The wait is over. Medalla has been skipping those acclaimed back-to-school parties but this Thursday all routed lead to Yellow Block.
The streets of Mayagüez will transform into a giant block party where you will enjoy the music of local talents, meet friends and have an excuse to talk to that hottie who sits next to you in class.
Colegiales are loyal to everything Medalla but do how much do we know about the company that makes all of this happen?
Welcome to Cervecera de Puerto Rico 101- a quick crash course on the local brewery.
Back in 1937 the Valdes brothers aspired to follow their father’s footsteps, who had founded the Mayagüez Light, Power & Ice Company- predecessor of the “Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica”. Innovators Alfonso, Sabino and Ramón Valdes founded the “Cervecera de Puerto Rico” in Mayagüez- some say because of the city’s pure waters. On the following year their first beer “Cerveza India” was released to the market.
It was not until 1978 that Medalla Light- the first light beer manufactured in the island- was released. The company and its founders were known for their innovative vision and risk taking decisions.
Powerful women have run the first brewery in Puerto Rico for 28 years now. On 1986 Grace García Valdés took charge of the company and later passed the reign to her 29-year old granddaughter in 2003, Camalia Valdés.
Under Camalia Valdés’s leadership the “Cervecera de Puerto Rico” invested in developing one of the most technically advanced brewery in United States and America. 2012 was a great year for the company. They launched the first premium Puerto Rican beer- Magna Special Craft and also jumped the Atlantic Ocean with our Medalla, exporting it to the state of Florida.
Next time you grab a Medalla Light, cheer to the Valdés family, who created an economic anchor on the west region of Puerto Rico and for giving us something else to be proud of. Be sure to drink responsibly.
Historical facts were taken from:
http://www.mayaguezsabeamango.com/historias/historias-final/524-cervecera-de-puerto-rico