Commonwealth Brewery Kicks Off Celebration of Kalik’s 25th Anniversary
Commonwealth Brewery Kicks Off Celebration of Kalik’s 25th Anniversary Dozens of invited guests, including Minister of State for Investments Khaalis Rolle, got a rare look inside one of the nation’s most secure and sophisticated manufacturing facilities today as Commonwealth Brewery Limited kicked off a series of events celebrating the 25th anniversary of Kalik, the beer of The Bahamas.
“Today marks an important milestone for Commonwealth Brewery as we celebrate 25 years of production of Kalik, the original Bahamian beer and the brand that has maintained its place as the favourite beer of The Bahamas since the first sip,” said Commonwealth Brewery Limited’s Managing Director Nico Pinotsis. Photos by Media Unlimited He described the success of Kalik as “nothing short of phenomenal,” a single beverage that has become as much a part of local lore and legend as it has vacation memories for millions of visitors. More than 48 million bottles or cans of Kalik have been consumed since the brand was launched in 1988.
Photos by Media Unlimited
“We are proud of what Kalik, has come to symbolize in The Bahamas,” said Pinotsis. “Twenty five years ago when Heineken said it wanted to manufacture Heineken and Guinness in The Bahamas and would introduce a Bahamian beer, there were those who expressed concern. Would the standards and production levels be consistent? Was the quality of the water fine enough? From the moment that the first Kalik rolled off the assembly line, the answer was an unequivocal and resounding yes. And for more than two decades, Kalik has quenched the thirst of a nation and proven that a Bahamian-made product, produced with care and attention, can equal or surpass a product made anywhere else in the world.”
The success of the Bahamian-made beer which now includes four labels -- Kalik, Kalik Gold, Light and Lime -- was kept Kalik the top-selling beer in The Bahamas, enjoying considerable market share. More than two million cases have been sold, many making their way into pubs and restaurants as far away as Australia, Ireland and Germany. It has enjoyed such popularity that there were times in the 1990s when pubs in England had to wait for shipments as disgruntled customers forsook their local brew, demanding Kalik.
“You cannot deny the distinctive taste of Kalik,” said Pinotsis. “But I think there is something else, an intangible that is almost magic about the brand, a product that conjures images of sun, sand and sea, the sounds and sights of Junkanoo and the sheer fun and excitement of island life.” The cultural component was no accident -- the name Kalik comes from the sound made by the cowbell, an integral part of Junkanoo music.
The brand has also meant economic benefits for the country, one of the reasons that Minister of State for Investments Khaalis Rolle participated in the first anniversary event. “On this, the dawn of the 25th anniversary of Kalik, it is Commonwealth Brewery Limited’s pleasure to show a little respect to the beer that surprised and satisfied a nation, earned an international reputation, won four Monde Selection Gold Medals from the International Institute for Quality Selections, accounted for hundreds of jobs, led to thousands of exports and brought pleasure to millions,” said Pinotsis.
Kalik won the first of its four gold medals from Belgium’s International Institute for Quality Selections just two years after the first brew rolled off the assembly line in 1998, a feat executives called “remarkable for such a young beer.” In 1992, the original Kalik Regular was complemented by Kalik Gold as a limited brew to mark the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the New World. The new brew was so well received that its temporary label became permanent. In 1997, the company introduced Kalik Light and in 2011 Kalik Lime was added.
In 2011, Commonwealth Brewery became a publicly owned company with 25% of the shares held by Bahamian individuals and institutions. In addition to the 150,000 square foot brewery sprawled across almost 20 acres at Clifton Pier where Kalik, Heineken, Guinness, Vitamalt, Ole Nassau and Ron Ricardo rums are produced, the company distributes 70-plus labels of beer, wines and spirits, and owns 55 retail stores throughout The Bahamas. CBL has some 385 employees, three warehouses and a major recycling plant that produces more than 50% of the brewery’s bottles.
