Cervecería Bucanero

The brewery at Holguín opened on 24 October 1990, built with help from East Germany. In 1997 it became a joint venture between the Cuban food ministry’s Corporación Alimentaria and a Canadian subsidiary of Interbrew, now part of AB InBev; each holds half. Its water comes by pipeline from 21 km away, and cane sugar goes into the boil. Cristal and Bucanero are its main beers, with Mayabe and the premium Bucanero Max and Cristal Extra. The partners have been in arbitration since 2021, and from January 2026 Ambev no longer counts Bucanero among its subsidiaries, though it keeps its 50%.