Caybrew, the new beer that is brewed and bottled in the Cayman Islands, was launched from the Cayman Islands Brewery (CIB) located on Shamrock Road, George Town, on Thursday 22 March.

Allen Chu Fook, General Manager of the brewery, said the company was thrilled to deliver a 100 percent Cayman-made product to the bars and liquor stores of the Islands.

“We have worked very hard at perfecting our brew to ensure the product we deliver is to the highest international standards,” Mr Chu Fook said.

“We are delighted with the final product and believe the market will embrace the new lager beer of the Cayman Islands.

“Caybrew is a full-bodied premium lager with a crisp, clean hop finish. Our beer is the freshest on the Island as it’s produced right here in Grand Cayman,” he added.

It is clear that the company wishes to market the beer in a way that identifies it with the Cayman Islands.

“The green bottle features a blue and red design, with the word ‘Caybrew’ in bold letters across the front, and ‘The lager beer of the Cayman Islands’ around its edge. The Caybrew logo is a graphic representation of the Cayman Islands’ national tree, the Silver Thatch Palm, and three red stars depicting each of the country’s islands,” said Mr Chu Fook.

“The Silver Thatch Palm has played an important role in the lives of Caymanians since the first settlers arrived on the Islands. It’s a valuable part of Cayman’s natural heritage, as well as part of the landscape, and is endemic to the Cayman Islands, so it was an obvious choice for us when considering the design of our logo,” he said.

Mr Chu Fook also thanked all the investors in the company, before the ceremonial ribbon, attached to the cab of one of the company’s delivery trucks, was cut.

The company has employed the services of a German-based consultancy firm, Brewtech, which specialises in the design and construction of new breweries, as well as the modernisation of existing plants.

The brewery’s Technical Manager, Oliver Wesseloh, explained that although he had only been on the Islands since April last year, his involvement with the project began when he was working as Project Manager for Brewtech, and he has also worked on several similar projects at different locations in the Caribbean.

“We have had vast experience in the Caribbean, building similar breweries, in Dominica, Antigua, Aruba, and St Vincent,” said Mr Wesseloh.

He explained that the equipment in the local brewery was equivalent to the high-tech equipment of bigger breweries, just on a smaller scale, so that customers can expect to be able to buy beer that has been brewed to the highest international standards.

Caybrew’s commitment to the environment can be seen in their bottle recycling scheme, where the company pays CI$2 for every case of empty Caybrew bottles returned to the brewery. The brewery has also installed a waste-water treatment system.