Beer inPortugal has a long history, going as far back as the time of the ancientRoman province ofLusitania, wherebeer was commonly made and drunk.Portugal is among the 11 largest beer producers inEurope, and is the 7th largest European exporter of the product.[1]
The word for beer inPortuguese iscerveja, coming from theLatin wordcerevisia. Modern Portuguese breweries were started in Portugal in the 19th century. Portugal'sEstado Novo regime, headed byAntónio Salazar, protected national industry from foreign control, including the beer sector, during his time in power. Brewing in Portugal was long dominated by two companies —Sociedade Central de Cervejas, S.A. andUnicer - Bebidas de Portugal, S.A. They were created from the remains of well-established Portuguese brewers after the1974 military coup, when the industry wasnationalised. Both wereprivatised in the 1990s. Between them, they control more than 90% of the Portuguese beer market.
In 2003, Portugal had seven major breweries, employing approximately 1,848 people.[2]
There are also around one hundred small breweries in the country, dedicated to the production of craft beer.[3]
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