Leatherback Brewing Company

Leatherback Brewing Company: Virgin Islands craft beer

Leatherback Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in the United States Virgin Islands that produces beer with Caribbean ingredients and influences, combined with traditional brewing styles. The company brews and packages its beer at its St. Croix facility and also operates a tasting room on St. Thomas.

The company's name refers to the leatherback turtle, which is born on just a few beaches in St. Croix and returns to the island to reproduce. The company links that migratory cycle to its own island identity.

Brewing and product

The beer is canned and kegged at the St. Croix facility. The catalog is organized around canned beers and seasonal releases, which the company ties to crops and cultural events of the islands. The company states that it has been producing craft beer since 2018.

The main ingredient in its brews is rainwater, stored in large-capacity tanks and then run through a purification system that serves as the base for each recipe.

Sustainability and energy

The company states that both of its breweries will run entirely on solar power and off the grid; the St. Thomas location already does. The facilities and tasting rooms are designed to be powered by the sun using Tesla batteries and a power management system from West Indies Power.

Leatherback Brewing donates all of its spent grain to local farmers, who use it for feed, mulch, and compost. The company puts that donation at 226,000 pounds during 2020. It also buys much of its produce and herbs from Caribbean farmers.

Environmental initiatives

The company runs the Show Your Island Love initiative, a service to encourage public recycling of aluminum cans. Staff purchased a compactor with their own resources, and all employees volunteer to process hundreds of pounds of cans each month, work that is carried out at the St. Croix brewery and tasting room.

The company holds the Virgin Islands Clean Coasts Certified Eco-Business certification, awarded by the VI Clean Coasts program of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources following a rigorous assessment.

Visits and events

Both locations are open to the public to see the brewing process and try a selection of beers. The company also offers a semi-private space for events and celebrations, with its own area for food and beverages, an indoor and outdoor bar, a self-guided tour, and outdoor space.

Leatherback Brewing also reaches out to pub and restaurant owners interested in adding its beers to their menu.

Founding team

Three of the four founders —Packy, Aaron, and Dave— live on the Caribbean island; the fourth, John Giannopoulos, works and spends time in this setting. All four came to the world of craft beer by different paths and agreed on St. Croix as the place to continue their project.

Locations and venues

St. Croix location: 9902 Industrial Park, Kingshill, VI 00850

St. Thomas location: 9718 Estate Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, VI 00802 · Hours: Monday to Friday: 11 AM - 7 PM; Saturday and Sunday: closed