. It depends on the menu and the time of day.
Beer (or imperial)
If you are in Lisbon and want to drink a beer just ask an imperial (beer served in a tall, chilled glass). And secondly you are asked a classical question: Super Bock or Sagres? These two Portuguese beer brands lead the market and are eternal rivals. Both sponsor football clubs, music festivals and each has its legion of fans who defend the brand at all costs. What is the best? It’s like asking if you prefer Coke or Pepsi.
The Portuguese like to enjoy a good beer with friends or to relax in the evening, along with a plate of lupins (the seafood of the poor, as it was known). Lately there is this trend of tasting boutique beer brands, which can be found in new breweries that have arisen in the city, with brands such as Vadia or Sovina. Want to know where you can taste them? Take note:
Cerveteca Lisboa, na Praça das Flores, 62
You can choose to taste boutique, national or foreign beers in bottle or barrel. They also serve snacks such as cheese, pâtés, traditional Portuguese canned, sausages or sandwiches. Closed on Mondays.
O Purista – Barbière, Rua Nova da Trindade, 16
It looks like a traditional barber shop, it is a traditional barber shop, but besides being able to cut hair and shave the old way you can also taste a unique beer: the Belgian Affligem, launched in Portugal by Sociedade Central de Cervejas for purists and those who like to preserve traditions.
Note: Do you want to learn how to make boutique beers at home for your group of friends? Contact Taste of Lisbon and sign up in the next artisanal brewing workshops.
Wine: red or white?
Portugal is known to be an excellent wine producer, as result of ancient traditions introduced by various civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks or Romans. Douro is even the oldest demarcated region in the world and produces, as the region of Green wine, some of the most refined and exclusive wines in the world.
The country has several demarcated regions, such as small wine region around the village of Colares, Sintra, known for full-bodied wines and dense colour, of unique features due to the vineyard installed on sandy ground.
Carcavelos is the smallest wine region of Portugal and is rated DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin), with wine tradition to go back to the Marquis of Pombal. The highlight is the liqueur wine, with flavoured and almond aroma.
Tradition says we should accompany the fish dishes with white wine and meat dishes with red wine, and the Portuguese cuisine also has some very appreciated dishes that are cooked with wine. Here are some examples:
Bulhão Pato Clams
Typical of Portuguese cuisine prepared with olive oil, garlic, coriander and lime, to which is added white wine to give its peculiar flavour. You can taste the mussel’s version in Moules & Gin, in Martim Moniz Square, during Taste of Lisbon tour.
Vinha d’alhos
Typical Portuguese Marinade that inspired Vindalho, a dish of Indian cuisine. As the name implies, this marinade is made with wine and garlic, salt and spices such as cumin and paprika, almost mandatory in rabbit dishes such as rabbit-hunter.
Vinha d’alhos
Drunk pear
Dessert made with red wine, sugar and cinnamon, which together with the natural sugar of the fruit make this one of the most traditional dessert.
Did you know: According to Alcoolmap data (http://ghostinthedata.com/alcoholmap/) Portugal not only has the reputation of being a great wine consumer, it also has the advantage! Statistics indicate that the Portuguese consume weekly wine 979ml, well above the average of neighbour Spain which is in 323 ml.