Barena

Barena, introduced in 2004, is a product of the Honduran Brewery of San Pedro Sula, a brewing company that traces its history back to 1898. In 2001, the company became a subsidiary of SABMiller.

With a focus on light and mild sweetness, with very low hop bitterness, Barena, at 4.5% alcohol and 138 calories, certainly fits the tropical region. Sold in large and smaller bottles, as well as in cans, Barena can be found in certain American shops, generally those catering to Central American populations, especially of the Honduran immigrant group.

The company describes Barena this way- "Barena has a moderate alcohol content, sensitive body and a refined and characteristic type of bitterness in which no ingredient dominates the others. The malt sweetness, hop bitterness, flavour and aroma are very light, while fruity esters are low."

I have tried the beer and suggest a sampling. Barena should pair well with beef and bean dishes. Also, mild cheeses should be a nice compliment.

 http://www.sabmiller.com/brands/brand-explorer/barena---honduras

Famosa (Gallo) of Guatemala

Famosa beer (Gallo in its home country) is a beer introduced in Guatemala in 1896. The flagship beer of Cervecería Centro Americana Sociedad Anónima, founded by the Córdova family in Guatemala City, it is found in some retail outlets in the USA (bottles and cans). Most shops where it is sold cater to Central American immigrant populations.

At 5% alcohol, this mild and mellow American-style pale lager should appeal to many regular beer drinkers and should pair well with Meso-American dishes. It does receive major television and radio advertising attention in Guatemala, but only limited point-of-sale promotion in the United States of America.

I have sampled this beer, from both the can and bottle, and can attest to its smooth flavor. The drinker will find that Gallo (Famosa) is more alike than unlike other mass-produced American beers. A sampling is recommended.

 http://www.cerveceriacentroamericana.com/cervezas/

RJT

Prestige

Prestige is the number one beer of Haiti, and it was the first beer produced in that country, beginning in 1976.

The founder of Brasserie Nationale d'Haiti (BRANA), Michael Madsen of Haiti, began construction of the brewery in 1973, and launched the beer in 1976. Madsen received training from the Heineken company and Heineken was contracted with for quality control advice and supervision. In 1988, Heineken acquired 22.5% of the company and obtained 95% of the stock in 2011.

Aside from Prestige lager beer, BRANA also produces Heineken, Desparados (tequila-flavored beer), and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.

Coming in at 5.6% alcohol, Prestige is a strong lager, with a bold flavor. It has won two gold medals in the American-style lager category at the World Beer Cup (2000 & 2012). Availability in the United States is mainly in the Miami, Florida area. It is sold in 12-oz. cans and in 12-oz. and 50 CL bottles.

 http://www.branahaiti.com/our-products/

RJT

The Guinness variant brewed in Haiti (7.5% alcohol).

Presidente

Presidente (President) is a 5% adjunct lager and a product of (mainly) the Dominican Republic.

Cervecería Nacional Dominicana was founded in 1929 in the Dominican Republic by American investors and named in honor of the dictatorial president, Trujillo. A popular beer, it was reformulated in the 1960s, transitioning from a dark lager into the present, golden lager, in order to appeal to a wider audience. Presidente is the most popular beer brand in the Antilles, Central America, and its home country. It is sold in a large number of American states, east of the Mississippi River. One will find it on draft, in 12-oz. and 24-oz. green bottles and in cans.

After being acquired by Anheuser-Busch/InBev in 2012, it's availability and advertising outreach was greatly expanded. Interestingly, the local company, Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, also distributes Miller brands in the Dominican Republic.

Presidente Light was introduced in 2007.

Presidente is described by the company as follows- "Presidente Beer brings you the true essence of the Caribbean! Nothing else can compare to its refreshing, smooth and lively taste. That’s why every sip becomes a celebration!" This writer can attest to its smooth, mellow flavor and its high drinkability. A sampling is recommended.

http://tapintoyourbeer.com/index.cfm?id=131

http://www.presidente-beer.com/taste/presidente

Red Stripe

Red Stripe is a world-famous lager, developed by Desnoes & Geddes of Jamaica, starting in 1928. At that time, Jamaica was a British colony, and the owners were British residents of the island country. According to the current owners, Diageo, who purchased D&G in 1993, Red Stripe lager was originally a much different beer, "heavy and dark- more like an ale". At some point, the beer was reformulated to its present, yellow-straw-golden presentation and light body.

