Beer and beach bars go together like, well, sun and sand. The Nevis Peak Brewery is expanding that symbiotic relationship by offering its customers a range of fresh brewed-on-premises microbrews. A first on the lovely island of Nevis.

OK, so technically Nevis Peak Brewery Pub & Trattoria may not exactly be a beach bar, but it is located on Pinney’s Beach, already a bit of a beach bar Shangri-La, and a three-minute walk will get you into the sea. It’s better described as a breezy, open air beachside restaurant. It joins a group of relatively new establishments on Pinney’s, the island’s social hub. Its dark wood interior gives the place a kind of tropical-alpine feel. Tables are nicely spaced in the covered interior or outside on the deck. The small but well-appointed bar enhances the upscale pub feel. Staff is friendly and attentive.

The owners (Robert and Silvia) obviously have a clear vision of what they want their establishment to be and, with a hospitality and brewing background in Western Canada and their native Austria, have set about it with meticulous attention to detail. One thing is clear, the decision to brew their own beer isn’t some kind of a gimmick. It’s something Nevis Peak takes seriously. In fact, their original intention was to just open a brewery and sell the first brewed-on-island beer to local bars and restaurants. That evolved into the idea of their own pub/trattoria. But one still firmly built around the brewery. As evidenced by the efforts put into importing and installing the custom brewing equipment, dealing with bemused local authorities and, perhaps most importantly, recruiting a world class brewmaster. 

Though they opened in January 2024, installation, testing and perfecting the recipes took a few months, and they only started serving the first beer from their taps in late May.

What will you have?

Beer: This is obviously the main event here, with the focus on a range of beers produced in-house. The initial taps featured a Vienna lager, an IPA and a stout, with others to follow, including a Pilsner and a mango beer, brewed in honour of the island’s famous annual Mango Festival. Popular bottled beers are also available… but why bother in a place like this?

Rum/Cocktails: There’s well stocked bar with a more than decent rum selection, and a creative tropical-flavoured cocktail list, including coconut and rum based martinis. 

Food: The menu is an eclectic one, with entrees such as burgers, Jamaican fish wrap, lasagna, Thai curry, poutine (a Canadian favourite!) and schnitzel, a salute to the owners’ homeland. There’s also an impressive pizza menu.

Asides

Full disclosure: the taps weren’t yet open when we visited, so I didn’t get a chance to try any of the offerings from the in-house microbrewery. However, having seen the set-up, experienced the owners’ enthusiasm and read the resume of the brewmaster, Raj Kumar, I’m pretty sure the brews are going to be good ones.

Reflections… 

I’m all in favour of innovations, especially when they are backed up by a focus on quality. I’m also very much in favour of a cold, well-brewed true Pilsner. A nice alternative to the standard Caribbean bottled beer options. Looking forward to sampling their beers in the future.

IC 2024