List of breweries in Puerto Rico
| Industry | Brewing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Aruba , Aruba |
| Products | Balashi, Chill, HopiBon, HopiStout |
The Caribbean beers exhibit a distinctive character on each island, often presenting variations of comparable beer styles. Typically, every island produces its own version of pale lager, occasionally offers a stout, and manufactures a non-alcoholic malta drink. It is also common for breweries to produce international brands under contract, such as Heineken Pilsener and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.[1] The diversity in beer types reflects adaptations to local preferences and brewing traditions.
Antigua and Barbuda
Wadadli, named after Antigua itself, serves as the national beer of Antigua. Presently, it is brewed by St Vincent Brewery, having formerly been produced by Antigua Brewery, which also held licenses for various international beers and soft drinks.[2]
Aruba
Aruba is home to Brouwerij Nacional Balashi, which crafts four beers inspired by the island’s cultural background. Their flagship product, Balashi, is an all-malt pilsner with a 5% alcohol content introduced in 1999. This beer received gold awards from Monde Selection in both 2001 and 2004. Another popular brew is Chill, a gluten-free pale lager at 5% ABV, launched in 2011 and known for its smooth drinkability. Additional varieties include HopiBon, a premium lager at 5% ABV brewed with German hops, and HopiStout, a Caribbean-style stout with a higher strength of 7.4% ABV.
Bahamas
Kalik beer, a golden lager containing 7% alcohol by volume, commands more than half of the beer market in the Bahamas.[3] It has achieved three consecutive Gold Medals from Monde Selection.[3] Commonwealth Brewing Ltd produces Kalik Light and Kalik Regular as lighter alternatives to the original Kalik.[4] In 2007, Freeport’s Sands Beer entered the scene with its signature lager "Sands," along with High Rock lager and Strong Back stout.[5]
Barbados
Banks Barbados Brewery operates in Barbados, producing Banks Beer, a pale lager, alongside Banks Amber Ale. The brewery also manufactures Tiger Malt, a malt-based non-alcoholic beverage.
In 2005, Banks DIH from Guyana merged with Banks Barbados to strengthen their international marketing reach.
10 Saints beer originates from Speightstown in St. Peter and undergoes a 90-day aging process in Mount Gay 'Special Reserve' Rum barrels. Since its launch in 2009, it has been distributed selectively across Caricom countries.
The Brew House microbrewery was established in Christ Church in 2014.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands Brewery was inaugurated in Grand Cayman in 2007 following an investment of $10 million.[6]
Cuba
Cuba’s principal beer brands primarily target tourists and resort visitors:Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag Bohemia Especial, La Benedicta, The One, and Quisqueya.
Grenada
Established in September 2014, West Indies Beer Company is a craft brewery located in L'Anse Aux Epines.
Haiti
Produced by Brasserie Nationale d'Haïti (BRANA) in Port-au-Prince, Prestige is an American-style lager that commands approximately 98% of the Haitian beer market. This brand is also available in selected areas of the United States.
Introduced shortly after BRANA's inception in 1976, Prestige earned gold medals for American-style lager at the World Beer Cup in both 2000 and 2012.
Jamaica
Red Stripe, an internationally renowned Jamaican pale lager, is brewed by Desnoes & Geddes, which also produces Red Stripe Light, Dragon Stout, and Malta, a non-alcoholic malt beverage.
Another pale lager commonly found within Jamaica is Kingston 62, also referred to as Kingston Beer.
Trouble's Brewing, a craft brewery founded in 2019, caters to Jamaica’s specialty beer market. As of September 2021, its portfolio includes five principal styles: Blonde Ale, IPA, Hefeweizen, Stout, and Pale Ale, along with seasonal releases such as Oktoberfest (Märzen). Owned by Craft Beer Company of Jamaica Ltd., it operates privately under a sole shareholder.
Puerto Rico
Old Harbor Brewery, once a fixture in Old San Juan until its closure in 2015, reopened in 2018 with a new facility and expansive tasting room situated in Carolina.
REBL Brewery (Radical Experimental Brewing Lab), a nano brewery based in Utuado, crafts distinctive brews including Kasiri IPA made with cassava.
Boquerón Brewing Company from Cabo Rojo offers a variety of beers like Boquerón Pale Ale, Blonde Ale, Crash Boat IPA, alongside seasonal IPAs such as Gas Chambers and Domes Caribbean Style IPA.
Located in Caguas, FOK (Fresh off the Keg) Brewing Company produces three flagship beers: FOK Red Ale (Irish Red Ale), FOK Blond Ale (Golden Ale), and FOK Coffee-Black IPA; since its inception, it has brewed at least fourteen varieties.
