About
I actually first heard about Leatherback Brewery when we were at The Landing Beach Bar at Cane Bay. Leatherback was one of the craft beers that I tried. I was telling the owner how much I liked it, and come to find out, her son, Packy, is one of the owners of Leatherback. Small world, small island! So when Packy’s mom told us that Leatherback has tours, obviously, I had to add that to my vacation agenda.
When we got to Leatherback, it was clear that this wasn’t just a “front” for tourists, where the actual beer making happens someplace else. No, this building is an actual, functioning brewery. The exterior doesn’t exactly turn heads. It used to be a microchip manufacturing plant. Packy told us that he and his partners had to completely demolish the place and rebuild, which took three months. But then Hurricane Maria destroyed everything they’d accomplished, including their new brewing machines. For almost eight months, they had no power. They had to get creative, doing their rebuilding work with just three extension cords and hand power tools.
Leatherback Brewery sits on five acres, made up mostly of open field. Crucians are famous for being community-minded, and Packy and his partners are no exception. They allow locals to use the field for free when they aren’t using it themselves for special events. Leatherback is the island’s number one choice and the quality is often compared to the best German beers.
Location & Environment
Leatherback Brewery is open seven days a week, from 11:30 AM to 8 PM. It’s located off of Melvin H. Evans Highway, very near Henry Rohlsen Airport at Manning Bay. To get to it from either Frederiksted or Christiansted, just take the Melvin H. Evans Highway, either east or west. Note that it’s closer to Frederiksted than Christiansted. The turn is a big intersection at Industrial Road, with a traffic light. You’ll see the large Leatherback sign, no problem. There’s plenty of parking, and the place is wheelchair accessible. Kids probably wouldn’t be turned away, but it’s kind of an adult environment, so I wouldn’t necessarily call it an ideal place to bring the whole family.
Brewery Tours
The brewery tour takes around an hour. You’ll get to see the brewing tanks, where the beer is bottled and canned, and learn about the brewing process. Your guide will also tell you a little bit about the history of the place. (There’s a lot more to it than what I summarized earlier!) After your tour, I recommend sitting down and having a bite in their tasting room, or outdoors in their seating area, where you can eat, drink and enjoy live music.
Locally Made Beer
Leatherback Brewery only ships within the Virgin Islands, to Puerto Rico and to South Florida. They do have plans to expand their export regions, but not as of yet. From what I understand, you can’t personally have it shipped back to the U.S. As such, you’ll have to drink up while the gettin’s good!
What's Good on the Food Menu
Leatherback Brewery serves food in their tasting room, and I can tell you their food is almost as good as their beer. They do have both indoor and outdoor seating. Outside, they often have live music. My friends and I shared a plate of Beer Cheese Nachos, and if you’ve never had beer cheese before, I highly recommend you do the same. The taste was surprisingly garlicky. I’m not sure how it’s made, but I doubt it’s something I could easily re-create at home. For my main course, I opted for the Crunchy Thai Salad. I was in the mood for something a little bit spicy and this has spicy cabbage and kale, as well as carrots, peppers and peanuts. It was exactly as I imagined, and I’ll probably get the same thing when I come back here someday.
Events at Leatherback Brewing
The owners of Leatherback Brewing are all about building a community, so they have frequent events. Many of the events are outdoor affairs, taking place in the surrounding five-acre fields. On Sundays during football season they host Football Sunday, where you and your buddies can come in and root for your favorite team for 8-12 hours. Monday through Thursday, they have Ultimate Frisbee, played outdoors and from what I saw it’s a blast. My friends and I weren’t dressed to play, but next time, we’ll be the team to beat! They recently had a limited new beer release party, which they held at Bio Bay. Again, community-minded Packy and his co-owners are thinking of the well-being of the island. This was an event to get people to come out for a beach clean-up party.