Ecuador's Craft Beer Scene and Nightlife — Where to Drink, What to Expect, and How to Stay Safe

Ecuador was not a craft beer country ten years ago. The market was dominated by two industrial lagers — Pilsener and Club — served ice cold in every tienda, restaurant, and corner store for $1 to $1.50. They are fine for what they are: light, cheap, refreshing, and everywhere.

Then, starting around 2014-2015, a wave of small breweries began popping up in Quito and Cuenca. Ecuadorians who had studied abroad, plus a handful of expat brewers, started making IPAs, stouts, Belgian ales, and sours. The scene has exploded since then. Today, both Cuenca and Quito have legitimate craft beer cultures with dedicated taprooms, beer bars, and bottle shops.

This guide covers where to drink, what to expect, how much it costs, and how to navigate Ecuadorian nightlife culture without getting into trouble.

Cuenca Craft Beer

Cuenca's craft beer scene is concentrated in a few neighborhoods: El Centro (the historic center), San Sebastián, and the Calle Larga corridor along the river.

Jodoco Belgian Brewery

Jodoco is the godfather of Cuenca craft beer. Founded around 2010 by a Belgian expat, it predates the craft beer wave by several years. Located in the San Sebastián neighborhood on Calle Mariscal Sucre, the taproom occupies a converted colonial house with a courtyard.

The beer: Belgian-style ales — witbier, dubbel, tripel, blonde, and seasonal specials. The Witbier is the house classic and probably the most popular craft beer in Cuenca. Quality is consistently good. They brew on-site and you can sometimes see the operation through the windows.

Prices: $4-6 per beer, depending on size and style. They also serve food — pub fare with a Belgian touch.

The vibe: Relaxed, mixed crowd of locals and expats. Popular for afternoon drinks and early evening. Not a late-night spot. Live music occasionally on weekends.

Straw Hat Brewing

An American-style craft brewery that has built a solid following among Cuenca's expat community. Located on Calle Larga near Benigno Malo. Straw Hat does IPAs, pale ales, porters, and rotating seasonal beers. If you are an American who misses West Coast IPAs, this is your spot.

Prices: $4-6 per pint. The food menu leans American as well — burgers, wings, pub food.

The vibe: More expat-heavy than Jodoco. Friday and Saturday evenings get busy. Good spot to meet other English speakers if you are new in town.

Dos Hemisferios

A Cuenca-based craft brewery with broader distribution — you will find their bottles at some Supermaxi locations and at various bars around the city. The taproom is worth visiting for the freshest pours. They produce a range of styles including amber ales, stouts, and IPAs.

La Candelaria

A craft beer bar (not a brewery) in El Centro that curates a rotating selection of Ecuadorian craft beers from multiple breweries. Good spot if you want to sample different brands without bar-hopping. The space is intimate — exposed brick, low lighting, good music. Beers run $4-6.

Prohibition Bar

A cocktail-forward bar with a speakeasy concept, located in El Centro. The craft beer selection is small but curated, and the cocktails are the real draw. Well-made old fashioneds, negronis, and pisco sours for $5-8. The bartenders actually know what they are doing, which is not a given in Ecuador.

El Mercado

A food hall concept on Calle Larga with multiple food vendors and a bar with craft beer options on tap. Good for groups where people want different types of food. The craft beer selection rotates. Prices are in the $4-6 range for craft, $2-3 for national brands.

Quito Craft Beer

Quito's scene is larger and more spread out than Cuenca's, concentrated in La Floresta, La Mariscal, Cumbayá, and the restored historic neighborhood of La Ronda.

Bandido Brewing

The standout. Bandido is a brewpub in La Ronda (Calle Morales and Guayaquil) — the restored colonial street in Quito's Centro Histórico. The rooftop terrace has views of the old city that are hard to beat. They brew on-site and the beer quality is excellent.

The beer: IPAs, stouts, amber ales, and creative seasonal batches. The IPA is consistently one of the best in the country. They are not afraid to experiment.

Prices: $4-7 per beer. The food is solid pub fare — burgers, nachos, wings.

Why it matters: Bandido has been one of the key players in legitimizing Ecuador's craft beer movement. If you only visit one brewery in Quito, make it this one.

Abysmo

A well-respected Quito brewery that focuses on clean, well-executed styles. Their Kölsch and Pale Ale are particularly good. You will find Abysmo at various bars around the city and at craft beer shops, but the taproom experience (in the La Floresta neighborhood) is the best way to try the full range.

Camino del Sol

Located in Cumbayá — the upscale suburban valley east of Quito where many expats live. Camino del Sol combines a brewery with a wood-fired pizza kitchen. This is the spot if you live in the valley and do not want to deal with the drive into Quito proper on a Friday night.

Prices: $5-7 for craft beer, $10-15 for pizzas. Slightly higher price point than in-city options, reflecting the Cumbayá demographic.

La Cleta

A bar in La Floresta (Calle Madrid area) with a cycling theme — bikes hang from the ceiling, and the crowd skews toward Quito's creative and athletic set. The craft beer selection is curated from various Ecuadorian breweries, and there is a strong cocktail menu as well. $4-6 for beers, $5-8 for cocktails.

Chelawasi

Worth mentioning — one of Quito's earlier craft beer bars that helped build the scene. Located in La Floresta, it functions as a beer shop and tasting room with a large selection of Ecuadorian craft brands available by the bottle.

Understanding Ecuadorian Nightlife

Going out in Ecuador is a fundamentally different experience than going out in the US, Canada, or Europe. If you apply your home-country expectations, you will either leave too early, go to the wrong places, or both.