Produced in Kingston, Jamaica, Red Stripe has been contract-brewed in Pennsylvania for the US market since 2012, and those labels will state, "Jamaican-style Lager" rather than the typical "Jamaican Lager" description. There is also a Red Stripe Light available for the light lager drinkers.

The consumer will find Red Stripe Lager in 11.2-oz. bottles, 24-oz. bottles, and 16-oz. cans. I was unable to ascertain the availability of a draft Red Stripe, at the time of this writing.

Having sampled Red Stripe and Red Stripe Light, this writer can attest to its light, bready, and highly drinkable character and, thus, its mass appeal. A sampling is suggested.

http://www.diageo.com/en-row/ourbrands/categories/Pages/Beers.aspx#stripe

Banks Caribbean Lager

Banks Beer (Caribbean Lager) was introduced in 1955 by Banks DIH, Ltd. of then British Guyana, now a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. Brewing was expanded in 1961 when a sister brewery was opened in the British colony of Barbados (actually in the Atlantic Ocean), now an independent Commonwealth Realm. This beer, sold in cans, bottles, and on draft, is widely available in the British West Indies, and in some limited areas of the southern United States of America, especially in areas with a strong Anglo Caribbean-heritage population, like Miami, Florida.

Coming in a 4.5% alcohol, Banks beer is more alike than unlike other mass-produced American-style lagers, but with a large and loyal "island lifestyle" following, this beer is distinguished more by image that objective taste or aroma differentials, a commonality in the mass-produced and craft beer segments, in fact.

This writer has sampled Banks Caribbean Lager, and can testify to its crisp, mellow, and enjoyable flavor and its high drinkability. A sampling is strongly recommended.

http://www.banksdih.com/?q=showcase/beer&id=1435861619

http://www.banksbeer.com/ourbeer

Kalik

In 1988, Heineken International along with partners in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, established the Kalik lager brand, produced at the new Commonwealth Brewery, Ltd. (CBL) brewery, opened on the capital island of New Providence. This brand has become the most notable and best-selling Bahamian beer brand, and it is often sought after by tourists to the country. 

At 5% alcohol, Kalik is a full-bodied, premium beer sold in bottles, cans, and on draft. It is exported to select American outlets.

The name of the beer comes from the odd sound made by cowbells used in Bahamian celebrations.

This writer has sampled Kalik (from the clear bottle) and can attest to it's high drinkability, pleasant smoothness, and wide appeal.

Batch 19

Batch 19, from Molson-Coors, was introduced in c. 2009 as an attempt to reformulate a pre-prohibition lager beer, possibly similar to the old Coors Gold Beer.

Sold in bottles and on draft, this beer enjoyed an initial rush of television, radio, and print advertising attention, but this soon died off, and the beer presently sets on the shelf, left to fend for itself. As of 2015, sales seem to be minimal.

Batch 19 is as follows (from the website):

Appearance: A deep golden color that’s naturally filtered and unpasteurized; capped with a full, white head.
Aroma: Biscuity malt aroma with herbal notes from the Hersbrucker hops and black currant notes from the Strisselspalt hops.
Taste: Bold, hoppy taste that’s balanced by a subtle caramel maltiness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium-bodied lager with a moderate carbonation.
Finish: Crisp, clean finish with a lingering hop taste that gradually fades.
IBUs: 26
ABV: 5.5%
Food Match: The caramel malt character and herbal notes go great with any two- or four-legged animal that’s been roasted, braised, smoked, pan-fried, or charred. It goes especially well with bacon and strong cheese.

There is a back-story for this beer, which talks about how an old, filed recipe was recovered in 2004, but one wonders how much of the story has been embellished.

This writer has sampled Batch 19 on multiple occasions and can attest to the beer's wonderful flavor and high-quality production. A sampling is strongly recommended, as this brand may not be long for this world.

RJT

 http://www.batch19.com/

Moosehead Lager

Moosehead Lager is the flagship beer of the Moosehead Brewery of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. Sold worldwide, this lager is appreciated for it's crisp, clean, and refreshing aspects.

