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Beer Street, in downtown Rio, sold more than 300 draft beers in 2025.
Published on 26/02/2026 - 15:18 | Updated
Rio de Janeiro has 5,8 bars and restaurants, responsible for the formal employment of 65,6 workers. Photo: Rafael Catarcione
In 2025, the taps of craft beers from the breweries on Rua da Carioca didn't stop flowing. Throughout last year, the six establishments in the Rua da Cerveja project sold 300,9 beers of varying qualities, equivalent to 824 mugs served. At one of the city's most iconic addresses, 100,3 liters of beer were consumed, averaging 25,1 liters per month.
The creation of Rio's first Beer Hub, a project by the City Hall and carried out by the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development (SMDE), aims to boost the revitalization of the city center, along with other initiatives to recover abandoned properties, as well as stimulate the local economy. A study by SMDE indicates that, in four years, the program could create approximately 500 jobs and generate R$ 222 million. The project also contributes to the preservation of the region's historical heritage, whose properties are listed by cultural protection agencies.
– The program is very much connected to the city and takes place at a historic address in Rio. With Rua da Cerveja (Beer Street), a new tourist attraction is emerging, drawing more people to the region who, judging by the numbers, are already discovering this hub. When the street works are finished, we will have a space for social interaction, attracting even more visitors – highlighted Osmar Lima, Municipal Secretary of Economic Development.
The six breweries already open, between September 2024 and December 2025, are: Vírus Bier, Martelo Pagão, Piedade Cervejaria, Arkan Beer, Búzios, and Tio Ruy. Three more are expected to open.
About Beer Street
To encourage the establishment of craft breweries, which must operate on a brewpub model – producing and selling beer and snacks on-site – the Rio de Janeiro City Hall offered financial incentives. For property renovations (R$ 1.000/m²), the subsidy was up to R$ 15, and for operational expenses (R$ 75/m² monthly for up to 30 months), up to R$ 200, with a limit for properties up to 200 m². In total, nine breweries signed agreements with the Municipality, of which six are already in operation.
The urban redevelopment project includes the renovation of the street, reducing the number of lanes for cars and buses from three to two, widening the sidewalks to create areas for socializing and leisure for visitors to Rua da Cerveja (Beer Street), as well as a new lighting and landscaping project.
The Beer Street project involves various departments of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, such as the Carioca Company for Partnerships and Investments and the Rio Heritage of Humanity Institute (IRPH), partners of SMDE in the project, and the Secretariats of Urban Development and Licensing (SMDU), Infrastructure (SMI) and Government Coordination (SMCG), responsible for the project and execution of the street's construction works.
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