Cape Verdean Beer: Strela and the Islands’ New Craft Wave

A cold Cape Verdean beer bottle lands on the table, its green glass beaded with condensation. On Sal or Santiago, that bottle is almost certainly Strela — the lager that became Cape Verde’s default order and a small marker of national pride. What follows is a clear-headed guide to the beer scene across the archipelago: how Strela came to be, what styles you’ll find, where to drink them, and the small but lively craft movement that’s starting to bubble up.

Cape Verde’s Beer Landscape in Brief

Cape Verde’s modern beer story really begins in 2006, when local producer CERIS (Sociedade Caboverdiana de Cerveja e Refrigerantes) launched Strela to replace Coral, a brand tied to a former owner. A sister company, Cavibel, handles distribution; both companies are subsidiaries of Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC). Within a few years, Strela had established a significant foothold at home and was being shipped to nearby markets, such as The Gambia and Guinea, as well as to Portugal for the diaspora.

In 2009, Strela was already the second most-consumed beer nationwide. A later milestone came with international tastings and quality certificates: the brand received a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute (formerly iTQi), and in 2024, both Strela Clássica and Strela Kriola picked up Monde Selection silver quality awards.

In production terms, the headline in recent years was ECCBC’s €9m investment (2022) in a new line at the Praia plant, rated at 12,000 bottles an hour and adding jobs locally — signalling that Cape Verde’s “star” beer is being scaled with an eye to consistency and export.

The Strela Line-up: Styles, ABV and What They’re Like

While the label most travellers meet is the standard pale lager, the range is broader. ABVs and styles below reflect how the brewery and major beer databases classify the beers.

Tasting pointers

Expect Classic/Kriola to pour a pale gold with a short white head. Aromas lean toward light malt and grain, with the palate clean and slightly sweet, featuring modest bitterness — built for heat rather than contemplation. Preta adds a faint toastiness without drifting into stout territory. Ego is the outlier: malty, sweet and boozy, best as a one-and-done sipper. Crowd tasting notes align with those lines.

Awards and quality marks

Beyond the Taste Institute recognition, Monde Selection recorded silver medals for Kriola and Clássica in 2024. These are quality certifications rather than style-judged competition medals, but they do reflect stable production and sensory scoring by independent panels.

Cape Verdean Beer in Bottles, Cans and “Litro”

You’ll encounter several package formats in shops and tavernas:

• 250 ml and 330 ml bottles (the 250 ml is especially common in corner bars).
• 1-litre returnable (“litro”) bottles designed for sharing at the table.
• 20 L and 50 L kegs appear sporadically, though draught is less prevalent than bottles on many islands.

Strela: Who Makes The Most Famous Cape Verdean Beer?

CERIS was established in 1988 and, after a period under Madeira Brewery, moved under the ECCBC umbrella. That structure matters because it anchors Strela to a regional bottling network with access to technical support and capital. The 2022 line upgrade is a direct example, as it improved throughput and enhanced quality control. CERIS is based in Praia Negra, east of Praia’s centre.

Where to Drink: Island by Island

• Santiago (Praia, Assomada): Home turf for the brewery, with the broadest choice of Strela formats. Assomada also hosts Afreecana Brewpub (see craft section).
• Sal (Santa Maria): Beach bars pour Strela Classic/Kriola as the default. Draught exists, but bottles dominate; tourist-zone prices are higher.
• Boa Vista & São Vicente: Similar pattern — bottled Strela everywhere; Portuguese Super Bock/Sagres also common.

Typical prices

Expect 150–200 CVE for a 25 cl bottle in local spots. Tourist-front bars often charge €4–5 for a “pint-equivalent”. Countrywide cost-of-living trackers peg a 500ml draught (where found) in the ~150–330 CVE range, depending on the venue.

The Craft-Beer Flicker: Afreecana, Bodeguinha and Friends

Cape Verde’s craft scene is young but genuine. Cervejaria Afreecana in Assomada (Santiago) styles itself as the country’s first craft brewery, building recipes around local ingredients—think hibiscus (bissap) witbier, a cream ale, or seasonal IPAs under labels such as Badia, Baía, Bidjogo, and Paixon. The brewpub draws good notices from travellers and locals alike. On Sal, Bodeguinha Craft Beer in Santa Maria pours its house beer “Blimund” alongside rotating local and import taps.

Don’t expect dozens of taps across the islands — logistics and scale make that unlikely for now—but do expect earnest brewing with a Cape Verdean accent: fruit, spice and grain choices that nod to the climate and pantry.

Food Pairing: What Works with Cape Verdean Beer

• Classic/Kriola love grilled fish, pastéis de atum, and frango grelhado; the crispness resets the palate.
• Preta is a friendly partner for cachupa rica or charred pork.
• Ego pairs well with post-dinner: slow sips with cheese or doce de papaya.

For context on Cape Verdean staples, such as cachupa, refer to the general cuisine references in the sources.

Buying to Take Home

Outside Cape Verde, Strela appears intermittently in Portugal and occasionally in diaspora communities, for example, in New England. Stock comes and goes, and labelling may differ slightly from island bottlings. Availability is patchy, but it can be found in specialist or diaspora shops.

Practical Notes for Travellers and Crew

• Ask for “Kriola” if you prefer a slightly lighter take than Classic.
• Share a “litro” at sundown — common on weekends and during festas.
• Expect bottles over draught. And keep some cash; small bars may not take cards.

Bibliography

• Strela (beer) and Beer in Cape Verde on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; 
• Superior Taste Award of the International Taste Institute; 
• Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company, ECCBC, in Cape Verde;
• CERIS Praia, Cape Verde Micro Brewery on UNTAPPD; 
• Strela Cabo Verde (Imported) CERIS Lager – Pale on UNTAPPD;
• Strela Kriola – Silver Award 2024 on Monde Selection International Quality Institute;
• Afreecana Brewpub Reviews on TripAdvisor; 
• Blimund of Bodeguinha Craft Beer on visitcaboverde.co.uk; 
• Strela, Fidju di Téra on Facebook.