Although many may not believe it, Ecuador is proud to be the land where the first truly American beers originated. In the mid-16th century, more precisely in 1566, a Belgian-born religious figure named Fray Jodoco Ricke established the first beer brewery on the continent in the city of Quito.
This priest brought with him barley and wheat seeds from Europe, which served as the raw material for producing the first batches of this beverage in the "new continent." The brewery was called San Francisco, and its building is still preserved today. There was also a garden with spices and herbs at that location, which were included in the recipe of those first beers and gave them a distinctive touch.
Today, there is a place where all the instruments used in those times to produce beer can be seen, as well as the bar where it was served, even though more than 50 years have passed since any beverage was last produced there.
All this evidence is located behind a convent and a religious museum of the Franciscan order, although not many people know about this historical treasure. The five fermentation tanks within what used to be a factory are empty, waiting for perhaps someday current priests who oversee the place will put them back into operation, and we will again have among us the first beer of the American continent.
