This is all unfortunately starting to sound like the same story about everywhere. The beer scene in Portugal is dominated by two large brewing companies which control 90% of the market. The market leader is União Cervejeira SA (Unicer), a locally owned brewery which produces Super Bock, an American-style adjunct lager that is the best selling beer in Portugal. I know you can't see me, Portugese people, but I'm shaking my head at you. Sociedade Central de Cervejas is their biggest rival, a Heineken owned operation most well known for their Sagres Cerveja but also producing brews like Bohemia. All in all... a bunch of blah.
Portugal IS home to one of the most well-named brewpubs I've ever heard of though... Shakesbeer. Now that's good shit. Too bad their website includes their wine list but nothing about the beer. What the hell Portugal? I guess they really are all about the wine, especially the port, which I'm sure Jay will talk about over at Bite and Booze. You know what would be good though guys? If a micro-brewer in Portugal worked on some damn good stouts or porters and then aged them in old port casks? Would that now be awesome? I've just about never had a barrel-aged stout that I didn't like so why isn't this happening? Maybe it is and I just didn't find out about it, but hopefully someone from Portugal will read this, make it happen, and give me a little piece of credit.
Until then, Portugal's beer scene is just going to have to suffer the same fate as their soccer team. A second-round loss.
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