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Despite competing with delicious classic rum cocktails such as the mojito and the daiquiri, in Cuba beer is one of the most popular drinks among the island’s locals.
In bars and nightclubs beer accounts for most of the sales, thanks to how refreshing it is in a very hot climate, and there are several brands, each with its own character.
The beer brewed in Cuba today comes mainly from the Cervecería Bucanero in Holguín and from Cervecería Cubana in Mariel. Cristal is the most popular, and La Tropical, founded in Havana in 1888, is the oldest brand.
What Are the 10 Best Beers in Cuba?
1. La Tropical Beer
La Tropical is the oldest beer brand in Cuba, founded in 1888 in Havana on the banks of the Almendares River, when Cubans began to brew their own beer to avoid high import duties. The brewery passed to the State in 1960, when Cuban companies were nationalized.
Although La Tropical was at first a beer of limited quality, it gradually established itself and brought in professional brewmasters who kept improving the recipe and the final product.
Today it is a historic brand in Cuba. Since 2021 it has been brewed at its own brewery in Wynwood, Miami, a project driven by Cuban American entrepreneur Manny Portuondo with Heineken, which now owns the brand, according to the EFE agency as reported by OnCuba News.
2. Cristal Beer
“The Cubans’ favorite” says its slogan, and the truth is that for more than 7 decades this beer has won over the islanders with its smooth flavor and low alcohol content of just 4.9% ABV.
It is paler than the others and is brewed in Cuba today at the Cervecería Bucanero S.A. plant in Holguín, which also makes Bucanero, Mayabe and Cacique.
3. Bucanero Beer
Bucanero is a pale lager stronger than Cristal, at 5.4% ABV. It is brewed in Cuba today at the same Holguín plant.
Bucanero also has a version called Bucanero Max, more aromatic and with bitter notes, that reaches 6.5% ABV.
4. Mayabe Beer
Mayabe takes its name from a valley in eastern Cuba, near Holguín. It is brewed in Cuba today at the Bucanero plant.
It is a light golden lager, very light in body, with only 4% ABV.
5. Tínima Beer
Tínima is brewed in Cuba today in Camagüey and has a reputation as one of the strongest beers on the island. It no longer reaches the 8% once attributed to it, as it is now sold as Tínima Fuerte, at 6.5%, and Tínima Clara, at 5.3%.
6. Cacique Beer
Another of the island’s natural pale beers, it is one of the newest on the Cuban market and has won fans since its very beginnings. Its makers highlight how fresh it tastes and how easy it is to drink.
It is brewed in Cuba today at the Bucanero plant in Holguín.
7. Manacas Beer
Manacas is brewed in Cuba today in the town of the same name, in the municipality of Santo Domingo in Villa Clara province. Its flavor is credited to the water from the local springs.
8. Polar Beer
Polar was one of the best-known pale beers in Cuba, prized for its smoothness and freshness. Today it is a historic brand, because it is no longer brewed and its old brewery lies in ruins.
9. Hatuey Beer
Hatuey was born in 1927 in Santiago de Cuba, created by the Compañía Ron Bacardí, and was very popular in the 1950s. It is said to have been one of the favorites of American writer Ernest Hemingway.
Today it is a historic brand in Cuba, because it stopped being brewed on the island after the 1960 nationalization. Bacardí kept producing it in the United States, where it relaunched it in 2011 as a Cuban-style pale ale.
10. Parranda Beer
Parranda is the newest on the list and is brewed in Cuba today in the Mariel Special Development Zone. It is made by Cervecería Cubana, a joint venture between the state-owned Cuba Ron and the Spanish subsidiary of Royal Swinkels, the Dutch group that owns Bavaria.
It is a 4.8% pale lager that went on sale in July 2023 in 500 ml and 1.5 liter plastic bottles, according to OnCuba News. Anyone who returns the bottle for recycling gets 10 cents back.
Who Brews the Beer in Cuba?
The Cervecería Bucanero in Holguín makes eight products, including Cristal, Bucanero, Mayabe and Cacique. According to Prensa Latina, its goal is to exceed 1.8 million hectoliters a year before 2032.
Cervecería Cubana brews Parranda in Mariel, and smaller breweries produce regional brands such as Tínima in Camagüey and Manacas in Villa Clara. In recent years Cristal and Bucanero have been scarce in the country’s shops because of a lack of raw materials, especially cans.
This list no longer includes Malta, an unfermented, alcohol-free barley drink that Cubans drink over ice or with condensed milk. It is not a beer, although many call it beer for kids.
To go with them without leaving the island, try one of these rum cocktail recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What Is the Most Popular Beer in Cuba?
Cristal, whose slogan is “The Cubans’ favorite”. It is a smooth 4.9% pale lager brewed at the Cervecería Bucanero plant in Holguín.
2. What Is the Oldest Beer in Cuba?
La Tropical, founded in Havana in 1888. The brewery was nationalized in 1960, and since 2021 the brand has been brewed in Miami, at a Wynwood brewery linked to Heineken.
3. Which Cuban Beer Has the Most Alcohol?
Among those brewed in Cuba today, the strongest are Bucanero Max and Tínima Fuerte, both at 6.5%. Tínima once had a reputation for exceeding 8%, but its current versions do not reach that strength.
4. Does Hatuey Beer Still Exist?
Yes, though not in Cuba. It was created by the Compañía Ron Bacardí in Santiago de Cuba in 1927, stopped being brewed on the island after the 1960 nationalization, and Bacardí produces it in the United States.
5. Is Cuban Malta a Beer?
No. Malta is an unfermented, alcohol-free barley drink that Cubans drink over ice or mixed with condensed milk. That is why this list replaced it with Parranda, a lager from Cervecería Cubana.
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