Medalla Beer – El Rey de Cervezas en Puerto Rico
One of the newest beers to begin showing up on store shelves near my home in South Florida is no spring chicken in the Caribbean. In fact, it’s been around so long, and has maintained such a strong following among transplanted Puerto Ricans here in the States, as well as those lucky enough to have visited La Isla del Encanto, that it’s a wonder that Cerveza Medalla didn’t arrive here long ago!
Born Out of a Brotherly Love for Beer
Medalla (medal in English) is the flagship adult beverage produced by Cervecera de Puerto Rico, formerly Cerverceria India, Inc. Three brothers – Alfonso, Ramon, and Sabino Valdes – founded the company in 1937. Their motivation: a shared love of beer.
Editor’s note: These are the same guys responsible for my wife’s least-favorite Caribbean soft drink.
From this love has grown one of the largest and most modern breweries in the West Indies. It also spawned two of Puerto Rico’s most enduring and beloved beer legacies…
Medalla Outshines Cerveza India
Cervecera de Puerto Rico’s original beer product, Cerveza India, was Puerto Rico’s brew of choice for 50+ years. Then, in 1980, the company introduced Medalla Light and all bets were off. The newbie immediately caught fire, quickly becoming the island’s top-selling local brand.
Today, Medalla sales in Puerto Rico top 7.5 million cases each year!
As for India Beer, sadly it was discontinued. About the only place you can find it now is in ancient commercials on Youtube.
Will you like Cerveza Medalla “mucho, mucho, mucho” like the party people in that old India ad? Well, if you like your beers really light (only 98 calories) and refreshing, or you just want a tasty reminder of good times spent adventuring around Puerto Rico, then the answer is “sí!”
Where to Buy Cerveza Medalla
Medalla is fairly easy to find in South Florida, though not so much elsewhere in the States. Your best bet might be to look for it online via the great folks at Drizzly.
¡Salúd!
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