Caribbean Beer Reviews
El Presidente
Well if you haven’t been keeping up with our post here is what’s going on.
We are in the Bahamas where I am being forced to do nothing, so I thought I would drink and review the local beers.
Today’s beer is a light lager with a dark past.
El President is from the Dominican Republic and brewed by Cerveceria Nacional Dominican. The beers origins date back to 1929 when an American businessman, Charles Wanzer decided it was time for the Dominican Republic to have its own beer.
In 1935 Wanzer completed construction of a new brewery in Santiago and started brewing El Presidente. The initial “gringo” cerveza did not fare too well though.
The problem, it was dark and not as refreshing as today's El Presidente. In 1960 the beer became the light pilsner we know today.
El Presidente’s dark past does not stop with its original color and recipe.
Like anyone doing Business in the Dominican Republic between 1930 and 1961 Wanzer knew he had to kiss up to Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, aka El Jefe, The Chief, The Boss.
Truijillo was a Dominican politician, soldier, and dictator, who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961. His 31 years in power, to Dominicans known as the Trujillo Era, are considered one of the bloodiest eras ever in the Americas, as well as a time of a personality cult, when monuments to Trujillo were in abundance.
Wanzen named El Presidente after Truijillo (more likely El Jefe suggested the name).
The dark color and politics are long gone, a part of the beer’s well-forgotten past.
How does it taste today?
El Presidente is a macro style light lager leaning slightly more toward Heineken than to Bud/Miller.
Served in green bottles the beer does have that slight skunk flavor. Served ice cold on a hot beach why judge it, just enjoy.
Tomorrow we review the two best beers brewed on the islands that I have had this week. Truly fantastic brews!!
