ISLAND ALES

CAYMAN ISLANDS BREWERY Grand Cayman Several of the brews crafted by Cayman Islands Brewery have won awards internationally . Among them are the Ironshore Bock, a medium-bodied malty beer with hints of brown sugar and caramel that give it a sweet finish, and the Caybrew, a lighter beer with a spicy herbaceousness. ▶ cib.ky CARIBBEAN | CRAFT BEERS

Craft beers stay true to the Caribbean vibe

By Kae Lani Palmisano

T

HE CRAFT BEER BOOM isn’t just happening in the United States. Caribbean brewmasters have also been perfecting their beers, opening small breweries throughout the islands. Here are some excellent craft breweries that prove now is the best time for Caribbean beers:

CAYMAN ISLANDS BREWERY

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TERRI BROWN

FRENCHTOWN BREWING St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Currently, Frenchtown Brewing is the only production brewery on the island of St. Thomas. Its bestseller is the Hop Alley IPA, but beer lovers should also try the Frenchie Farmhouse Saison, a Belgian-style ale with a hint of spice, making it the perfect warm-weather beer. ▶ frenchtownbrewing.com

WEST INDIES BEER COMPANY Grenada No matter what time of year you visit, there are specialty small-batch brews to try. In addition to a rotating menu of seasonal and experimental beers, there are 16 different varieties on tap year-round. The flagship beer is the Windward IPA brewed with citrus hops. ▶ westindiesbeer.com/index.html

FIRESON BREWING Aruba Fireson Brewing is Aruba’s first craft beer brewery and bar. It features a rotating lineup of ales, IPAs and stouts, in addition to its Belgium Saison and Kolsch. ▶ firesonbrewing.com

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CARIBBEAN | CRAFT BEERS

32 ISLANDS BREWERY Mustique Island, St. Vincent & The Grenadines Every 32 Islands beer is made using natural ingredients and the local Vincentian water. Mustique WIPA (West Indies Pale Ale) is one of its featured beers and draws on the history of Indian Pale Ales with a bit of West Indies influence. ▶ 32islandsbrewery.com

PELIKAAN BREWERY St. Maarten It took Nicolas Carlini and Stephen Winkel about four years to get their microbrewery up and running, two of which were spent formulating their recipes. The coconut porter, the Mont Careta, and the mango blond, the Soualiga, are both island-inspired. Two bestsellers are Irma, a strong IPA, and the Mullet Bay, another blond beer that’s a bit smoother. ▶ pelikaanbrewery. com PELIKAAN BREWERY 10 SAINTS BREWING Barbados For nearly a decade, 10 Saints Brewing has been developing premium craft beers and aging them in rum casks for that uniquely Caribbean flavor. Mount Gay, which is the world’s oldest rum distillery, provides 10 rum casks, which helps achieve a refresh

EXPORT SAINT LUCIA

ANTILLIA BREWING COMPANY St. Lucia The beers from Antillia Brewing Company capture the essence and flavors of Ale is a refreshing drink made from local fruits. In celebration of the Caribbean’s history with rum, the Admirable Rum Cask IPA is aged in a cask that used to hold Admiral Rodney XO rum from the nearby Saint Lucia Distillers. ▶ antilliabrewingcompany. restaurantwebexperts.com Saints Brewing with its Special Reserve

the Caribbean. Passion Fruit ing lager with nuances of oak and rum. ▶ 10saints.com

BOQUERÓN BREWING CO. Puerto Rico Naming its beers after landmarks across the island, such as El Moro Imperial Porter, El Yunque Pale Ale and La Perla Pils, Boquerón Brewing captures these special places in every batch. First-timers should try those and the brewery’s flagship beers, the Boquerón Blonde and the Crash Boat IPA. ▶ boqueronbrewingco.com

CHAD ZELLNER

PIRATE REPUBLIC BREWING COMPANY Nassau, Bahamas Given that Nassau was at the heart of the golden age of piracy from the 1650s to 1726 , it’s only fitting that this brewery celebrates the island’s pirate history. Beer labels sport famous names like Long John Pilsner and Black Beer’d Stout. ▶ piraterepublicbahamas.com

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