Time for a beer! My first ever been in Puerto Rico! It was not my first beer of the trip, that honor went to old favorite Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale, which I enjoyed on my Delta flight. It was malty and crisp with an aggressive hop character, very fresh indeed from this Atlanta brewery on this Atlanta based airline.
We landed a few hours later at San Juan Airport, about a 3 1/2 hour total flight from Atlanta. Then it was off to our shuttle (somehow I lost a credit card along the way), then about an hour ride to the resort. We got checked in, then headed to the welcome reception. I walked up to the bar and asked the bartender for something local.
He handed me a Medalla Light.
Medalla Light is Puerto Rico's best-selling beer and has been brewed by Cervecera de Puerto Rico in Mayaguez since 1980. The brewery itself dates back to 1937. I had another can of Medalla Light my last night here. The beer has an alcohol content of 4.2% by volume. The beer was available all over the El Conquistador resort in Fajardo where we stayed, and ubiquitous at the airport , too. Vendors there sold 12-packs to take home with you, but I passed (I did buy a Medalla Light T-Shirt, though).
About Cervecera de Puerto Rico
Cervecera de Puerto Rico is the island's largest brewery, with brands tightly woven into Puerto Rican culture. It is 100% Puerto Rican‑owned brewery founded in 1937 in Mayaguez by the Valdes Cobian brothers.
Tasting Notes
My cans of Medalla Light were crisp with a light maltiness and clean balanced finish. They were served ice cold from a tub of ice, and I detected no adjuncts though that might have changed if they had warmed enough. Still, I lingered slightly over the second and did not detect anything but malt.
Value & Verdict
I did not pay anything for either can as I got them both times at an open bar. Checking Total Wine's website, I was surprised to see they sell the beer here in Georgia for $7.99 a six-pack in bottles, or $12.99 a 12-pack in cans.
I have to say that the first one I tasted was refreshing indeed after a day of planes, trains and automobiles (there is a people mover train in the Atlanta airport if you are wondering). The beer seemed well suited to the hot and humid tropical Puerto Rican climate. Judge it as a light beer (and how else would you judge it?) and you may well enjoy it as much as I do.
Would I buy it again? I would for sure, and look forward to picking some up here in Georgia to sip in my backyard and imagine myself back on the faraway shores of La Isla Del Encanto.
