{"id":321525,"date":"2025-04-21T18:17:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T22:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=321525"},"modified":"2025-04-21T18:20:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T22:20:17","slug":"the-modelo-brewery-memories-of-a-brand-new-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/society-cuba\/cuban-history\/the-modelo-brewery-memories-of-a-brand-new-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"The Modelo Brewery: memories of a brand-new industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bacard\u00ed knew little, if anything, about beer. He did know about the \u201csecret formulas\u201d for producing that spirituous prodigy called rum. But that didn\u2019t stop the stubborn Enrique Schueg, then president of the eponymous corporation, from his feverish idea: to expand into the world of beer. The audacity to embark on new ventures is in the DNA of this long-established Santiago de Cuba family and drives them day after day to enhance their wealth and legacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, in 1927, the Bacard\u00ed company burst onto the national market with a superior offer, Hatuey light beer, labeled in tribute to the hero of the indigenous resistance, whose martyrdom became an inspiration for Cuban nationalism. \u201cHe who invented Hatuey beer was a wise man,\u201d Plato himself would have thought if he had had the chance to down one of those bottles.<\/span><\/p>\n

The brand-new industry was built in the humble neighborhood of San Pedrito, on the premises of the former Santiago Brewing Company, founded years earlier by engineer Eduardo J. Chib\u00e1s (father of the orthodox politician) and purchased by the Bacard\u00ed Rum Company S.A. around 1920.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the following years, Bacard\u00ed renovated the factory by investing in new tanks, drilling a well to improve the water supply, installing an ice plant, and hiring a German-born master brewer from the United States to supervise the brewery. Quality was the key to success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image of the Modelo Brewery in El Cotorro, where its distinctive Cuban flag can be seen. Photo: Taken from www.repositoriodigital.ohc.cu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like the effervescent foam of that golden liquid, the Hatuey beer business quickly grew promisingly. Once again, in deciding to diversify their production, the Bacard\u00eds had acted with wisdom and futuristic vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

By 1947, all the breweries in Cuba combined produced 81.4 million liters that year, a quantity lower than the growing demand of the drinking clientele \u2014 and also influenced by the consumption of U.S. tourists \u2014 so it was necessary to import 428,000 24-bottle cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

Faced with this growing thirst, old Schueg \u2014 considered the true genius of the family company \u2014 sensed that the time had come to open a branch on the outskirts of Havana. It was the second brewery to carry the Hatuey brand; a third, the Central Brewery, was established in 1953 in Manacas, then the province of Las Villas.<\/span><\/p>\n

With this manufacturing trio, Hatuey became a heavyweight in beer production and monopolized half of the supply of this popular beverage, at a time when the quality of Cuban beer was so high that foreign counterparts failed to penetrate the domestic market, despite their attempts.<\/span><\/p>\n

No one could compete in price and quality with local beers. This national brewing tradition, born way back in 1888 with La Tropical by the Spaniard Mart\u00ednez Ybor, has stagnated in recent decades due to a lack of financing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Hoy newspaper of August 12, 1949, advertises Hatuey\u2019s modern production facility. Photo: Author\u2019s archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An emerging industry<\/b><\/p>\n

18 kilometers from the city center, a picturesque farm located in El Cotorro was chosen as the location for the Modelo Brewery, primarily for having underground springs connected to the Santa Mar\u00eda del Rosario spa. These waters were considered miraculous ever since a legend spread in the social imagination that their baths had cured the Count of Casa Bayona of gout, back in the distant year of 1727.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although most of the few references that can be found on the subject on the internet and social media inaccurately repeat that its opening occurred between 1946 and 1947, it was actually inaugurated on the morning of July 22, 1948.<\/span><\/p>\n

