Legendary Beer Brand Returns To Tampa
The longest I’ve ever gone without a cold, refreshing beer was probably during my childhood. Since I became a grown-up, I’ve tasted many beers, some good, some bad. I’ve sampled everything from hoppy IPAs to bourbon-barrel-aged lagers that resembled dirty motor oil. But I’ve never had a La Tropical.
Now, after 60 long years, the legendary beer has returned to Tampa. The brand was local to Ybor City and family-owned, but it suddenly disappeared way back in 1961 due to an embargo against Cuba. For decades, brew formulas languished and faded from our memories. But now, La Tropical has come roaring back and it’s ready to party! Craft beer lovers now have several new options, starting with an amber lager called La Original, an IPA called Native Key and a light lager dubbed Tropiflaca. All three flavors can now be ordered at local restaurants, bars and grocery stores all over Tampa Bay.
The beers have been available in Miami for a while now, but Tampa is a brand new market for the decades-old brand. Manny Portuondo, CEO of the brewery, is the great-great grandson of Federico Kohly, who started the brewery way back in the late 1800s. The beer was first brewed in 1888, when the Spanish-American War was still happening. Production was halted when tensions rose between America and Cuba in 1961. At one point, La Tropical produced 60% of all beer produced in Cuba. I’ll be trying the lager this weekend! Source: CLTampa.com
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