Hairoun beer

The island’s old name

Wikipedia notes that before 1498 the island was called Hairouna by its indigenous inhabitants, and that Christopher Columbus named it Saint Vincent. National Geographic Traveller translates the Carib name as “Land of the Blessed”, and Wikipedia’s survey of Caribbean beer describes Hairoun as an alternative name for the island.

A brewery from 1985

Writing in 2005, the brewery’s general manager said that it began operating two decades earlier with Hairoun Lager and a limited number of soft drink flavours, and that in 1985 it employed 65 people; Searchlight reported that by then there were 88 permanent staff and about 30 casual workers, and that the brewery also made Guinness, Coca-Cola, Fanta and Vita Malt. Wikipedia adds that it bottles Guinness Foreign Extra Stout under licence.

In November 2010 the brewery unveiled a canning line able to produce more than 1,500 cans an hour. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said it ended the need to import cans, a problem at festival times, according to Searchlight.

A golden lager

Wikipedia describes Hairoun as a golden lager brewed with barley, hops and spring water. VinePair, in a 2019 article on a Mustique craft brewery, calls it a popular local lager that is light, smooth and crisp, and says it is a two-time gold medal winner at the European Monde Selection. Luke Ferguson, bar manager at Basil’s Bar on Mustique, told VinePair that Hairoun accounts for about 60 per cent of the bar’s beer volume.

In 2022 the brewery added Smallie, a 250 ml beer that its commercial manager called Hairoun’s little sister, a little lighter and sweeter than the Hairoun that everyone is accustomed to, Searchlight reported.

Forty years and a new majority owner announced

One News SVG reported in May 2025 that the brewery was marking its 40th anniversary with a limited-edition Hairoun Ruby Label, due to be launched on 20 May, with the names of Vincentians printed on the label. In January iWitness News, relaying an Anheuser-Busch InBev press release, reported an agreement for KOSCAB Holdings, a Coca-Cola bottling subsidiary, to buy the brewery from SLU Beverages, part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, subject to regulatory approval and due diligence. In August One News SVG, relaying a brewery press release, said that KOSCAB had announced the acquisition of a majority interest in the brewery, which is to keep operating as an independent entity.

In Emblem World, Hairoun beer sits in the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines drink collection alongside mauby and Sunset rum, where people discover and rate local food, drink and music.