Craft beer in the Caribbean:
Hunting local brews under the palm trees
Craft beer in the Caribbean: Hunting local brews under the palm trees
White sands, turquoise sea, swaying palms, tropical forests, vibrant coral reefs, and the dazzling sun overhead – who hasn’t dreamed of a getaway to the Caribbean? For many, the first thing that springs to mind is a short vacation on a cruise ship but many Caribbean islands are also perfect for independent travelers! Longer stays on individual islands offer the chance to dive deeper into all the local culture, including, of course, the beer culture. Last winter, we made a tour across three Caribbean islands, hunting local beers in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands.
The Dominican Republic: Presidente is king, but craft beer is bubbling under
In a tropical climate, the best thirst quencher is naturally beer, and the Dominicans consume a fair amount of it! The country’s “national beer” is Presidente, a 5% Pilsner available in virtually every store, kiosk, and bar. This decent bulk lager is brewed by Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, owned by Brazilian AmBev (Companhia de Bebidas das Américas), that is part of InBev. The most authentic way to enjoy a Presidente? Grab a large glass bottle from a colmado (a small corner shop that doubles as a local pub) and sip it from a plastic cup while relaxing on a plastic chair (with a Presidente logo) right outside the shop. But you can of course take it with you to the beach too!
Beyond the bulk: Craft beer in the Dominican Republic
Although the majority of locals have never heard of microbreweries or artisan beer, and would never give up Presidente, the Dominican Republic’s craft beer culture is on the rise and there is plenty of choice in the largest cities.
La Cacata Brewing creates artisan beers in Santo Domingo
While Presidente is a must have when traveling in the Dominican Republic, you fortunately don’t have to stick to just macro-brews, as the DR is home to a growing number of microbreweries. We visited La Cacata Brewing Company in Santo Domingo and chatted with the crew to learn about their take on craft brewing and the local beer scene overall.
La Cacata was founded by a small group of beer-loving friends, who wanted to introduce something new to the market, in 2018. They started small, experimenting with different styles and developing recipes. In 2020, they got international funding and wider shoulders, allowing them to open a modern brewery with a 15 hectoliter brewhouse, and an adjacent taproom, in Santo Domingo. The name of the brewery, La Cacata, means tarantella, and the tarantella theme is visible also in the logo and for example the tasting plates of the brewery.
The market in the Dominican Republic is tough; importing raw materials is expensice, income levels are modest and awareness of craft beer is still low among the locals. La Cacata and other small breweries are determined to spread the word of better beer and different beer styles, and luckily more and more expats and tourists are interested in local craft beer.
During our visit to Cacata Brewing Company, we sampled a wide range of La Cacata beers, from an easy-drinking Kölsch-style beer to a pleasantly bitter American IPA and a strong, malty Barleywine. Furthermore, we tasted their refreshing Radler, a passion fruit-infused Wheat Beer, a German-style Festbier, and a tasty Brown Ale with cacao. The best place to taste La Cacata beers super fresh is of course the brewery taproom, but you can find them also in beer bars elsewhere in Santo Domingo, and also in supermarkets.
Other breweries and craft spots to check out in the DR
Cervecería Punta Cana, located in the popular resort town of Punta Cana is possibly the best known small brewery of the DR. This microbrewery brews easy, widely available beers under the label Cerveza Canita and more bold special brews, that are available in the brewery taproom in Punta Cana.
North Coast Brewers is a tiny brewery located in Sosúa, on the north coast of the island (as the name implies). We paid a short visit to the brewery taproom La Cerveceria, and while all their beers weren’t super impressive, we liked the La Barba Negra Oatmeal Milk Stout.
Should you travel to Santiago de los Caballeros, bear in mind that this city in the northern part of the island is home to several microbreweries, and there is even a yearly craft beer festival with Oktoberfest theme! Check out at least Cibao Brewing brewpub – we didn’t taste any of their beers, but they do brew a rather wide range of craft beers and are often mentioned as the best rated microbrewery from the DR – and Gallo Pelón microbrewery and brewpub. Also from Santiago is Cervecería Estrella microbrewery, whose products can be found in bigger supermarkets too. We tasted their nicely bitter and fruity La Pampara Hazy IPA, not the best example of the style, but hoppy and refreshing nevertheless.
