Cristal

[Rick]

Wow! It has its own website...
http://www.cervezacristal.com/companyLocation.html
Coll!

[cubatony]

Cristal is not bad , much better than Corona or Budd......but " mi preferida es bucanero" SALUD .

[redflagantifa]

Cristal is, in my opinion, the best beer on earth. It truly is an excellent brew. Whenever I can locate it in Toronto, it is the only one I'll buy (that was often my policy even when I was short on cash).

[saborami]

I had my share of cristals in my taxi from Havana to Varadero. Cristal is great but after awhile I was hankering for a Beck's. Found them in the commercial plaza in Varadero.

[Yucca]

Here in the DR it's Presidente. However Im not allowed to drink beer. The doctor said "clear liquids only". So, I try to stick with Stoly and Tanquerey.

[redflagantifa]

I had my share of cristals in my taxi from Havana to Varadero. Cristal is great but after awhile I was hankering for a Beck's. Found them in the commercial plaza in Varadero.

Yah, I found some Coronas there once, and actually bought them. Mind you, that was when I had just started drinking beer and hadn't yet explored outside the realm of Mexican brew.

[saborami]

so you were a novice then? I had a beer at my friends house in Cardenas. It was not Bucenero or Cristal. It was something else, can't remember the name, it was really gross and dirt cheap to buy. Does anyone know the name of it? I went to the local cafe and purchased a dozen Cristals, the gross beer was set aside and everyone had a few cristals.

[dongordo]

Here in the DR it's Presidente. However Im not allowed to drink beer. The doctor said "clear liquids only". So, I try to stick with Stoly and Tanquerey.

Beer is a clear liquid. It's the milk and tomato soup you gotta worry about. Is this "doctor" from the DR?

[cubatony]

Red, sorry for your opinion but the best beer on earth is a Belgian beer : named " Westvleteren trappist" I can assure you it's a world of difference
with the cristal which btw is brewed by the former Canadian Labatt group part of the Belgian-Brasilian IMBEV group. Sure Cristal is a good beer better than Corona or Budd a pity they don't have heavy dark beers (10-12 degrees)

[aguacate]

I used to like the old, blue-label Mayabe. Had a characteristic fruity flavour that set it apart from the standard euro-fizz style Cristal / Bucanero (same pedigree as beer from the pipa, but better quality). That disappeared and when it was reintroduced it was just a standard lager, very disappointing.

I once had dinner at the Polar brewery in Havana, the beer was dire (a few years back they'd sell it for CUP 10 a pop at one of the bars along San Martin behind the Inglaterra - and even at that price I'd refuse to drink it).

Came across some Tropical in oriente last year, which I thought was no longer available. This used to be very common in the late eighties / early nineties and came in an assortment of unlabelled bottles with only a star on the cap to identify the beer. Now it has a label and uniform bottles, but at least it still tastes 'Cuban' and isn't just another North American / European copy.

As for Cristal being 'the best beer on earth' all I can say is that someone needs to go find themselves a life! Or at least take a trip to Europe where (despite the efforts of the multi-nationals) the art of real beer making hasn't been totally lost.

[aguacate]

Oh, and one other Cuban beer I thought was dead and gone but which I came across recently was Tinima - not in Cuba however, but at El Floridita in Soho, London.

[greslogo]

Tropicale is just your run of the mill peso beer.

That's what is usually available when in Havana, when drinking peso beer. I wouldn't put much emphasis on the "brand" since I have had the same beer bottled under different names at the same sitting. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's vinegar.

For the first time, a few weeka ago, I DID have some really good peso beer, well, at least as good as Cristal... jeje

Purchased in Maximo Gomez but available also in nearby towns.

Manacas

http://www.s92409266.onlinehome.us/files/manacas.jpg

[redflagantifa]

As for Cristal being 'the best beer on earth' all I can say is that someone needs to go find themselves a life! Or at least take a trip to Europe where (despite the efforts of the multi-nationals) the art of real beer making hasn't been totally lost.

