Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Quito, Ecuador, to attend the 15th World Congress of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI). During the conference, I delivered two presentations, including one that examined adaptive reuse practices within the American craft brewing industry.

Ecuador was the fourth Latin American country I had visited, having already spent time in Brazil (Sao Paulo), Chile (Santiago and Valparaiso), and Mexico (Mexico City). Getting there was relatively straightforward – a flight from Detroit to Atlanta, where I made my connection for the approximately 5-hour flight to Quito. Usually when I fly that kind of distance, it involves traversing multiple time zones. But as Quito is south-southeast of Detroit, the time difference is only one hour.

From a geographer’s perspective, Quito is a fascinating city. Nestled high in the Andes Mountains, the city sits at an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,850 meters) above sea level. Its dramatic setting and high altitude made it unlike any other city I had visited. While elevations such as these can cause altitude sickness in some visitors, I was fortunate to experience only mild effects. The most noticeable was a shortness of breath during the 15- to 20-minute walk between my hotel and the conference venue, a constant reminder of just how high above sea level I was.

Quito is also just a few miles south of the Equator. It was about 16 miles (26 kilometers) from my central city hotel. Of course, I had to visit, so on the final afternoon of the conference, three colleagues and I took a taxi there.

But what about beer? What is happening in Ecuador with respect to this much-loved beverage? The Ecuadorian beer market is highly concentrated, with just five brewing companies accounting for approximately 95% of total beer sales. Cervecería Nacional, a subsidiary of AB InBev and the world’s largest brewing company, is the market leader and producer of Ecuador’s best-selling beer, Pilsener. The company’s strongest competitor is Heineken Ecuador, which has steadily expanded its market presence recently through aggressive marketing and distribution strategies. Beer consumption in Ecuador is overwhelmingly dominated by lager, which accounts for roughly 85% of all beer consumed. As in many other countries, consumers are increasingly choosing non-alcoholic beer.

Since the early 2000s, craft beer has grown steadily in popularity in Ecuador, although it still accounts for only about 1% of the national beer market. The country is now home to more than 100 craft breweries, and in 2014 brewers formed the Asociación de Cervecerías Artesanales del Ecuador (ASOCERV) to promote and strengthen the sector. Like the American craft beer industry, Ecuador’s craft brewing community has a strong spirit of collaboration. Brewers frequently support one another – for example by lending hops to a neighboring brewery while it awaits a new shipment – reflecting a cooperative culture that has helped fuel the industry’s growth.

Given the relatively small size of Ecuador’s craft beer market, I expected craft beer to be difficult to find during my visit to Quito. Much to my surprise, the opposite was true. My hotel offered several craft beer options, and nearly every bar I visited included locally brewed craft beer on its menu. From my experience it was clear to me that craft beer has established a visible presence in the city’s drinking culture.

A brewery whose beers I particularly enjoyed was Amerik (pronounced Amerikah). One afternoon, a few colleagues and I were wandering through Quito’s historic center when the skies suddenly opened and a torrential downpour sent us scrambling for cover. Instead of just waiting for the storm to pass, we decided to find a place to enjoy a good local beer. After several unsuccessful attempts, a helpful local pointed us toward the Viajero Quito Hostel, home to the small but highly regarded Amerik Brewery. It turned out to be one of the best beer discoveries of our trip.

Established shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic by Oscar Artundva and Gina Valera, Amerik is a true nano-brewery. In addition to serving its beers on draft, the brewery produces a small number of hand-bottled releases, with each bottle capped manually. Amerika’s portfolio consists of five beers – a Belgian Blonde, IPA, Oatmeal Stout, Porter, and Red Ale. The quality of its beer has been recognized nationally, with both the Belgian Blonde and Oatmeal Stout earning Bronze and gold medals, respectively, at the Copa Cervecera Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World Beer Cup), Ecuador’s premier craft beer competition.

As my visit to Quito demonstrated, Ecuador offers much more than its spectacular geography and rich cultural heritage. Although the country’s beer market remains dominated by a handful of large breweries and traditional lagers, a vibrant craft beer scene has emerged and is steadily gaining recognition. What impressed me most was not just the beer’s quality but also the brewers’ enthusiasm and creativity in shaping this young industry. Breweries such as Amerik show that excellent beer can be produced on a very small scale, driven by passion, craftsmanship, and a commitment to quality.

For me, the trip was a reminder that one of the joys of traveling is discovering local beer cultures and the stories behind them. From drinking a cold Pilsener while adjusting to Quito’s high altitude to stumbling upon a nano-brewery during a torrential Andean downpour, Ecuador provided a memorable blend of professional engagement, geographic exploration, and beer discovery. It may not yet rank among the world’s major craft beer destinations, but based on what I experienced in Quito, it is certainly a country worth watching – and one I would happily visit again, both as a geographer and as a beer enthusiast.