After all those thick and rich Holiday libations we’ve had so much fun introducing over the past few weeks, I’m definitely in the mood for something lighter for today’s Friday Happy Hour. All the Coquito and Ponche de Creme are long gone anyway, and we’re supposed to be in training for another big race!
Seems like the perfect time for my other favorite beer in Aruba, Amstel Bright.
No, that’s not a typo. It really is Amstel BRIGHT with a “B”, not the same Amstel LIGHT better known throughout the world.
Like it’s Light cousin, Amstel Bright is easy on the carbs and alcohol content (only 5% by volume), making it ideal for a nice, warm day at the beach.

Balashi, like a lot of things in Aruba, always makes me smile. The island’s newest (it’s only been around about 10 years) and now only homegrown beer (we’ll discuss Amstel Bright another day), it is by far the leading brew of choice when you’re having a good time on this “One Happy Island.”
Brewed from imported Scottish malt and hops shipped in from Germany, Balashi is your typical Caribbean beer – a light, thirst-quenching pilsener with a nice golden color, not a lot of foam and a flavor that the brewer describes as a “soft bitterness.” It’s not so light that they couldn’t find a way to make a “light” version of it (one exists, though I never tried it), but it’s definitely more on the less-filling than tastes great side to me.