Anyone that knows me would likely be aware of my passion for beer and brewing. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest gave me access to craft beer from the start of my beer-drinking experiences, and I was fortunate to live in one of the first areas in the USA to open the doors, loosen the laws and pave the way for the craft beer scene.

 

I bought a basic brewing equipment kit in 2005 and began brewing in my garage in California. I have since added more technical paraphernalia, such as a wort chiller instead of an ice bath in the sink, and kegging equipment instead of dealing with the tedium of bottling. I toted my brewing equipment around from California to South Carolina, to Southwest Florida and finally to The Exumas, here in The Bahamas, where I brewed beer and bottled it with custom labels, including a special gluten-free beer for a friend who had a gluten intolerance. My VHF callsign and nickname in the Exumas was Brewmaster, and I even believe I won my husband’s heart when I offered him a gift of an entire keg of special cherry stout.

Other than my own homebrew, there wasn’t much in the way of a diverse beer selection when I arrived in The Bahamas. Sands had just introduced their Strong Back stout, which was new and exciting. Otherwise, the options were Kalik, Heineken, and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, which is reminiscent of high-octane motor oil. There weren’t any specialty liquor stores with imported beers, so for someone from the Northwest who was used to going into the beer aisle and being overwhelmed with craft beer options, it was definitely a transition.

 

If you know anything about beer brewing or breweries, you might know that the startup and operating costs are very high. Many brewery owners have told me that it is a true “labor of love” because it could be years before you actually start seeing a profit. I dreamt of having my own brewery and spent years hashing out business plans and trying to figure out how to open a brewery here in The Bahamas. I poured over Sam Calagione’s book “Brewing Up a Business” and other brewery literature. I designed logos, researched locations, kept my eye out for used large-scale brewing equipment, chatted up potential investors and even dug into local government bureaucracy with regards to non-existent allowances for small production breweries at the time. But the cost/earning ratio didn’t end up making sense for me personally. Here, you have to consider importing everything, and then paying shipping, duty and 7.5% VAT on it, after you probably already paid sales tax in the US for it. Then there’s refrigeration and temperature control for the fermentation and storage process. You need good water, which doesn’t just grow on trees (or come out of the tap) here, so your own reverse osmosis facility or massive filtration system is essential.

 

So to say that I was thrilled when I heard that a craft brewery was opening in The Bahamas, would be an understatement. And I was thankful they were able to figure out how to make it work as a successful venture for them.

 

I can’t go for very long periods of time without a pint of good beer. It’s just in my blood. So Pirate Republic Brewing Company opened just in time. I recently had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Pirate Republic and speak with their Sales Manager Robert Hughes about the beer, their history, and their future. So I’m excited to share with you some of the more finer points that we discussed over a few pints of craft beer.

 

Pirate Republic’s Tap Room officially opened in 2014, becoming the first and currently only craft brewery in The Bahamas. In order to hit the ground running and to make sure they had enough quantity to begin distributing and getting the name out there, they initially contract brewed (used a larger brewery to produce, bottle and label the beer using their recipe) with Ipswitch Brewing Company in Massachusets. As of 2016, they are now fully operational with a 10BBL on-site system and are producing 100% of their draft and canned beer on-island, with room to grow.

 

Any of us in the brewing world knows what an investment a bottling line is, and so they have opted for the canning system which is much more economical, and is growing with rapid popularity in places like the West Coast of the USA. Don’t be fooled into thinking that craft beer in cans is inferior, or will make your brew taste metallic. The cans that craft brewers use have a special lining that prevents the beer from interacting with the metals of the can, and they actually have more of an oxygen and light barrier which retains the beer’s freshness and taste for longer.

 

 

Photo Credit: Pirate Republic Brewing Company

 

Now, what’s in a name? Although it initially may seem they are jumping on the bandwagon in the wake of Pirate’s of the Caribbean, Black Sail and all other things that make being a pirate “the new black,” the history of piracy in the Bahamas is truly legit. During the Golden Age of Piracy in the 1600’s, Nassau was known as the Pirate Republic. Pirate Republic Brewing Company has decided to embrace the pirate roots of their home turf. The company founders can trace their roots back 300 years, which is right during the prime pirating days. Although there is a limited legacy of written documents from that period, the owners were able to find one document with the signature of their ancestor, Peter Pyfrom. Through his signature, they developed the font of their logo. But if you ask them about their logo, they will tell you it’s not a logo, it’s their Jolly Roger, complete with Skull & Crossbottles.

 

 

 

Pirate Republic currently distributes to liquor stores, including Bristol Cellars, in New Providence and several Out Islands, and are available at numerous restaurants including on draft at Mahogany House, Atlantis, and Baha Mar. They have 5 staple beers, which in true fashion, have appropriate piratey names.

 

Island Pirate Ale – a hoppy and approachable IPA

 

Golden Haze of Piracy – an easy drinking Belgian style wheat beer

 

Long John Pilsner – a light lager, perfect for a summer’s day

 

Captain Kidd’s Kolsch – a German-style hybrid, with a perfect balance of malt and hops

 

Blackbeer’d Stout – rolled oats contribute to a smooth mouthfeel, with dark chocolate and coffee notes

 

 

To try their rotating seasonal beers and speciality beers however, you will have to visit the Tap Room on Wood Rogers Walk in Downtown Nassau. I had the opportunity to try the following…

 

Citra Me Timbers – a West Coast style Pale Ale with Citra hops being the predominant hop as a late addition and dry hopping. *My personal fav*

 

Take No Quarter – a fairly hefty and hoppy IPA, amber in color

 

Coconut Porter – real coconut is used throughout the brewing process – shaved coconut and then toasted coconut. The toasted coconut lends a flavor similar to a dark roasted grain.

 

7 Seas – a Red Ale brewed with earthy and citrusy 7 C’s hops

 

Pirate Republic hosts regular live music, open mic night on Wednesdays and events such as the Beer Olympics, St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, and the Lazy Hazy Daze of Summer music festival with a speciality brew for each event. The last beer they featured at the festival was a Pineapple Mango Wheat beer. They are currently ageing an Imperial Stout which will be released in small batches at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years.

 

The Galley, which opened in 2016, provides tasty gastropub food. I tried the portobello fries with garlic aioli, which were hearty slices of portobello mushroom in a panko-herb crust with garlic and parm, and they were pure heaven. There’s something on the menu for everyone – burger-lovers, vegetarians and light eaters.  Also check out their daily brewery tours which include a walk through the brewery, a flight of beer and a pretzel.

 

The final exciting tidbit I learned on my visit is the upcoming introduction of the first official craft beer festival in The Bahamas. Keep an eye out for details on the Bahamian Craft Beer Festival, hosted by Pirate Republic, in the streets of Wood Rodgers Walk on February 2nd-3rd 2018. The event will highlight craft beer from the Caribbean, US, Canada, and Europe. Breweries from around the world will have representatives at the festival.

 

Thanks for tuning in and happy brewing!