Balashi Beer

Balashi is Aruba's home-grown beer and a genuine point of island pride, brewed locally and treated by Arubans as the national lager. It is a crisp, golden pilsner-style beer, light and refreshing, made for the island's hot, dry climate and constant trade winds. The brewery sits in the Balashi area of the island, which gives the beer its name, and it draws on desalinated water in a place where fresh water has always been scarce.

The beer is everywhere on the island, poured ice-cold in beach bars, restaurants, and snack trucks, and 'una Balashi' (a Balashi) is a common order. Its clean, easy-drinking character makes it a natural match for the island's fried snacks and grilled fish, and locals will tell you a cold Balashi after a day in the sun is one of the simple pleasures of life on One Happy Island. The brewery also produces other styles, but the flagship pilsner is the one most associated with Aruba.

How to enjoy it

Balashi is best served very cold, straight from the bottle or a frosted glass, ideally with a sea view. It is the standard pairing for a casual island meal of pastechi or fresh fish.

• The brewery can be visited for a tour and tasting, a fun stop for beer lovers.
• Enjoy it on the beach at Eagle Beach or Palm Beach for the full island experience.

For a true taste of local life, order a cold Balashi at a beach bar and toast the trade winds. It is the island's beer in every sense.