Looking for venues to taste craft beer in Santo Domingo? In the vibrant capital city of the Dominican Republic, you can find several taprooms and pubs serving local and international craft beers. Check out at least Cultura Cervecera, Cervecería Proost taproom, Bierblioteka, Birrosa Craft Bar, BierGarden bar and the Republica Brewing taprooms.
Craft beer in Jamaica: Clubhouse Brewery
When it comes to more modern beer styles and “the real beer feel”, Jamaica’s selection is not extensive. In fact there is only one actively operating microbrewery, the Clubhouse Brewery. We headed to this small brewery in the colorful capital city Kingston, to find out what’s going on in the beer scene of Jamaica.
The Clubhouse Brewery was founded in 2020 by beer industry veteran Cedric Blair, who returned to Jamaica after years in the US, with an aim to bring good-quality local craft beer to the market. He set up a modern brewery in a bit unusual venue, the former clubhouse of the historic Constant Spring Golf Club. Right next to the production area, there is a cozy taproom restaurant, perfect for tasting Clubhouse beers super fresh. The target audience of Clubhouse are expats, diplomats, business travelers and upper-mid-class Jamaicans who travel and have learned to appreciate quality craft beer.
Clubhouse’s first beer, the Fairway Finder American IPA, was launched in 2021. Overall the focus is mostly on various IPA styles, but they also offer for example Hefeweizen, Tropical Stout, Sorrel Beer and Coffee Porter. Our favorite was the richly hopped, signature Clubhouse IPA. Until late 2024 the beers were only available on tap, but nowadays there is also a canning machine, making Clubhouse beers available in major supermarket chains across the island. For those visiting Jamaica on a cruise ship, there is a second taproom at the Falmouth cruise port.
Island hopping for local beers in paradise in the Virgin Islands
On the Virgin Islands, craft beer is a better known concept than on most of the Caribbean islands, but that doesn’t mean that there are a lot of local microbreweries. We found out that there have been microbreweries on the main island Tortola in the past, but the only currently operating one seems to be Cooper Island Microbrewery, located at the beautiful Cooper Island Beach Club. Their most popular beer, the Turtle IPA (launched in 2017), also serves a great cause: the brewery donates one euro from every pint sold to sea turtle conservation.
We didn’t make it to Cooper Island, but on Virgin Gorda, we shared a can of Island Hoppin’ IPA brewed in the neighboring U.S. Virgin Islands by St. John Brewers. This nicely bitter American IPA was a tasty thirst-quencher on a hot Caribbean day! The U.S. Virgin Islands are only a short ferry trip of flight away, and quite some craft beer comes to BVI from there. In addition to St. John Brewers there is at least one other active microbrewery, the Brew STX on St. Croix island.
Craft beer elsewhere in the Caribbean
Our tour in the Caribbean was limited to exploring the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the BVI, but let’s not forget the rest of the islands! The craft beer hub of the Caribbean probably is Puerto Rico, where the craft beer culture arrived relatively early. This tropical island, part of the US, now boasts numerous breweries and taprooms. Many smaller Caribbean islands also have at least one local brewery, proving the Caribbean craft scene is expanding – check our for example Dreadhop Brewing on Barbados, 2 Six 8 Craft Brewery on Antigua and Fireson Brewing Company on Aruba.
We hope that this article is useful when you decide to book that cruise or flight to explore the Caribbean! When it comes to drinks, this tropical paradise may still be best known for rum, but there is quite a lot to offer for craft beer enthusiast too, and as always, we encourage to try the local options to support the culture!
About Craft Beer Nomads
Craft Beer Nomads is a blog about artisan beer, microbreweries and craft beer culture in Europe and beyond. The blog is written by FinnsAway, a nomad couple who has been on the road since 2017, and enjoys tasting new craft beers all around the world.
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