Guess we can't all be like you, aguacate. I mean, it'd be great if we all drank "real" beer from Europe, brushed our teeth every two days, ate only meat with the odd vegetable here and there, were disturbingly anti-social, pig-headed, and had unprotected anilingus sex with our dogs - but alas, we can't all be like you. Maybe someday though, when we have lives.

[mellisas]

deleted..none of my bisso....

[aguacate]

Guess we can't all be like you, aguacate. I mean, it'd be great if we all drank "real" beer from Europe, brushed our teeth every two days, ate only meat with the odd vegetable here and there, were disturbingly anti-social, pig-headed, and had unprotected anilingus sex with our dogs - but alas, we can't all be like you. Maybe someday though, when we have lives.

It's reassuring to see that the revolution is in safe hands and there are still some on that side that can formulate and present a well balanced argument.

[aguacate]

For the first time, a few weeka ago, I DID have some really good peso beer, well, at least as good as Cristal... jeje

Purchased in Maximo Gomez but available also in nearby towns.

Manacas

I take it that's Maximo Gomez, Matanzas and not Montes, Havana.

[greslogo]

Correct..... On Monte, where it meets Parc Central I drink Tropicale at the peso Rapido on the corner.

[Raven]

so you were a novice then? I had a beer at my friends house in Cardenas. It was not Bucenero or Cristal. It was something else, can't remember the name, it was really gross and dirt cheap to buy. Does anyone know the name of it? I went to the local cafe and purchased a dozen Cristals, the gross beer was set aside and everyone had a few cristals.

I would guess that the beer is Timmins (not sure of the spelling). It is what the Cubans I know buy and it is dirt cheap. Reminds me of bad home brew. It can be bought on tap or in a bottle.

[mctonedef]

It's reassuring to see that the revolution is in safe hands and there are still some on that side that can formulate and present a well balanced argument.

I love you guys!
What a scintillating dialogue....
Thank you, thank you, thank you....seriously.....

[cubatony]

mctonedef, yes this is the good cubamania-style , we argue with passion and insult with style. Way back we used some other language , that some called "rude and disgusting" ......but the disadvantage was ...we lost to many menbers ....some died in the battle others were banned . I recall the good old days when Asere took Saborami each day by her throat in a way that she liked it.....but gone are these days of passion and blood on the screen with Asere and others banned and Saborami matured.
yes ...."times they are changing...." ( I guess Bob Dylan)

[Token]

For those who like a stronger beer, Bucanero Max is now available. This beer has 6.5% alcohol in bottles for .80 or cans at .90 . I kept some on hand in the fridge on my last trip to Holguin. When folks came to visit offering Tinama, Mayabe and those mystery beers from dispensada sold in 1.5 reused water or pop bottles, I pour in a little Max to flavour those Light beers. Selection of national beers in Cuba is limited but I can remember a time when this was so in Canada.

[cubatony]

Token , thanks for the tip , I like the Bucanero but didn't know there was a stronger version , I'll try it on my next trip. Yes the selection is poor , but the quality of the Cristal and the Bucanero can meet international standards

[mctonedef]

mctonedef, yes this is the good cubamania-style , we argue with passion and insult with style. Way back we used some other language , that some called "rude and disgusting" ......but the disadvantage was ...we lost to many menbers ....some died in the battle others were banned . I recall the good old days when Asere took Saborami each day by her throat in a way that she liked it.....but gone are these days of passion and blood on the screen with Asere and others banned and Saborami matured.
yes ...."times they are changing...." ( I guess Bob Dylan)

Thanks, cubatony.....

Wow, I like it now, I can only imagine how 'heated' it was back then!
Hope I can aspire to contribute something equally as entertaining....for now, I'll be 'learning the ropes'....

[Crazyhook]

can't wait to try it on Friday! :)

[Peter Perez]

Anybody try Cerveza Hatuey ? That is the beer mentioned in the Hemingway book "the old man and the sea"

http://www.casecuba.com/fotos/pr-hatuey02.jpg