The craft brewing industry in latin America: The case of Colombia

Abstract

This chapter presents a brief description of the beer industry in Latin America and specifically in Colombia. The main focus is on the performance of the craft brewing industry. It was found that the same patterns followed by other markets around the world are being replicated in Colombia in explaining the renaissance of the Colombian craft brewing industry. Some common factors are identifiable such as consumer resistance and change in consumer preferences for food from the demand side, and the apparition of brewing associations, network ties and access to information from the supply side. Some specific barriers for the country are also identified such as the unavailability of inputs, lack of funding and difficult sanitary regulations.