Breweries History: Red Stripe
In 1927 Desnoes and Geddes announced the opening of the Surrey
Brewery on Pechon Street in the heart of downtown Kingston. The first
Red Stripe Beer-more like an ale, heavy and dark-was brewed a year later.
The birth of Red Stripe would later be considered a milestone in Jamaican
history. When the island gained independence from Britain in 1962, a
columnist for The Daily Gleaner wrote "the real date of independence
should have been 1928, when we established our self respect and self
confidence through the production of a beer far beyond the capacity of
mere Colonial dependants." The light, golden Red Stripe of today was first
brewed in 1934, the creation of Paul Geddes (later Jamaica's first brewmaster)
and Bill Martindale.
The old Surrey Brewery on Pechon Street was phased out in 1958 when
the ultra-modern plant at Hunt's Bay went into operation. This was the most
modern brewery in the Caribbean.
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