Beers of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida Keys

 

I sipped an ice-cold Kalik beer after trekking through the hot, sweltering Caribbean pine and palmetto palm forest on the Bahamian out island of Abaco. It was in the late 1980’s, and I was helping the New York Zoological Society save the endangered Bahamian Parrot in the 20,000-acre parrot preserve that then Bahamian Prime Minister Lyden Pindling set aside in a historic conservation move.

At the day’s end, our team would sit around the outside patio bar of the Conch Inn Motel and Marina in Marsh Harbour, and sip on cold Kalik beers. It was then that I wrote the PENUMBRA DATABASE spy thriller, with many scenes of the parrot preserve, Marsh Harbour, the Conch Inn Marina, and places along the Great Abaco Highway, known as the “GAH”.

The Bahamas and Caribbean nations brew their beers in a unique way, distinctive to each island region. Each brews its own unique pale lager and an occasional stout.

In the Bahamas, Kalik beer, a golden lager, is the national beer, controlling over 50% of the beer market in the country. It was the winner of three consecutive Gold Medals from Monde Selection, and is also the stronger of most Caribbean lagers, at 7% ABV. It’s brewed by Commonwealth Brewing Ltd, which also makes Kalik Light and Kalik Regular, two lagers lighter than the original.

     In 2007, beer competition arose in the Bahamas! Sands Beer based out of Freeport; Grand Bahama entered the market with its signature Lager "Sands". It also launched beers called High Rock named after a town in Eastern Grand Bahama, and a dark stout called Strong Back.

     I have a favorite brewski that I ran into in the Dominican Republic. But first, the most popular brands include in DR are Presidente, Presidente Black and Presidente Light, Bohemia Especial, and La Benedicta. Presidente is the most chugged down of them all.

     But I ran into my favorite Dominican Republic beer when I was down there working on the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster series… the Santo Domingo Catalina beer. I even mention it a few times in the spy thriller MISSION OF VENGEANCE. Here’s a brief snippet:

Corey took swig from a bottle of Santo Domingo Catalina beer that filled half the refrigerator in the safe house. General Morrison liked to keep his agents contented. The slight touch of banana tasted good. “No one would argue with you. They assume the perfect cover, sailing the Caribbean on a fifty-foot yacht while masquerading as spoiled rich kids, scuba diving and partying everywhere they go. Who would imagine they move CBIF’s operational gear, weapons and undercover agents to wherever needed?”

     Everyone sat at the table alongside the Russian defector Bocharov. Cartwright, Chop-Chop, Steve Sweeney and Ashley Murray. They watched Corey as he went to the refrig and retrieve two Santo Domingo Catalina beers and place one in front of the double agent. “Here, you’re going to need this. Sorry I can’t offer you a Moscow Mule, but you’ll like the banana tang to it.”  End of snippet.

     If you travel to Jamaica, you’ll find that Red Stripe beer rules! It’s a pale lager and the brewery also produces Red Stripe Light, Dragon Stout and Malta, a non-alcoholic beverage. There is also Kingston 62, alternately Kingston Beer, which is a pale lager also sold on the island.

    Regardless of my personal taste and opinion, each Caribbean Island has a “highest rated beer” as measured by the unbiased “RateBeer” dot com site. Here is the highest-rated beer for each Caribbean Island:

·         Jamaica- Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

·         Bahamas- Pirate Republic Black Beer’d Stout

·         Barbados- Dreadhop Mahogany Bay Stout

·         Belize- Belikin Sorrel Stout

·         Bermuda- North Rock Black Anchor Porter

·         Bonaire- Bonaire Herfst Bok

·         British Virgin Islands- Cooper Island Turtle IPA

·         Cayman Islands- 345 Stout

·         Cuba- Puerto del Rey Negra

·         Curacao- Otrobanda IPA Curacao Beer

·         Dominican Republic- Republica Guibia (pale ale)

·         Puerto Rico- Ocean Lab Arroz Con Dulce (stout)

·         St. Kitts- Jolly Roger Red Sail (IPA- red)

·         St. Martin- Lost Blonde (blond ale/golden blond)

Back in the US of A, I like the Key West Waterfront Brewery. Its choices of craft beer are diverse. I also enjoy the full Caribbean fusion menu and, sometimes, I pretend I am back at the Conch Inn Marina on Abaco, Bahamas! I did just that last month when there while enjoying the view of the historic Key West Bight while sipping their Crazy Lady Honey Blond Ale and wolfing down their Bahamian Conch chowder.

Lastly, I think you will enjoy this unique YouTube video by Kenny, who hitchhikes to every brewery in the Florida Keys to see what their beers are all about, from beer in Islamorada to beer Key West. Florida Keys Breweries include Islamorada Brewery and Distillery, the Florida Keys Brewery, the Waterfront Brewery, and the First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery. Enjoy!

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community, and relishes traveling to the Florida Keys and Key West, the Bahamas and Caribbean. He combines both passions in his CoreyPearson- CIA Spymaster series. Check out his latest spy thriller: MISSION OFVENGEANCE.