MALT AND BEER IN SPANISH AMERICA. 361 



bottles soiiH'i imes in barrels of < dozen whole or 10 dozen half bottles. 

 The German beer is transported in. sailing vessels at 30 shillings per 

 ton measurement, or $7.50 United States goli. American beer (of New 

 York manufacture) is being introduced and is slowly displacing the 

 German and English make. It is transported to this poiot via Panama, 

 and the cost of transportation makes its cost here very high. It is sold 

 here at 25 sucres per case of 4 dozen whole bottles, or, say, $16 United 

 States gold ; while the German and English beer, coming by sailing 

 vessels, sells here at $12 United States gold for the same quantity. 

 This great difference in price militates against the American brewer, 

 although the American beer is preferred. Light beers are best suited 

 to this market. 



All imported beers are in fairly large lots and in consignments. Very 

 little, if any, being bought outright. But it is useless to attempt to 

 surplant the German and English with American beer unless the cost 

 of the latter can be made to compare favorably with the former. 



The American beer is transported by steam, the German and English 

 by sail, the difference in the cost of transportation forces the selling price 

 here of the former to $16 United States gold, while the latter can be 

 sold at $12 United States gold per case. The difference in quality is 

 not enough to offset the great difference in cost. If American beer can 

 be laid down at this point at the same cost of the German and English 

 there can be but little doubt that the United States will soon control 

 the market in Ecuador. But the quantity of beer imported will always 

 depend largely upon the quality of the brew by the Guayaquil brewery. 

 When that brewery was first established they had an experienced brewer 

 the result was that the amount of foreign beer consumed was diminished 

 very materially. Later they employed a native brewer and the result 

 was and is, owing to the poor quality of beer brewed, the consumption 

 of foreign beer is again very great. 



Quito. At Quito the malt is raised in Ecuador and prepared by the 

 brewery, costing before prepared 85 cents per bushel; the quantity 

 brewed per day being about 100 dozen bottles. 



Ambato. At Ambato the malt is grown in Ecuador and prepared by 

 the brewery, costing about 85 cents per bushel before prepared ; the 

 quantity brewed per day being about 15 dozen bottles. 



The price at Quito and Ambato being $1 (suere), or 70 cents United 

 States gold per dozen for steam, and $2 (sucre), or $1.40 United States 

 gold for lager beer. 



The hops used at Guayaquil, Quito, and Ambato is imported from 

 Germany at a cost of about $40 sucres, or $28 United States gold per 

 100 pounds. 



Guayaquil beer is sold at $2, United States gold per dozen 

 by the case, and retails at 20 cents per bottle. The output of the 

 brewery is about 100 dozen bottles per day, in kegs and bottles, but 

 the capacity of the brewery is said to be from 250 to 300 dozen per 

 day. 



