Quick and Easy Guide to Bahamian Beers

But luckily for you, we’re always willing to share the island secrets to ensure you enjoy your stay with us just as much as we enjoy living in the most beautiful country in the world.

Relax, get your scrolling finger ready and get ready to fight the urge to binge on our delicious cuisine while sipping the best beers in the Caribbean. We must do this though, even for the culture – drink responsibly. Don’t drink and drive and always have a designated driver. We want you alive and healthy to relive this journey with us, over and over in The Bahamas.

Kalik

Cowbells are synonymous with Junkanoo, our national cultural celebration, so it only makes sense that one of the best Bahamian beers gets its name from the sounds that the cowbells make when they’re being shaken. Kalik prides itself on being the beer of The Bahamas and you’ll understand when you see their branding.

Kalik - Bahamas' popular lager style beer with distinct malt flavors. Medium to full bodied. Paired best with conch salad.
Kalik Gold - extra strong lager style beer containing 6-7% alcohol. A full-bodied beer with distinct roasted malt flavor. Paired best with crab and rice and cracked conch.
Kalik Light – Light, lager style beer. Very low in malt flavor with a light and dry body. Paired best with fried grouper dinner.
Kalik Light Platinum – Kalik’s version of a malt liquor style beer containing 6% alcohol. Light to medium bodied beer. Paired best with burgers.
Kalik Radler – Kalik’s version of a shandy, it’s the perfect blend of Kalik and fruit juices. Kalik Cranberry is paired best with conch fritters.

Pirate Republic Brewing Co.

Pirate’s prides themselves on being the only craft beer in The Bahamas, which has helped them stand out, over the years. Having been rated one of the best micro-breweries in the Caribbean, Pirate’s offers tasty local beers coupled with history lessons of the pirates in The Bahamas.

Island Pirate Ale – 5.2% ABV, 50 IBU - India Pale Ale. This is Pirate’s flagship IPA, their first ever creation, it’s brewed with caramel, wheat and aromatic malts and hopped with Cascade, Columbus, and 7C’s. The IPA is dominated with the robust flavors of pine; however, after opening, citrus and tropical fruit exist with a caramel backbone to round it out. Pairs best with bar bites (wings, nachos and pizza), spicy flavors and rich fatty meats.

Gold & Haze of Piracy - 4.6% ABV, 18 IBU - Belgian Whit (Wheat). This unfiltered brew contains yeast in suspension which is responsible for its hazy appearance. Clove, spice and orange peel create a delicious, citrusy and refreshing beer. Paired best with seafood with a squeeze of lime, vegetarian dishes and salads.

Captain Kidd’s Kölsch- 5.16% ABV, 15 IBU –Kölsch. Brewed with aromatic and caramel malts with a touch of Munich to add depth to this refreshing ale. Columbus hops and sweet yeast flavors provide the balance to this light, German – style hybrid. Paired best with spicy and rich items, seafood, salad and breakfast items.

Black Beer’d Stout - 6.9% ABV, 53 IBU – Stout. Chocolate malt, roasted barley and midnight wheat give this stout its rich coffee and dark chocolate notes. Rolled oats also provide a velvety smooth mouthfeel and rounded body. Columbus hops are added to balance these robust flavors. Paired best with chocolate dessert and grilled or BBQ meats.

Pirate Republic also brews seasonal craft beers such as the Coconut Porter and Citra Me Timbers.

Bahamian Brewery

Brewers of Sands Beer, Sands Light, Strong Back Stout, High Rock Lager and Bush Crack, the Bahamian Brewery prides itself on being the only all Bahamian Brewery stationed in The Bahamas. Its products are a true reflection of the special Bahamian water and the Bahamian brewing that makes its products absolutely superior, much like our sun, sea and “sands.”

Sands – 5.3% Alc/Vol. Full-bodied beer with a smooth, soft, pleasant texture and a presentation of classic gold color. One swig and you’ll taste the crisp, fine bitterness with robust flavors. Paired best with traditional meals including peas and rice, fried and grilled meats.

Sands Light – 4.2% Alc/Vol. Less full-bodied beer and less alcohol, the Sands Light carries the gold color with a pleasant crisp and clean taste. Paired best with fish/seafood dishes.

Sands Pink Radler – 2.3% Alc/Vol. The Pink Radler is like a shandy, it’s a 50/50 mixture of natural grapefruit juice and the Sands beer. It is light, fruity and refreshing. Paired best with spicy foods and citrus foods such as conch salad.

High Rock Lager – 5.6 Alc/Vol. A complete full-bodied beer brewed using the German “Purity” law, malt, water, hops and yeast, it goes down easy with no aftertaste. A lager beer with a longer method of maturation gives it the wholesome flavor and body, similar to a European beer. Paired best with any Bahamian dish.

Strong Back Stout – 7.7% Alc/Vol. A smooth high alcohol content stout beer. Brewed with roasted barley, special fermentation and powerful yeast that is cold filtered. With a robust thickness, it’s easy to taste all flavors with one swig. Paired best with stew fish and stew conch

Bush Crack – 5.9% Alcl/Vol. A light lager brewed to perfection with a higher alcohol content than most light beers. Paired best with any Bahamian Dish.

Special thanks to Bahamian beer connoisseur, Jerome Smith and Pirate Republic for the insight on Bahamian Beers.

Let us know which Bahamian beer is your favorite!