The Moosehead Brewery, formerly Army and Navy Brewery, was established in New Brunswick in 1867, the same year as Canada was created as a united country. Family owned, Moosehead produces a wide range of beers, although, one will mainly see the lager in America, and typically in the 12-oz., green bottles. Rated at 5% alcohol, this beer comes it at the same strength level as Budweiser or Coors Banquet.  It is rather common, so the consumer should be able to easily locate the beer in most major beer outlets and in many restaurants and taverns.

This writer has sampled Moosehead Lager many times and always appreciates its exceptional smoothness.

http://moosehead.ca/product-line/

Budweiser Black Crown

At 6% alcohol, Budweiser Black Crown, (Budweiser Crown, in Canada), has been part of the Budweiser family of beers since Jan. 21, 2013. But, this beer's roots go back further in time.

Black Crown was actually the winning beer of the 2012 Budweiser Project Twelve experimental series and was originally known as Batch No. 91406 (named after a Los Angeles zip code). The head brewmaster at the Los Angeles brewery, Bryan Sullivan, lead the development team for this winning beer. After choosing this recipe, Anheuser-Busch (a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch/InBev) spent a fair amount of time and money to brand, package, and roll out the Black Crown, to much fanfare. This beer's success is questionable, however, and it remains to be seen if it will remain on the market, long term.

Available in 12-oz. and 24-oz bottles, cans of various sizes, and on draft, this beer is an attempt by Anheuser-Busch to re-present and re-image malt liquors, as their Hurricane and King Cobra malt liquor brands are seen, incorrectly, as low-grade offerings, from the company. The original Budweiser malt liquor, Budweiser Malt Liquor, of the 1970s, was an all-malt beer (with no rice or corn adjuncts) and was presented as a higher-level or more polished extra-strong beer, and in its heyday enjoyed strong advertising attention. Although Black Crown television and radio commercials are now rarely seen, one will still encounter a fair amount of point-of-sale materials at beer outlets.

Brewed with a blend of two-row barley malt, four types of American hops, and rice, Black Crown, like all of the Budweiser family, is aged on beechwood chips.

Drinkers looking for an extra-strong beer, with the renowned Budweiser quality assurance, may find Budweiser Black Crown to be a good malt liquor option.

Genesee Ice

Genesee Ice was introduced by the Genesee Brewing Company, today a subsidiary of Costa Rica's Florida Ice & Farm company, in 1993. Brewed at the Rochester, New York brewery, "Genny Ice" comes in at 5.5% alcohol, the same as Icehouse (by Miller), the original American ice beer. Genesee Ice is sold mainly in the northeastern U.S.A., typically in 12-packs of 12-oz. cans and single-sale 24-oz. cans. Bottles are also available in select locations.

I have sampled Genesee Ice on a few occasions and find that it can hold its own against other mass-produced ice lagers.

As with all Genesee brand beers, Genesee Ice receives no major television or advertising attention, although some point-of-sale promotional activity may occur.

"When you're looking for a rich, full-flavored beer, Genesee Ice is the perfect beer for you. Our brewmasters begin with only the purest natural ingredients. Then, ice crystals form in the beer during its aging process before it's filtered for the rich flavor Genesee Ice is known for."

 http://www.geneseebeer.com/beer/genesee-ice//

Genesee Cream Ale

Genesee Cream Ale (Genny Cream Ale) was introduced in 1960 by the Genesee Brewing Company of Rochester New York. This ale-lager hybrid, has a creamy aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel, yet the smoothness of a lager. It is sold in selected American markets, mainly in the eastern states. One can find it in bottles and cans of various sizes and configurations.

Genny Cream Ale is 5.2% alcohol and has 12 international bitterness units. It falls in a range that is slightly stronger than a regular lager beer, yet somewhat weaker in alcohol than an American malt liquor. This beer is typically priced at the "below premium" level and is marketed towards working class consumers. It arrived in Louisiana in November of 2014.

Winning multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, Genesee Cream Ale rates among the highest of the mass-produced, American adjunct beers. I have tried it on a few occasions and can give it an unqualified positive endorsement.

Genesee beers receive no nationwide television or radio advertising attention and must market themselves from the store shelves.

Genesee Brewing Company is currently part of North American Beverages, owned by Florida Ice and Farm of Costa Rica.

http://www.geneseebeer.com/beer/genesee-cream/

http://www.geneseecreamale.com/home.php