370 MALT AND BEER IN Sl'ANISH AMERICA. 



pounds. The cheap German and fine Austrian beers are those most 

 generally consumed. 



The price of beer by wholesale in this market ranges from 3 to 7 

 pesos ($2.69 to $5.38 American gold) per case of 24 pints. It retails at 

 1*5 to 37 centavos per pint (19 to 28 cents American). 



Beer is placed upon this market at a profit of 8 to 10 per cent. 



American beer is at a disadvantage in this market on account of the 

 bad packing and greater weight of the packages. The breakage on 

 beer coming from the United States is always much more considerable 

 than on English or German beer, amounting in many cases to 20 per 

 cent. In a tarifit which is entirely specific and by which duties are 

 levied uniformly on the gross weight of packages, with no deductions 

 for breakage, excess of weight is a serious drawback to the handling of 

 American beer. It is the opinion of several dealers in that article in 

 this district that if these objections could.be removed American beer 

 would compete successfully with all other importations. 



, CHARLES DE BLANC, 



Consul. 



UNITED STATES CONSULATE, 



Puerto Cabello, February 20, 1890. 



BRITISH WEST INDIES. 



ANTIGUA. 



REPORT BY CONSUL JACKSON. 

 MALT. 



Breweries do not obtain in these parts j consequently there is no 

 demand for malt. 



BEER. 



In connection herewith attention is drawn to a table of statistics 

 which shows the amount of business done in ale and beer during the 

 last decade. It will be noticed that there has been a considerable fall- 

 ing off of imports. The explanation is laid to the increase in the con- 

 suption of whisky, which is considered healthier than strong ale and 

 beer. 



Complaints are constantly made that "Bass's is too heavy for this 

 climate," meaning that it is clogging to the system. 



On the other hand a feeling is growing in the public mind that lager- 

 beer is the proper drink on account of its lightness, and in support of 

 this the statistics show an increase in imports of lager from the United 

 States. 



The business in lager-beer is about confined to one New York brewery 

 and one dealer, who sells most of the beer by the dozen and half dozen 

 pints, m bottles, to families. 



