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animal
07-02-2011, 01:21 AM
Cuban Beer Returns to the Shores of Miami (http://www.beer-universe.com/beer-education-article/2011-06-24/Cuban-Beer-Returns-to-the-Shores-of-Miami/)
By Blake Potolicchio | June 24, 2011 | 0 Comments

The past week, Bacardi U.S.A. announced that it will bring back a beer called HATUEY. HATUEY, named after a 16th century Indian chief, is a beer that was originally brewed in Santiago de Cuba in 1927.

Bacardi announced that they will bring this beer back to Southern Florida, targeting Miami, this summer.

“We’re excited to bring back to this community a premium beer with so much history and tradition,” said Anler Morejón, project manager, Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. “Our new HATUEY micro-brewed ale follows the traditional craft beer brewing technique and is now brewed in smaller batches, in a family-owned, independent brewery, making for a perfect tasting beer with a great legacy,” Morejón added.

This isn’t the first comeback of the beer though. Bacardi brought this beer back in 1995 as a pale lager, which was a lighter version than the current release. When the company stopped production a year and a half ago, it was selling 15,000 cases a year.

The new beer though will be -brewed as a small-batch, premium golden-colored ale at Thomas Creek Brewery in Greenville, S.C. According to the brewery, the new HATUEY Cuban Style Ale is made with malted barley, hops, yeast and water following traditional small-batch brewing techniques with fewer than 800 cases produced per batch.

It is double filtered for optimal quality and has a golden, straw color and an airy mouth feel that finishes with a cool and crisp effect. The sweet malt combined with just enough hops adds character to the refreshing, light-bodied beer best served in a classic pilsner flute or a handled glass stein.

HATUEY beer, named after the Indian Chief Hatuey who led the Taino tribe resistance in the 16th century, captured Cuba’s essence and became the country’s most popular beer, selling 12 million cases in 1959. The enormous success of HATUEY can be credited to a fantastic beer combined with innovative marketing techniques for the era. When first introduced in 1927, with modern refrigerators not yet available, every case came with free block if ice to ensure consumers could enjoy a great tasting ice cold beer.

“There is tremendous legacy associated with HATUEY and Bacardi is proud to introduce a premium beer that is authentic to the brand’s history,” said Patricia Suau, company archivist.

We’re excited to taste some authentic Cuban beer, and make our ways down to Miami.

Your Choice. Your Beer. Drink Up.
- Beer Universe

mannye
08-14-2011, 12:59 AM
Hadn't Bacardi done the Hatuey thing already? I never tried it, but if anyhone is going to get a Cuban beer right, it's going to be the guys at Bacardi. This time around I'll give it a try.

jesskidden
08-14-2011, 06:59 AM
Hadn't Bacardi done the Hatuey thing already?

Yeah, a number of times (and contract breweries) since the 1990's. The first batches were out Stroh breweries in NC and FL, later it moved to the Puerto Rican brewery then known as Cervecería India and then to City in La Crosse, WI.

This version doesn't even attempt to claim it's the original lager beer recipe - it's just the same brand name.

mannye
08-20-2011, 12:47 AM
I guess any light American-style lager would suit the hot humid tropical climate of Miami. It would be nice to have something to add to Corona and the various Thai beers that fill that niche.

Course, if I want a light American-style summer beach beer I'll brew my own. I see that as training beer for the first time brewer because it's so easy to get right. I like that it's also an advanced beer in that it's hard to add complexity while still keeping that "chugability" (I just made up a word)!