'Nat Beer': Artesanal Beer (black, red and Amber) made locally and coming to the SAE Cluhouse
Last weekend, I was invited out by a couple of Argentine friends to sample some artesanal beer here in the city. The beer, called Nat Beer, is an oatmeal stout made by a local Argentine called Hernan Francisco Natalichioand sold in a couple of ferias close to the city as well as a few outlets within the centre itself.

To be honest, I'm not a big beer drinker. I much prefer a good shot of rum or vodka to sail briskly into the weekend with style, but as an invited guest I felt it important to sample what was on offer and I have to say that I actually liked the taste. In simple terms, the beverage is similar in many ways to a Guinness (at least, the black beer variety is...I didn't try the red or the amber). It’s fair to say that it’s a little less heavy and far less bitter, but as a crude idea of what’s on offer the comparison serves well enough. Also, there's no tacky after-taste in your mouth (something that I don’t like from most beers on the market) and it’s very smooth, almost silky.

My introduction to the drink was in The Gibraltar in San Telmo, a well-known expat/foreigner hang out that now serves all three varieties of the beer from the bottle. In addition, Viamonte 334, the almacen (small shop) of beers and spirits, called 'Cervelar', stocks the artesanal product too. You could buy a couple of beers to try and enjoy a quiet night in, watching a little sport on the tv....I know you like the sound of that idea! Failing that, if you want to take a trip further afield, there are two weekend ferias (El Galpon and Bonpland) that sell the beer too. Web links to these ferias are listed below for you to check out.

www.buenosairesladob.com.ar - La feria el galpon
www.pagina12.com.ar - La feria de Bonpland

However, the best news about this artesanal treat is that here at SAE we are in the process of organising a FREE-tasting session. Hernan has offered to give a talk (in Spanish, with a translator on hand to make sure that you understand everything said – alcohol is very important, we know!) about the process of making the beer and how the business has grown since its beginning. Therefore, hold out for a week or so, try the beer for free and then head on out to stock up on your own supply when you've decided which variety of the beer is to your liking. Don't say we never do anything for you!