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BAR LIFE STYLE

Creative bites and folksy competitions. The culture of Belo Horizonte's bars

Words: Gabriel Silvestre

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to have a pint with a Mineiro (a native from Minas Gerais state), you will probably have heard these two unofficial statistics: 1. Belo Horizonte (the state capital) is the Brasilian city with the largest number of bars per capita. 2. Minas Gerais is the state where the largest amount of beer is consumed annually – we’re talking about volume here, not just per person!

If it were down to my friend VinĂ­cius, I might just believe it. An ardent bohemian and beer guzzler, he proudly told me these and other amazing facts over several rounds at our local. This, by the way, is another trait of the people of Minas: the gift of storytelling. Mineiros love to tell tall
ones, and if it’s over a pint the tales can go even higher. Impatient with my reluctance to believe his stories, he lay down an invitation: “Look, if you come and visit me in Belo Horizonte, I’ll show you that it’s a city where going out drinking is a way of life!” So, I packed some alka-seltzer in my suitcase and set off to see for myself.

market mania | As soon as you set foot in Belo Horizonte you realise that it’s a major urban city. The landscape is dotted with skyscrapers and a plethora of cars and people - a far cry from the old fashioned coffee plantation that was situated on the same spot a mere 110 years ago. The city centre has many interesting sights starting with the elegant Liberdade Square where you’ll find the Palácio das Artes Cultural Centre, or abundant palm trees at the Municipal Park. However nothing compares to the Central Market. The place is a veritable supermarket stocked with local eccentricities.

This indoor market houses hundreds of stalls that sell literally everything. There are tonnes of products that are famous throughout Brasil, such as the local cheese, sweets, coffee and cachaça, as well as accessories, clothes, items of Candomblé (an Afro-Brasilian religion), pets, live animals for slaughter, and even a radio station that broadcasts from within the market.

I’d planned to meet my future host at one of the local bars, but I had to be careful and follow his advice: “avoid looking the waiters in the eye”. Anyone caught unawares is an easy target; you just have to glance in their direction and they’ll quickly come over with a fresh bottle of beer saying “This
one’s for you”. I've not been this cautious about making eye contact since my adventures in Amsterdam.

I met Vinícius at a bar waiting for me with an ice cold beer and a strange looking snack in his hands. “You have to try this, it’s liver with jiló, a typical Brasilian vegetable”, he said encouragingly, “I know, it might not look all that appetising, but you can’t visit the market without trying it. It’s truly a local institution!” Ok then, but we better get in another round while we’re at it.