During one of my trips to our R&D center of Rio de Janeiro, I managed to save some time for a getaway to Petropolis, to visit Bohemia brewery. Petropolis seems to be the great WE escape for people from Rio. One-hour scenic drive away from the chaos of the city.
Created by Bavarian immigrants in 1845 (beer anyone? ) , state capital in the late 20th , summer residence of many Brazilian Emperors and actually named “city of Peter” the name of the last Brazilian Emperor, it’s no surprise this place is high end (in all senses). Opulence of flowers, colors and parks, beautiful architecture….
The road winds up through a rainforest, in the Orgaos moutains north of the city to reach an altitude of about 800m. The view of the city and the ocean during the trip is breathtaking. Petropolis is nested as a plateau city in the middle of a gorgeous vegetation. Certainly, a bit cooler than the valley.
This ride made me thirsty.
Cervejaria Bohemia (the one from Brazil, not the one from Mexico) is the oldest brewery of Brazil. It traces back to 1853…created indeed by Bavarian. (even though Bohemia is the former Czech republic) This was definitely just after the creation of the first Pilsner in Plzen by the way (1842).
The small brewhouse of Petropolis seems to have evolved like an experimental brewery, running lots of small batches, limited editions and seasonal. Cool outdoor bar, cool tour, cool beers and cool people. The brewery has been set up to maximize the visitor experience, covering all things beer. I see it’s ranked #1 things to do in Petropolis and 4.5 or so on TripAdvisor.
I regret I could not stay a couple more days to enjoy more time on the terrace, more beers, strolling the city and do a trekking as there seem to be a few awesome waterfalls in the area.
I understand they have now a barrel aging program in old Cachaça barrels… can’t wait to go back.
