Words by Steve Bennett/Uncommon Caribbean, Photos Courtesy Steve Bennett/SBPR—
Our friends over at travel website Uncommon Caribbean are always putting us on to undiscovered gems and out-of-the-way corners. Their weekly drinks series, Friday Happy Hour is a great way to stay up to date with the islands’ liquid culture. So, for our long overdue rundown of the region’s best beers, we enlisted Uncommon’s Steve Bennett as guest curator, knowing he’d pull not just from the staples, but highlight new finds and diamonds in the rough as well. Pop open a bottle, pour yourself a glass, and get your weekend started early with LargeUp and Uncommon Caribbean’s guide to the best Caribbean beers.
Beer is generally not among the considerations travelers think about when choosing a Caribbean destination to check out. Our sunny shores are worlds away from the better-known beer havens in Germany, Belgium, Ireland and Amsterdam. At the same time, most beer pundits think our suds are shit.
I beg to differ.
It’s true that the majority of Caribbean beers carry a similar light-blonde color and light-refreshing taste, the better to quench thirsts throughout our blessedly blistering days. The similarities draw yawns from most beer lovers, but in recent years, a number of new brews have burst on the scene, adding some nice variety to the region’s beer offerings.
From The Bahamas and Jamaica, on down to Trinidad, Barbados and everywhere in-between, Caribbean beers are blossoming like never before. Here are 10 of my current favorites…