The Timeline

Ecuadorians go out late. Here is how a typical weekend night works for locals:

• 8:00-10:00 PM: Dinner. Ecuadorians eat dinner late. A restaurant dinner with friends might not start until 9:00 PM.
• 10:00-11:30 PM: Pre-game at someone's house or apartment. This is called the "previa." Cheap drinks, music, getting ready. Nobody goes to a bar or club before 11:00 PM.
• 11:30 PM-1:00 AM: Arrive at the bar or discoteca. The place is just starting to fill up.
• 1:00-3:00 AM: Peak hours. The dance floor is full, the energy is high.
• 3:00-5:00 AM: Things wind down. Some places stay open until 4:00 or 5:00 AM on Saturdays.

If you show up at a discoteca at 9:30 PM, you will be alone with the bartender. This is not a sign that the place is dead. It is a sign that you are four hours early.

The Music

Discotecas and clubs play a rotation of reggaetón, salsa, cumbia, bachata, and electronic/pop. Reggaetón dominates, but most places mix it up. If you are going out with Ecuadorians, expect to dance. Standing on the side watching is possible but you will have more fun if you learn basic salsa and bachata steps. YouTube tutorials will get you started; actual classes are available in both Cuenca and Quito for $5-10 per session.

Expat Scenes vs Local Scenes

These are two mostly separate worlds. The expat social scene in Cuenca tends to center around the craft breweries, Calle Larga bars, and organized social events (trivia nights, happy hours, meetups). The local Ecuadorian nightlife scene is discotecas, karaoke bars, and house parties that do not get going until midnight.

Both are worth exploring. The expat scene is easier and more comfortable. The local scene is where you actually connect with Ecuadorian culture and make Ecuadorian friends. Ideally, you move between both.

In Quito, La Mariscal (also called "Gringolandia" for a reason) is the main nightlife district for both tourists and young locals. La Floresta has a more laid-back bar scene. Cumbayá has its own cluster of restaurants and bars catering to the valley crowd.

Prices

Knowing what things cost helps you avoid overcharging and budget your nights out.

Drink	Typical Price
Pilsener/Club (bar)	$1.50-3.00
Pilsener/Club (tienda)	$0.75-1.25
Craft beer (taproom/bar)	$4.00-7.00
Cocktail (average bar)	$5.00-8.00
Cocktail (upscale bar)	$8.00-12.00
Pisco sour	$5.00-8.00
Canelazo (hot cinnamon aguardiente drink)	$2.00-4.00
Bottle of wine (restaurant)	$12.00-25.00
Bottle of wine (Supermaxi)	$5.00-15.00
Cover charge (discoteca)	$5.00-15.00 (often includes a drink)

About wine: Ecuador does not have a wine industry to speak of. Almost all wine is imported from Chile and Argentina. Restaurant wine lists are limited and marked up. A bottle of Casillero del Diablo that costs $6 at Supermaxi will be $15-20 at a restaurant. If you are a wine drinker, buy at the store and drink at home. The Supermaxi and Coral wine sections have decent Chilean and Argentine selections in the $5-15 range. Do not expect a sommelier-level experience at most restaurants.

About canelazo: This is the quintessential Ecuadorian warm drink — a mix of aguardiente (sugarcane spirit), cinnamon, sugar, and naranjilla juice, served hot. You will encounter it at festivals, in highland towns, and at some bars. It tastes like a warm cinnamon punch and it sneaks up on you. $2-4 at bars, sometimes free at festivals and parties.

Happy Hours

Happy hour culture exists at expat-oriented bars and some restaurants. The typical window is 5:00-7:00 PM, with 2-for-1 beers or discounted cocktails. Straw Hat, some Calle Larga spots, and various restaurants in El Centro run regular happy hours. Check the Cuenca and Quito expat Facebook groups — people post deals regularly.

Local bars and discotecas do not really do happy hours. Their model is drink specials (like $1 beers on a specific night) or bottle service at tables.

Safety at Night

This is not optional reading. Enjoy the nightlife, but be smart.

Always take Uber or InDriver home. Both apps work well in Cuenca and Quito. Do not walk home alone after midnight, especially if you have been drinking. In Cuenca, a ride from El Centro to most residential neighborhoods costs $2-4. In Quito, rides from La Mariscal to the north of the city run $3-6. This is not expensive insurance.

Watch your drink. Drink spiking happens, as it does everywhere in the world. Do not leave your drink unattended, do not accept drinks from strangers, and keep an eye on your group. This applies to both men and women.

Do not walk around drunk with your phone out. This is the single most common way expats get robbed at night. Phone out, stumbling, alone, 2:00 AM — you are a target. Keep your phone in your pocket, stay with your group, and get in the car.

Know the Ley Seca. Ecuador enforces a "dry law" (Ley Seca) during elections and certain holidays. Alcohol sales are prohibited for 24-48 hours before and during election days. Bars and liquor stores close. This is enforced — do not expect to find exceptions. If an election is coming up, stock up at home the day before.

Legal drinking age: 18 in Ecuador. It is not heavily enforced at most venues, but upscale places and craft breweries will check cédulas (ID).

The Social Hack

If you really want to connect with Ecuadorians — not just other expats — learn to dance. This is not a joke. In Ecuadorian social culture, dancing is a fundamental skill. Refusing to dance at a party or club marks you as standoffish. You do not need to be good. You need to be willing. Take a few salsa or bachata classes, learn the basic step, and you will be pulled onto the dance floor by Ecuadorians who will happily teach you the rest.

Cuenca has several dance schools offering group classes for $5-10 per session. Look for studios near the university district or ask in expat groups for recommendations. It is one of the best social investments you can make.