Catraio: a point of reference in craft beer in Porto
Located in Cedofeita, Catraio was the first craft beer bar to be opened in the city of Oporto in January 2015.
The passion for artisan beer grew during the trips that Ricardo Queirós and his partner, Maria Afonso, made around the world. At that point, they noticed the strong tendency for growth and the demand for this type of beer.
"We felt that in Porto there was none of that." This was the reason for the opening of Catraio, Invicta's first handmade beer bar. "Today, there are 100 artisanal beers to 'fight' to survive, and what was really missing was the final point, it was the point of sale," said Ricardo to Porto Tasty.
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| Ricardo Queirós and Maria Afonso, owners of Catraio. | Porto Tasty |
The choice of name - Catraio - had to do with the null experience that the members had with the world of craft beer, although it was the intention of Ricardo and Maria that the establishment, located in one of the main streets of the city, had a "catchy" name, but at the same time "local".
"When we entered in this world, our professional experience was 0. We were the catraios [children] here in the middle. The world of artisanal beer, even now, is so recent that everyone can be considered catraios [children]", explains Ricardo, 36.
"If the beer is good, people will pay for the quality it has"
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| The distinct decoration of Catraio. | Porto Tasty |
Ricardo Queirós guarantees that Catraio is currently a reference point for artisanal beer and helps, in a way, to "foment" Cedofeita street. "Cedofeita was very still two years ago. From the moment it opened and began to develop, the street of Cedofeita began to be seen with other eyes. "
Although he considers that the price difference between a so-called normal beer and a craft beer is still considerable, Ricardo notes that people don't mind paying for quality if they so justify themselves. "If the beer is good, people will pay for the quality it has", he says.
"The Portuguese public perceives insufficiently about beer"
Catraio came to fill a gap that existed in the city of Oporto: a space where artisan beer admirers and connoisseurs could live among themselves: "When it opened, it started to join not only this audience faithful to the craft beer, but the brewers Homemade craftsmanship - which are still many -, the homemade ones that have become professionals and the professionals themselves. "
Yet, despite being very diversified, Catraio's target audience is "a public that is professionally established, which already earns above average, which has some purchasing power," he says.
Beers for all tastes and prices
In all there are hundreds of styles of beer that do not stop growing with the wave of "craft beer". "There are styles that are more sought after than others, inevitably. It's a whole world to discover. Belgian beers, for example, are highly sought after. "
The local artisanal beer sale has an average price of € 2.50 and is a bet on the Cedofeita bar which, however, does not neglect artisanal beer from Lisbon, the Alentejo, the Algarve and, imagine, international beer. Still, "it is our goal to work with local producers.[from Porto]"
In addition to artisanal beer, Catraio also offers alternatives like homemade cider and mead. Beyond, if you prefer to take something that doesn't involve alcohol, you can choose a lemonade, water, sparkling water or homemade coffee made in the city of Porto. The bar also offers a selection of snacks, such as, for example, light snacks such as peanuts and lupins.
