A little beer, a little history
Oct 27 '04
The Bottom Line -
Hatuey Beer
I like beer. In fact, I love beer. But I’ve never actually tried to describe a beer - at least not in a way that didn’t start with the words “Dude, I was at this keggar the other night…” Admittedly I’m writing this without a lick of expertise - I am no beer geek. But I figure most people reading this haven’t achieved true geekdom either, so let’s all just kick back and relax with a cold one and learn about a beer that was inspired by a man who lived five hundred years ago….
The Man
Picture it. Hispaniola, 1511. Diego Velasquez and his legions have defeated the mighty (yet completely unarmed) island and have set their sites on tomorrows conquest. The island of Cuba is ripe for an attack. Velasquez and a young, pre Mexico, Cortes set out on ships to claim their prize. But trouble is afoot. A rogue Taino chief named Hatuey is planning to help the Carib of Cuba to resist. Hatuey had been quite the trouble maker on Hispaniola and fled to Cuba with a few hundred warriors, as well as any women and children who would follow him. When Hatuey learned of the planned invasion he did his best to organize. He spoke of guerrilla warfare and stopping the evil Spanish invaders who were only days away. Unfortunately, the natives of Cuba took him for a nut and largely ignored his rhetoric. Predictably Velazquez and Cortes arrived and were able to rape, pillage and kill with nary a complaint. To add insult to injury, one of Hatuey’s own men dropped dime on him and by early 1512 he was in the custody of the Spaniards. All was lost for this courageous Taino warrior. As Hatuey was tied to the stake, waiting to be burned to death he was approached by a Christian missionary. Hatuey was offered the opportunity to accept Jesus as his savior and the chance to spend eternity in heaven. Hatuey thoughtfully asked if there would be more Christians in heaven when he got there - to which the kindly missionary lowered his torch and beamed ‘Oh yes, heaven is filled with men like me.’ Hatuey declined salvation.
The Next Guy
Fast forward to Cuba of 1862. Don Facundo Bacardi Masso starts a little distillery in Santiago, Cuba. Plenty of sugar cane can only mean one thing - Cuba Libres for everyone! The old building they started distilling in had bats living up in the rafters. They incorporated those early tenants into the company logo, where it remains to this day. Bacardi’s rum was an instant hit. The company grew and prospered over the decades and by the 1920’s the third generation of Bacardi’s were running the family business and looking to expand it even further. In 1926 the Bacardi’s christened the Santiago Brewery and offered the world Hatuey Beer. A great Cuban beer named for a great Cuban hero. This was the Cuban beer. The Budweiser of Cuba, so to speak. It was more than just a (semi) mass produced Lager for the masses. It was a symbol of both family and national pride. It quickly became an icon of Cuban culture. In Miami you can still hear the echoes of old men bellying up to a bar saying “Un Indio y dos canoas” translated - “an Indian and two canoes” - it’s the classic way to order a Hatuey (Indian) with two glasses (canoes) in order to share the drink with a friend. Great provenance, I tell you.
Those Commie Bastards Hate Beer!
Ultimately another famous Cuban enters this tale. The Bacardi’s were, and still are, unapologetically capitalist. In 1959 they were chased out of the country and all their holdings were seized. I’ve read that the Bacardi Corporation had funded several unsuccessful hits against Castro during the 1960‘s. In light of the circumstances it seems reasonable to believe that may be so. It’s even been suggested that Bacardi has been funding terrorists who target tourists in Cuba in an effort to destabilize the government. I’m sorry, but Pina Coladas are just too damned good and I’m not ready to accept that they may be brought to me courtesy of a terrorist supporting conglomerate. A contract on Castro is one thing but whacking tourists is just plain rude.
A Wandering Indian
Since 1959 Bacardi has been brewing Hatuey anywhere it can. It’s been brewed in the Caribbean and in the States from Florida to Maryland. The distribution of Hatuey never really stopped but it also never made it past south Florida, kind of like the Cuban population that sought refuge in America. Product availability has been sporadic at best for the past forty five years. Sometimes it’s available in every bar, restaurant and supermarket in south Florida. Sometimes it disappears for months on end and then pops up from another brewery. At the time of this writing I have not seen Hatuey for some time, but am told by the Spanish and Cuban restaurants that I frequent that Hatuey is currently being bottled in Puerto Rico and the local distributors are not stocking it right now. Restaurants have been buying directly from the brewery in small quantities. It is a widely accepted ‘fact’ that the Bacardi’s will not even have the grace to wait for Castro’s body to cool before re-opening the Santiago Brewery. This is a matter of family (and maybe national?) pride. Time will tell.
The Beer
Hatuey (5.5% ABV) is a light Lager sold in green glass bottles or in cans - twelve ounces either way. It pours a medium gold - a little darker than Budweiser and a little lighter than Bass. Pouring it into a glass will produce a small, kind of dense head that fights to stick around for a little while as you’re drinking it. The flavor is not very special. A slight maltiness is discernible. Not much else is picked up by my amateur palate. It has a little hop in the finish, but you have to really concentrate to find it. This is the type of beer that you want to drink as cold as possible. It has a quick, crisp taste that has the potential of going horribly wrong a la Budweiser-nearing-tepidity. For those with a simple ‘American’ taste for beer, you might appreciate this little brew on a hot day or as an accompaniment to a plate of barbecue. This is Budweiser with just a little more flavor. I’ve read reviews of this beer where it’s been described as being similar to many of the popular Mexican beers. That’s accurate too. Oh, and speaking of Mexican beers…(pardon the lame segue)…..I have a bit of free advice for you. When I first discovered this beer I noticed some people in the restaurants dropping a pinch of salt down the neck of the bottle before drinking it. I thought to myself that it looked no stranger than shoving a lime wedge down the throat of a Corona so I gave it a shot. Do not do this unless you were raised on salty beer because that is exactly what you’ll wind up with. In retrospect, I too see that as the all too obvious conclusion - but nevertheless I wasted an entire bottle of Hatuey on this little experiment. If you come across a nice cold bottle of Hatuey, go ahead and try it - if for no other reason than the great story behind it’s name….but trust me on the salt thing.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing information is a little sketchy as of this writing as this beer can not be found on my local supermarket shelves right now. When it is available it’s priced similarly to the Mexican beers that it is invariably stocked next to. I have also seen it sold at online distributors for $5.99 plus shipping per six pack.
Overall Rating……….three out of five stars - it got a bonus star for the great story
Drinkability…………...very inoffensive - just keep ‘em cold!
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Member: Jason
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The pool's in but the patio ain't dry
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