Corn beer
A traditional beer style made from maize, with global varieties.
Corn beer is a style of beer brewed from corn (maize) and appears as a traditional drink in several cuisines. The most famous version is chicha, common in the Andes, with other local varieties found elsewhere.
In the Andes, corn beer dates back to before the Inca. Archaeological evidence shows that elite women brewed it for the Wari culture between 600 and 1000 AD. In 1796, John Boston made a corn beer that became the first commercially produced fermented alcohol in Sydney, Australia. A recipe for corn beer was published in 1863 in *Resources of the Southern Fields and Forests, Medical, Economical, and Agricultural* by Francis Peyre Porcher. Italian beers Peroni and Nastro Azzuro use maize along with barley malt, and KEO beer from Cyprus also includes maize, which gives it a notably bitter taste.
Among the varieties, chicha is popular in Peru, especially in Arequipa’s picanterías. Tesguino is a corn beer made by the Tarahumara people of Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental, brewed for Holy Week celebrations. For the Tarahumara, it serves as a healing elixir, a barter item, and a sacred beverage. Umqombothi is the Xhosa term for a South African corn beer made from maize, maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast, and water.
- type
- Beverage
- main_ingredient
- Corn (maize)
- best_known_variety
- Chicha
- region
- Andes, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Italy, Cyprus
- earliest_known_culture
- Wari culture (600 to 1000 AD)
- commercial_production
- 1796 in Sydney, Australia
Lore & Background
Italian beers Peroni and Nastro Azzuro are made from maize and barley malt. KEO beer from Cyprus is also made with maize, giving a characteristically bitter taste. Chicha is popular in Peru and is served in Arequipa's picanterías. Tesguino is a corn beer made by the Tarahumara people of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico, brewed for local celebrations related to Holy Week. For the Tarahumara, the beer is an elixir for healing, a barter item, and considered a sacred beverage. Umqombothi is the Xhosa language word for a corn beer made in South Africa from maize, maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast, and water.
Reader's Guide
Corn beer holds significance as a traditional beverage across multiple cultures, reflecting local agricultural practices and social customs. Its history spans pre-Incan civilizations, where elite women brewed it in the Wari culture, to modern commercial production in Australia, Italy, and Cyprus. The variety of corn beers—such as chicha in the Andes, tesguino among the Tarahumara, and umqombothi in South Africa—demonstrates the adaptability of maize as a brewing ingredient. These beers are not merely alcoholic drinks but often carry sacred, healing, or ceremonial roles, as seen with tesguino. The inclusion of corn beer in a 19th-century medical and agricultural reference book further underscores its practical and cultural importance. Its legacy continues in both traditional and commercial contexts, linking ancient practices to contemporary brewing.
Did You Know?
- Elite women were responsible for brewing corn beer in the Wari culture (600 to 1000 AD).
- John Boston created the first commercially produced fermented alcohol beverage in Sydney, Australia, in 1796, which was a corn beer.
- Tesguino, made by the Tarahumara people, is considered a sacred beverage and used for healing and barter.
- KEO beer from Cyprus, made with maize, has a characteristically bitter taste.
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