372 MALT AND BEER IN SPANISH AMERICA. 



porter. Small quantities of some other make are sometimes received. 

 Importations from the United States are made up of Milwaukee Imperial 

 lager beer, Bavarian lager, lluppert's lager, and Beadleston & Woerz's 

 beer, with an occasional consignment of some other brand. 



The quantity imported in 1888, the last year I have statistics for, is 

 as follows: From the United States, 1,057 dozen quarts, valued at 

 $1,854.18, all in bottles, and 536 gallons in wood, valued at $243.32; 

 from Great Britain, 836 dozen quarts, in bottles, valued at $1,411.34, 

 and 8,667 gallons in wood, valued at $3,615.05. 



The duty charged on beer is, in wood, per gallon 12 cents, and in 

 bottles, 24 cents per dozen quarts. The duty is the same, no matter 

 whence the beer is imported. 



Bass's No. 3 ale and Barclay & Perkins' stout are generally imported 

 in casks and bottled here, and sold at $1.20 per dozen pints, or retailed 

 in saloons at 12 cents per pint. Bass's and Tenant's pale ales and 

 Guiness' stout are generally imported already bottled, and are sold at 

 $1.08 per dozen pints and retailed at 15 cents per pint. American beer 

 is imported mostly in bottles, the Milwaukee Imperial selling at $1.68 

 per dozen pints, Bavarian at $1.44, Ruppert's and Beadleston & Woerz's 

 at $1.32 per dozen pints; all retailed at 15 cents per pint. 



There is no special method in vogue for placing beer on the market. 

 It is imported and sold same as ordinary merchandise. 



The quantity of American beer sold in this colony is gradually 

 increasing, but at a very slow rate, indeed, compared with the increase 

 in many other lines of goods. The two principal drawbacks to its in- 

 troduction are the price of the beer and the tastes of the consumers. 

 Dealers say they can make a better profit in handling British beer than 

 our American production. They can buy it cheaper to start with, and 

 can sell it for as much when landed. The rmgority of beer-consumers 

 here prefer the British, as it is stronger and they like its flavor bet- 

 ter. They have always been used to it, and do not care to give it 

 up. Even at a greater price most Englishmen would choose the Brit- 

 ish beer so long as his taste remains unchanged. 



The greater portion of the beer sold here is Bass's, imported in casks 

 and bottled here. This is generally sold at $1.20 per dozen pints, and 

 sometimes as low as $1.08 per dozen to retailers; and this is really the beer 

 our brewers must compete with. There is considerable profit in^this to 

 dealers. It is asserted by some that the beer is u doctored " here before 

 bottling, but I do not indorse the statement nor vouch for it, although 

 it is evident to any one that when it is imported in casks there is an 

 opportunity for dishonest persons to tamper with it to their own profit. 

 American beer must be sold to importers here at such price as will en- 

 able them to sell it at from $1.08 to $1.20 per dozen pints, and make as 

 large a profit on it at that figure as they do on Bass's ale. This has not 

 yet been done, and it is really the first step in the whole business, for I 

 have no idea that the people here will be willing to pay more for 

 American beer than for British. 