These were the \u201cauthentic\u201d days when Pr\u00edo sought to dethrone Grau San Mart\u00edn from the presidential chair and the streets were ruled by Meyer Lansky-style gangsterism, while a new season of detective Chan Li Po was broadcast on the CMQ circuit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps the origin of such inaccuracy regarding the founding date is due to the fact that the commercial entity was organized on June 24, 1946, according to Guillermo Jim\u00e9nez in <\/span>Las empresas de Cuba. 1958<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first shareholders came from the parent company, with its president, Jos\u00e9 \u201cPep\u00edn\u201d Bosch \u2014 Schueg\u2019s son-in-law \u2014 and its vice presidents, Jorge Schueg Bacard\u00ed and Joaqu\u00edn Bacard\u00ed Fern\u00e1ndez-Fontecha, who had graduated as a chemical engineer from Harvard and completed a master\u2019s degree in Copenhagen. As a pioneer in this type of fermentation within the family, he ended up being known as \u201cThe Brewer.\u201d The manager was engineer Carlos Hevia, the same man who had been president for 72 hours in 1934 and an old friend of Pep\u00edn Bosch.<\/span><\/p>\n

The truth is that even at the beginning of 1948, the Modelo was still nothing more than a bulk among scaffolding. Under the headline \u201cUna industria que nace,\u201d the January 25 issue of <\/span>Bohemia<\/span><\/i> magazine noted: \u201cA few meters from the Central Highway, the new factory\u2019s modern five-story structure rises. According to what we were told, it should have been in production several months ago, but due to a imbalance in the supply markets for machinery and construction materials, its completion has encountered numerous obstacles, almost all of which have now been overcome. The entrepreneurs expect the product to be in the hands of consumers within three or four months.\u201d The investment, the report stated, was around half a million pesos.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, by the summer of that year, the capital\u2019s press \u2014 such as <\/span>Bohemia<\/span><\/i> itself and the <\/span>Diario de la Marina<\/span><\/i> \u2014 announced with great fanfare that the ribbon-cutting of the factory\u2019s inauguration had been carried out in a solemn and lucid ceremony attended by the honorable President of the Republic, prominent figures, members of the commercial and industrial sectors, and a good representation of Havana society.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modelo Brewery S.A. was an industrial colossus dedicated to the production of beer and malt drinks, combining the most modern architectural and industrial elements of the time. Designed by architect Enrique Luis Varela, the majestic building combined beauty and functionality, with adaptations designed to manage the conditions of Cuba\u2019s tropical climate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Hatuey beer production line. Photo: Author\u2019s archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The four-story circular water storage tank, the enormous barley tanks, the comfortable cellars, and the monstrous machine with intricate gears where bottling took place with astonishing automation were striking.<\/span><\/p>\n

As if that weren\u2019t enough, the factory boasted a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant and attractive gardens. Royal palm trees abounded within its boundaries, and the largest Cuban flag in the country hung on the fa\u00e7ade of the main building.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the cutting-edge technology and exclusive raw materials, the scientists and workers, organized in a tiered system, were required to adhere to strict control and innovation measures during the production process to ensure high quality standards. They wore custom-made uniforms, with different colors corresponding to the different work areas, and earned salaries considered high for the time, in addition to receiving other specific benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n

True to its name, it was really a model brewery. It was undoubtedly one of the symbols of the country\u2019s industrial development during the 20th century. Its main challenge was ensuring that the Hatuey brewery in El Cotorro, which was intended to meet demand in the western provinces, was \u201cidentical\u201d in aroma, flavor, and color to the original from Santiago de Cuba. It is said that no one could notice the differences.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Distribution truck at the Modelo Brewery. Note that it was equipped with a radiotelephone system. Photo: Author\u2019s archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The old man and the brand<\/b><\/p>\n

You could ask Hemingway. A hardened drinker of Constante\u2019s daiquiris at El Floridita, Papa became the Bacard\u00ed Company\u2019s best publicist. In his novels and writings, where he recreates his experiences on the island, mentions of the company\u2019s products appear:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll give you the belly of a big fish,\u201d the old man said. \u201cHave you done this for us more than once?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI think so.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll have to give you more than the belly. You\u2019re very considerate.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cHe sent two beers.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI like canned beer better.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI know. But this one comes in bottles. Hatuey Beer. And I\u2019ll return the bottles later.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very kind of you,\u201d the old man said. \u201cShall we eat?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

This passage can be read in <\/span>The Old Man and the Sea<\/span><\/i>, which earned the U.S. writer the Nobel Prize in Literature (1954). Precisely to make the most Cuban of Hemingway\u2019s books accessible to everyone, in its March 15, 1953, issue, <\/span>Bohemia<\/span><\/i> magazine published the first Spanish version \u2014 translated by Lino Nov\u00e1s Calvo \u2014 of the famous novel.<\/span><\/p>\n