Ingeniero Microbrewery in Manatí markets five core brands: Porter Rican (an English Robust Porter infused with cocoa nibs and vanilla), Son of a Glitch (Pale Ale), Mother Hopper (Imperial/Double IPA), Tamarindia Amber Ale (an Irish-style Red Ale flavored with tamarind), plus seasonal Conuco brews.
Previously based in Manatí, Barlovento Brewing Company—known for its Galeón series including Galeón IPA and Galeón 90/-—was sold and transformed into Ocean Lab Brewing Co. located in Carolina.
The Aviator's Brewery runs a nano brewery in San Lorenzo featuring Gallo Negro red ale.
Dragon Stone Abbey in Río Grande produces several beers including Saphira (Saison), Drakko (American session IPA), and Black Diamond (Belgian-style Porter).
Bros Brewing Company, which previously contracted production through Ingeniero Microbrewery, is currently inactive; their "Discovery Series" paid homage to Christopher Columbus’s ships.
Boxlab Brewing Company from Aguadilla produces roughly 300 BBL annually with offerings like Mal de ojo IPA and Cocotero Toasted Coconut Milk Stout; the owners also manage The Beer Box bar.
Ocean Lab Brewing Co. maintains a large-scale production facility and taproom in Carolina and is among the largest craft breweries on the island.
ZURC Bräuhaus located in Coamo specializes in German-style beers and was the pioneer commercial producer of Berliner Weisse sour beer in Puerto Rico.
Señorial Brewing Corp. from Ponce creates beers inspired by regional history, including La Ceiba IPA and El Polvorín Smoked Porter.
Sothego Corp., formerly responsible for the Dacay Cerveza Artesanal brand in Guaynabo, has ceased operations.
Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico manufactures major commercial lagers such as Medalla Light and Silver Key; Medalla Light received an award at the 2005 Brussels Beer Challenge and remains Puerto Rico’s best-selling beer. In 2011, they introduced Magna, a premium beer offering.
Several local bars collaborate with established breweries to produce house beers; examples include Birriola’s Blonde Ale brewed by Señorial Brewing in Ponce and Saint-Turce Beer Co.'s Double IPA Tras Talleres produced by El Tap in San Juan.
Several emerging microbreweries are pursuing licensing permits, including Pura Vida Brewery (Cabo Rojo), Cold Blood Brewery (Quebradillas), Rincón Beer Company (Rincón), Reina Mora Brewing Co. (Sabana Grande), Cervecería del Callejón (San Juan), Amalgama Brewing, Gafas Locas Beer Co., and Cervezas Cielo Roto.
Saint Lucia
Piton is a Pilsner style beer produced by Windward & Leeward Brewing Limited, a subsidiary of Heineken.
Antillia Brewing Company stands out as Saint Lucia's acclaimed craft brewery, crafting a variety of traditional ales, stouts, and beers influenced by local flavors such as passion fruit and citrus. Their offerings also include brews aged in rum barrels and those infused with Bois Bandee. These beverages are available across the island in both draft and bottled formats, distributed to retailers and resorts alike. The brewery is based in Odsan and maintains a beer garden at the Duty Free Pointe Seraphine cruise terminal located in Castries.
Trinidad and Tobago
The Carib Brewery is responsible for producing Carib Beer, Stag Lager, Malta Carib, and Shandy Carib.
Tommy's Brewing Company, a microbrewery situated in Port of Spain, earned two Double Gold Medals at the 2019 European Beer Challenge held in London.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Located in Mustique, 32 Islands Brewery offers three distinct craft beers: Mustique Gold, a golden pale ale; Mustique Blues, created to celebrate the Mustique Blues Festival; and Mustique WIPA, a West Indian Pale Ale.
St. Vincent Brewery, Ltd. produces Hairoun beer, a golden lager named after the island itself. The company also bottles Guinness Foreign Extra Stout under license, alongside Vita Malt—a non-alcoholic malt beverage—and other non-alcoholic drinks.
United States Virgin Islands
By 2012, there were three operational breweries within the United States Virgin Islands.
List of beers and breweries
- Banks Barbados Brewery
- Belikin
- Brasserie Nationale d'Haïti
- Carib Brewery
- Cervecería Nacional Dominicana
- Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico
- Desnoes & Geddes
- Kalik
- Kingston 62
- Piton
See also
Further reading
External links
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ "Are you of Legal Drinking Age? | Cayman Islands Brewery". www.cib.ky.