382 MALT AND BEER IN SPANISH AMERICA. 



SPANISH WEST INQIES. 

 CUBA. 



BARACOA. 



REPORT BY COMMERCIAL AGENT PRYOR. 

 MALT. 



There is no malt imported into or used in this district. 



BEER. 



All of the beer consumed in this district is shipped here from Havana 

 and Santiago de Cuba. 



There is but two kinds of beer handled here. Kobert Younger's pale 

 ale, in earthen pint bottles, is the only brand that is consumed here to 

 any extent. All brewers and dealers in beer of the United States know 

 the quality of this ale ; it is very heavy, and the dealers here say that 

 it is not so well suited to this trade as some of the lighter American 

 beers, but is handled in preference to American beer because it is 

 cheaper; it is delivered at Baracoa for $1.95 per dozen pints, and retails 

 here at 23 cents per pint. 



There is a small quantity of German beer consumed here, Salvator 

 Bier, in glass pint bottles. This is lighter and better than the pale ale 

 but is too expensive for this market ; it costs, delivered in Baracoa, $2.55 

 per dozen pints, and retails at 28 cents per pint, but there is so little of 

 this brand used here that it is hardly worth mentioning. 



I know of a small shipment of Milwaukee beer that was made to this 

 port several mouths ago from New York. It cost in Baracoa, duties 

 and freight paid, $2.07 per dozen pints, and was retailed at the same 

 price that the English ale sells for. The dealer did not renew his order 

 on account of the difference in the price of it and the English ale, but 

 says that he would handle it in preference to the English ale if he could 

 get it as cheap. 



The duty on beer is 84 cents per dozen pints. 



The imputation of this district is 18,000, the annual consumption of 

 beer is about 18,40ft dozen pints. 



There are several importers and merchants here who I think would 

 handle American beers on commission if they could get it at prices that 

 would enable them to place it upon the market at the same price or a 

 little cheaper than the English ale is sold for. If this could be done I 

 am sure that the American beer would displace the beer that is now 

 consumed here, and the trade would increase. 



HENRY -Gr. PRYOR, 



Commercial Agent. 



UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL AGENCY, 



Raracoa, February S. 1S90. 