For one reason or another, the Bacardi Company wanted to reciprocate with a \u201cempathetic tribute.\u201d To that end, on August 13, 1956, it hosted a luncheon for the writer and his wife, Mary Welsh, at the Modelo Brewery; coincidentally, located not far from Finca Vig\u00eda.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is said that Hemingway \u2014 who had previously refused to attend similar celebrations, even at high-class clubs \u2014 accepted the invitation because they allowed him to bring his fishermen friends. These, all weathered by salt and hard work under the sun, joined him at the head table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Held in the gardens, the banquet was described in great detail by Guillermo Cabrera Infante in \u201cEl viejo y la marca,\u201d a chronicle published in September 1956 in issue number 5 of <\/span>Cicl\u00f3n<\/span><\/i>, the magazine founded by Jos\u00e9 Rodr\u00edguez Feo after his dispute with <\/span>Or\u00edgenes<\/span><\/i> and Lezama.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHemingway looked like one of those monuments next to which everyone takes their picture. This time, the monument was moving. Wearing a white guayabera shirt, graying, his face beaten by time, he appeared prematurely aged and with a kind of tiredness in his gaze,\u201d Cabrera Infante describes in his story.<\/span><\/p>\n

The menu consisted of roast pork, tamales, boiled yuca, rice with red beans, and a well-stocked bar. Needless to say, rum, cocktails, malt drinks, and cold beers flowed like overflowing rivers to the beat of cha-chas and guarachas played by a trio on an improvised platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fernando Campoamor, a journalist specializing in covering the social scene, acted as master of ceremonies and gave the floor to the guest of honor. Holding the medal in his hands, the awardee read a simple note in his particular Spanish: \u201cI am very grateful and moved by this undeserved tribute. I have always understood that writers should write, not speak. Therefore, I now wish to donate the medal I received for the Nobel Prize in Literature to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patron saint of this country I love so much.\u201d He presented the award to Campoamor, who thanked him on behalf of the Cuban people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ernest Hemingway during the tribute held in the Modelo, where he announced that he would donate the medal he received with the Nobel Prize. Photo: Author\u2019s archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What the wind left us<\/b><\/p>\n

Like a sugar factory in a sugar mill town, the brewery governed the life of the town. Many locals would wake up to the brewery\u2019s whistle at seven in the morning, or children would know it was bath time when the siren sounded again around five in the afternoon. It is even said that the town used its water wells, and that the production process was explained as a model in secondary schools. It also had an amateur baseball team.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was, of course, a formidable source of community employment. To give you an idea, in July 1949, the first anniversary of the factory, 210 workers and employees \u2014 not including sales agents, vendors, distributors, and carters \u2014 were employed there, enjoying average wages of between 7.65 and 10.27 pesos a day. This, a <\/span>Bohemia<\/span><\/i> reporter affirmed, allowed them to live fairly comfortably. Furthermore, at Christmas, Epiphany, or other commemorative dates, the workers\u2019 families could enjoy banquets and celebrations in the gardens or the large picnic area, fostering a close relationship between the factory and the home.<\/span><\/p>\n

The workforce would increase in the following years as production capacity multiplied. By the mid-1950s, the Modelo was producing an incredible 10 million bottles of beer through its mechanized lines, according to an advertorial by Mario Kuchil\u00e1n in <\/span>Bohemia<\/span><\/i> on July 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Another image of the facade, circa 1955. Photo: Digital Collection, University of Florida.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On October 14, 1960, it was nationalized and renamed after Guido P\u00e9rez, a distinguished patriot from El Cotorro who had worked at the factory and was one of the local leaders of the 26th of July Movement during the April 9, 1958 strike, for which he was assassinated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the decades, the industrial complex deteriorated. The Modelo Brewery was back in the <\/span>news<\/span><\/a>\u00a0last Friday, April 11, when a powerful fire broke out in an old icehouse that burned for twenty hours before being extinguished, further ruining the facility. Of its young years, old traditions and heritage values, nothing remains but nostalgia, shadows and ashes.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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