Your Ultimate Guide to Puerto Rican Beer
Puerto Rico beer is a combination of flavors, beer styles, and brewery traditions that pair perfectly with the Caribbean weather.
As a Puerto Rican myself, I can tell you Puerto Ricans love beer so much, that enjoying the beer scene is one of the top Puerto Rico activities.
In this guide, I’ll spill the beans about some of the best Puerto Rico beers and where to find them. Ready to get your brew on? Let’s dive in!
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5 Best Puerto Rico Beers
Medalla Light
This light lager-style beer is Puerto Rico’s national beer.
📍 Google Maps | 🍻 Light lager | 🍽️ Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico | 📞 +1 787 834 1000
Medalla Light is Puerto Rico’s national beer, and you will find it in every restaurant, bar, and food kiosk.
Produced by Cervecera de Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, this beer has a pale golden color with a light, soapy head. It also has a sweet, malty aroma and a cidery finish.
Medalla Light is perfect for new beer drinkers exploring the best Puerto Rico sites.
Crash Boat IPA
A toasted and citrusy IPA named after a popular beach in Puerto Rico.
📍 Google Maps | 🍻 Indian Pale Ale (IPA) | 🍽️ Boquerón Brewing Company | 📞 +1 787 381 4334
Boquerón Brewing Company produces Crash Boat IPA. It has a light to medium body, and it pairs well with everything from local Puerto Rico food to red meat and cheese.
This copper-colored IPA combines British malts and three different American hops that result in sweet, toasted, and citrusy flavors. In 2019, Crash Boat IPA won the L.A. International Beer Competition. You can find this canned beer in supermarkets and breweries.
Crash Boat refers to a popular beach in Aguadilla, one of the best Puerto Rico beaches.
Magna Special Craft
A premium lager produced by the same brewery that produces Puerto Rico’s national beer.
📍 Google Maps | 🍻 American Adjunct Lager | 🍽️ Cervecera de Puerto Rico | 📞 +1 787 834 1000
Also produced by Cervecera de Puerto Rico, this pale lager with a 5.1% ABV is ideal if you’re looking for a premium-style beer.
Known as Magna Special Craft, this lager is a full-body beer with a light taste. It’s also the only mass-produced Puerto Rican beer that aims to compete with Heineken on the premium beer sales on the island. Beer lovers can find it in supermarkets and local bars.
Residente Maibock
A beer designed by Puerto Rican singer, Residente.
📍 Google Maps | 🍻 Lager | 🍽️ Del Oeste Brewery | 📞 +1 787 834 1000
Residente Maibock is another popular Puerto Rican lager designed by rapper Residente. Residente Maibock boasts a medium body and a clean finish. It has a 6.5 % ABV.
Del Oeste Brewery, a subsidiary of Cervecera de Puerto Rico, produces Residente Maibock. You can find this beer in supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations.
Residente Tripel is also another beer designed by Residente, but it’s a Belgian-style tripel.
Taina
A blonde ale beer from Miramar Old Harbor Brewery that’s smooth to drink.
📍 Google Maps | 🍻 Blonde Ale | 🍽️ Old Harbor Brewery | 📞 +1 787 936 3140
A blonde ale with a medium-light body, Taina Beer is produced by Old Harbor Brewery in Carolina.
The Taina Blonde Ale is made with the highest quality ingredients that give the beer a citrus flavor while keeping it light and easy to drink. It pairs well with pizza and chips.
You can find this beer in local bars, draft beer bars, and hotels.
👉 Did you Know? More than one Old Harbor beer ranks as a top Puerto Rico beer, including the Coqui Beer golden lager.
6 Best Places to Get Beer in Puerto Rico
Cervecería del Callejón
A nano brewery in Old San Juan with a tap room.
Cervecería del Callejón is one of the best places to visit in San Juan. This nano brewery in the heart of Old San Juan hosts a tap room that serves both house-made beers and beers from other breweries.
You can choose between yearly favorites like Desorden Ejecutiva, an Hazy IPA with 7% ABV, or seasonal beers. La Cervecería del Callejón offers a lively ambiance and great food
La Taberna Lúpulo
This bar in Old San Juan serves up to 50 tap beers.
📍 Google Maps | 🍽️ La Taberna Lúpulo
La Taberna Lúpulo offers a wide craft and tap beer selection right in Old San Juan.
Located on Calle San Sebastián, home to one of Puerto Rico’s biggest festivals, this bar has about 50 beers on tap and over 150 bottled options, including German, Belgian, English, American, and local brews.
The kitchen is open daily, and some top picks are fish tacos and crunchy wraps, great bar bites to go with your beer.
FOK’s Brewing Co.
A family-friendly brewery in Caguas with a taproom and plenty of outdoor seating.
📍 Google Maps | 🍽️ Fok Brewing Co | 📞 +1 939 437 0365
FOK’s Brewing Co. is one of the best Puerto Rican breweries to enjoy local beer.
The FOK’s Brewing Co. is a family-friendly safe space. While adults enjoy a flight of six locally produced beers, children will love the food and the wide open space for playing.
During the weekends, the brewery hosts live music, karaoke, and movie nights. If you’re a fresh hops and passion fruit fan, don’t miss out on Fok’s Brewery Co.’s Pachanga Ale.
La Esquinita Jardín Cervecero
Escape the steamy tropical days with a beer at this hidden beer garden in Bayamón.
Considered one of the best things to do in Bayamón, La Esquinita is a beer garden in Bayamón’s downtown where you can have a beer sitting outdoors while enjoying live shows.
You’ll find up to 13 on-tap beers and find new beers on La Esquinita’s social media, where you’ll also find the schedule for the happy hour.
I recommend combining your favorite drink with some light entrees and burgers from food trucks and nearby shops.
Bier Garden
Drink local beers with a view of the mountains in Utuado.
📍 Google Maps | 📞 +1 787 966 9600
If you’re visiting the mountainous region, then keep in mind that one of the popular places to visit in Utuado is the Bier Garden. This bar and lounge offers an impressive variety of local and imported beers.
The outdoor seating area is spacious, and you can visit with children too.
El Tap
A bar with 46 beers on tap located in Calle Loiza.
📍 Google Maps | 📞 +1 787 361 7322
Calle Loíza in San Juan is one of the nightlife spots in Puerto Rico, and it’s also home to El Tap. This Puerto Rican bar offers up to 46 taps of craft beers you can easily take home in crowlers.
You’ll find on-site local brews from popular Puerto Rico breweries as well as snacks, tapas, and a great menu to do a beer and food pairing.
Puerto Rico Beer FAQs
What is Puerto Rico’s national beer?
Puerto Rico’s official national beer is Medalla Light. Cervecera de Puerto Rico in Mayagüez mass-produces this beer, and it’s possible to find it in restaurants, bars, and convenience stores.
Is Medalla a Puerto Rican beer?
Medalla light is a Puerto Rican beer. It’s produced completely on the island, but it’s also possible to find it in the United States and Latin America. Medalla is one of the top-selling beers in the island’s total beer market.
What alcohol is only sold in Puerto Rico?
Pitorro is a traditional drink that alcohol enthusiasts will only find in Puerto Rico. Although some commercial brands exist, the traditional Pitorro with a high alcohol volume can only be found on the island.
What is the drinking age in Puerto Rico?
The legal drinking age in Puerto Rico is 18 years old. Bartenders, cashiers, and clerks won’t sell alcohol to anyone under age and will often ask for an ID to confirm the buyer’s age.
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Now you can start your Puerto Rico beer-hunting journey! Find more fun activities to do in our guide to the best places to visit in Puerto Rico.
