Budweiser for sale in Cuba

[JohnnyO]

Last week in T3 I saw a bar/kiosk being set up with a big glass display fridge with lots of non-Cuban beers inside. It is on the lower floor of T3 in front of the main exit, there is a building across the walkway that rents cars, hotels etc. Well, they had Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Light in cans and bottles. No one could give specific information as to when it will open, but I was told it was a MIPYME and that it will be taking all currencies. Now, I do not believe the beer is legit. Just a copied version of whats made in the US without licensing. John 

[El Presidente]

....haven't they suffered enough 

 

[SCgarman]

They can't give away Bud Light for free in the USA after the Mulvaney debacle. Send it down to Havana, maybe they will try it, and Bud Light will have a new clientele. You never know 

[Magnum Dongle]

3 hours ago, SCgarman said:

They can't give away Bud Light for free in the USA after the Mulvaney debacle. Send it down to Havana, maybe they will try it, and Bud Light will have a new clientele. You never know 

Kid Rock has since been spotted drinking it again. Buy stock up while you can, lmao. 

[helix]

My least favorite beer after Coors light . Seems Modelo is the new favorite amongst former BL aficionados and actually a quality brew .  😏

[avitus]

Might be Canadian brewed, or even Chinese:
 

Quote

Of the 15 Anheuser-Busch breweries outside of the United States, 14 of them are positioned in China. Budweiser is the fourth leading brand in the Chinese beer market.

 

[BrightonCorgi]

These beers and other brands are brewed all over the world.  The recipes can vary to cater to a particular locale's taste.

As @SCgarman mentioned, I could see Bud Light being dumped there.  Pennies on the dollar is better than nothing.

[Silverstix]

9 hours ago, Magnum Dongle said:

Kid Rock has since been spotted drinking it again. Buy stock up while you can, lmao. 

Also served the entire time at the restaurant he owns in Nashville......"F Bud Light - unless it makes me money!"

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/kid-rock-nashville-bar-serving-bud-light-dylan-mulvaney-controversy-1235370125/

[SCgarman]

26 minutes ago, Silverstix said:

Also served the entire time at the restaurant he owns in Nashville......"F Bud Light - unless it makes me money!"

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/kid-rock-nashville-bar-serving-bud-light-dylan-mulvaney-controversy-1235370125/

It may be "available" for sale in his restaurant, but that doesn't mean anyone is buying it. I have never drank domestic USA made p*ss water. I have always preferred German, English, or USA craft brewed beer. Quality over quantity. YMMV

[Chibearsv]

3 minutes ago, SCgarman said:

It may be "available" for sale in his restaurant, but that doesn't mean anyone is buying it. I have never drank domestic USA made p*ss water. I have always preferred German, English, or USA craft brewed beer. Quality over quantity. YMMV

C'mon, you never threw back a sixer of Mickey's?  You've missed out. 😜

[BrightonCorgi]

14 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

C'mon, you never threw back a sixer of Mickey's?  You've missed out. 😜

I drink St. Ides because it tastes better...

[SCgarman]

14 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

C'mon, you never threw back a sixer of Mickey's?  You've missed out. 😜

When in high school, I would sometimes "miss" the bus ride home and stop at the German/Italian Deli on the way home. It was a mile or so from the high school. Would usually pick up a sixer of Spaten, Kulmbacher or Dinkel Acker to take home. Yeah, the store owner sold it to me! Acquired a taste for good full bodied Euopean lager as a teenager. No, I did not become an alcoholic. Beer connoisseur, yup!

[Silverstix]

2 hours ago, SCgarman said:

It may be "available" for sale in his restaurant, but that doesn't mean anyone is buying it.

Point is after all that rage and shooting beer cans on his social media, he still had it "available" for sale in his restaurant.  That's just laughable.  I say we drink whatever we want, though.  How about you?

PS - Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light are disgusting IMO

[JohnnyO]

16 hours ago, avitus said:

Might be Canadian brewed, or even Chinese:

I doubt its brewed outside of Cuba. The labor and travel costs don't make this possible. John

[Ford2112]

14 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

C'mon, you never threw back a sixer of Mickey's?  You've missed out. 😜

High School party at Paul Tenenbaums house. Mickeys.  Serenading a girl with a guitar and things were going well. Until I threw up,and when I looked back she was gone. Sums up my drinking career! 

[Chibearsv]

29 minutes ago, Ford2112 said:

High School party at Paul Tenenbaums house. Mickeys.  Serenading a girl with a guitar and things were going well. Until I threw up,and when I looked back she was gone. Sums up my drinking career! 

Take away the names and the guitar, and I've got a very similar story....uh....stories 😁

[Ford2112]

1 hour ago, Chibearsv said:

Take away the names and the guitar, and I've got a very similar story....uh....stories 😁

Oh that's just the beginning. I don't want to get run off the board! I did wake up in some really weird situations. One time I woke up naked in my buddies Volkswagen bus. That's the mild part of that story...

