La Tropical Information

La Tropical was born more than a century ago, on an island where the sun shines all year long, the beaches are a tropical paradise, and royal palms sway in the wind. This island is Cuba. Back in 1888, in Havana, the former "Nueva Fbrica de Hielo" or "New Ice Factory" was founded. It was here where Cuba's first beer, La Tropical, was brewed. Little by little, with the will of the Blanco Herrera family and the support of a group of experts, that small brewery kept growing until it became a large conglomerate of workshops, warehouses, labs, shipping vessels, train stations, parks, gardens, castles and terraces. The exquisiteness of the brand reached beyond the island's coasts to win awards in Europe and the United States, and the medals were displayed on its historic label. By 1958 La Tropical became Cuba's largest brewer, producing 58% of the island's annual beer production with brands such as La Tropical, Cristal, Tropical 50 and Maltina. La Tropical was also the symbol of Cuba's golden era. The prosperity and the tenacity of the Cubans was passed on to its national beer. While the architecture of the brewery grounds imitated the famous Alhambra de Granada in Spain, and its gardens and terraces were designed with a sophisticated ornamental scenery, the beer was achieving international recognition. La Tropical, next to other icons such as tobacco and music, became the pride of Cuba, and its tropical gardens were the center of great parties during the 50's, with such talents as Benny Moré and the Orquesta Aragón. Everything came to an end when in 1960 the communist revolution confiscated and nationalized La Tropical. For more than 38 years (between 1960 and 1998) La Tropical vanished from the beer world. In 1998, thanks to Manuel J. Portuondo (a 31 year old Cuban-American with vast beer marketing experience with companies such as Anheuser-Busch and Brahma), Ramón Blanco Herrera (great grandson of La Tropical's founder in Cuba), and a group of visionary business people, La Tropical beer is reintroduced to the ...