Brazil: Each Brazilian drinks an average of 47 liters of beer per year, which accounts for an impressive total production of 8 billion litres of beer per year. The biggest Brazilian beer maker is Ambev, which produces the brands Skol, Bohemia, Brahma and Antarctica. Skol is the undisputed market leader, while the other brands fight the competition. Ambev controls more than half the Brazilian beer market as a result of the merging of a number of big beer factories. Ambev was able to convince the government that a merge would help the company compete in the international markets. In 2004, Ambev joined with Belgium group Interbrew, creating the biggest beer group in the world, as measured by volume produced, according to Gringoes Agency.

The other main brands are Kaiser (owned by Molson, the Canadian group) and Schin. There are several other brands, many local and regional, which don't have much relevance in the national market. All these most famous brands are made with a similar process, resulting in the kind of beer called Pilsen.

Whilst a dependency of Portugal, Brazil was a wine drinking country and only became accustomed to the delights of beer following Independence, in 1822, when beer was imported from Britain and other European countries. The tropical weather and the abundance of beaches helped Brazilians fall in love with beer. Brazil also has climatic conditions, which favor the cultivation of malt and cevada the raw material of Brazilian beer.

30 October, 2004