[Greenhorn2]

14 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

C'mon, you never threw back a sixer of Mickey's?  You've missed out. 😜

Drank many of the big mouth mickeys with the pull tops.

[Low]

14 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

C'mon, you never threw back a sixer of Mickey's?  You've missed out. 😜

Drink 1/3 of it and refill with orange juice to make a Brass Monkey. Haven't had one in awhile, might have to revisit for old times sake 

[Fuzz]

You might start seeing Chinese beers in Cuba. Though, I doubt it would be Tsingtao, as it sounds close to "singao".

[Corylax18]

Very interesting. My first thought went to the real coke (better than the US stuff) that's been available in Cuba for years. At private restaurants, airports, all over the place. Its made in Mexico, so the trip over to Cuba is pretty short and cheap. 

I agree with others saying that Bud, Budlight, Coors, and the like are not good beers. Cristal is actually perfect for the Cuban Climate. It doesn't have much flavor, but if its fresh and cold, its a perfect compliment to a cigar on a warm, humid day. 

Back in 2018 I actually saw "Budweiser" on the menu at Amigos del mar, my Dad ordered one thinking it would be fun to have an American beer in Cuba. They came back with the Real Budweiser, from Budvar Czech Republic. I didn't know it even existed before then. Apparently the US government doesnt care about European copyright rules, but our "Budweiser" is really the 2nd Budweiser ever brewed. It was actually very good and I drink it regularly now here in the states. Its labeled as "Budvar" here in the states, but otherwise the label, bottle and recipe are identical. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar_Brewery

On 8/30/2023 at 12:57 PM, JohnnyO said:

I doubt its brewed outside of Cuba. The labor and travel costs don't make this possible. John

You're thinking its just 100% fake? The shipping costs to get the real thing over from China would certainly be a lot higher than the coke in my example above. Could it be coming in through the regular "mule" channels between Havana and south Florida? A case of beer seems like it would be a PITA to travel with, but less so than the TV's, Air conditioners and Car tires I've seen stuffed in the cargo hold of commercial flights in the past. It seems like the profit margin on beer would be a lot smaller though. 

[MAT]

3 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

Very interesting. My first thought went to the real coke (better than the US stuff) that's been available in Cuba for years. At private restaurants, airports, all over the place. Its made in Mexico, so the trip over to Cuba is pretty short and cheap. 

I agree with others saying that Bud, Budlight, Coors, an the like are not good beers. Cristal is actually perfect for the Cuban Climate. It doesn't have much flavor, but if its fresh and cold, its a perfect compliment to a cigar on a warm, humid day. 

Back in 2018 I actually saw "Budweiser" on the menu at Amigos del mar, my Dad ordered one thinking it would be fun to have an American beer in Cuba. They came back with the Real Budweiser, from Budvar Czech Republic. I didn't know it even existed before then. Apparently the US government doesnt care about European copyright rules, but our "Budweiser" is really the 2nd Budweiser ever brewed. It was actually very good and I drink it regularly now here in the states. Its labeled as "Budvar" here in the states, but otherwise the label, bottle and recipe are identical. 

https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar_Brewery

That Czech Budvar goes great with a cigar ...

[BrightonCorgi]

The Cuban Bud bottles may very well say where they are brewed.  My hunch they are American brewed.  Who is going to stop someone from importing them into Cuba?

[SCgarman]

3 hours ago, MAT said:

That Czech Budvar goes great with a cigar ...

That is actually REAL beer brewed with good real ingredients just like other European beers. The USA made mass produced beers are made with crap ingredients. Budweiser is brewed with rice (a cheap adjunct), low grade hops and injected with artificial CO2, instead of natural CO2 which is produced by yeast fermentation. All mass produced USA beer is essentially garbage, same as with all your "fast food" restaurant food. There are some really good USA made craft brews made the European way. I tried a dark Porter made from a local Myrtle Beach brewery here, and it was off the charts excellent. Smooth and full bodied. Great with a fine dinner. 

[Corylax18]

On 9/1/2023 at 3:47 AM, MAT said:

That Czech Budvar goes great with a cigar ...

Agreed! its one of my go-to's with a cigar since I learned about it. I wish we could get those pony kegs over here! I've only been able to find 6 packs. 

On 9/1/2023 at 4:21 AM, BrightonCorgi said:

The Cuban Bud bottles may very well say where they are brewed.  My hunch they are American brewed.  Who is going to stop someone from importing them into Cuba?

Theoretically nothing/no one would stop the import. Most of Cuba's imports come from the US. Everything from food to medicine to regular house hold items. And all of it transacted in cold, hard greenbacks. The "blockade" is just a political tool at this point.

I just struggle to find the financial gain for some one to do it. Let's say three or four cases of beer is about the same size as a window mounted AC Unit. The sale price for that AC unit is going to be 3 or 4 times higher (maybe more recently) than the sale price of the beer. Why lug the same weight/size for a third or a quarter of the profit?