One Day Cruise Visit Itinerary “St. Maarten / St. Martin Craft Beer Tour”
Small Country, A Lot Brewing
St. Maarten / St. Martin has a variety of craft beers on offer. Of the three big island brands Caribbean Brewing Company, Pelikaan Brewery and SXM Beer, all hop produce is brewed on island.
As St. Maarten / St. Martin is a compact island, you can easily taste all these brands and their varieties in a one day journey. If you are a fan of craft beers, see below day plan for guidance how to get a full immersion into the local beer variety.
Morning: SXM Beer Brewery Visit
If you did not have breakfast at the ship, a quick bite is suggested as you will run into quite the alcoholic beverages today. Chesterfields, close to the cruise port can quell your hunger.
SXM Beer can pick you up from the cruise port on one of its guided tours for an approximately 2.5 hour duration brewery trip, and deliver you back in your port of call Philipsburg. After 30 minutes by shuttle with some scenic views of the island en route, SXM Beer’s landmark beers are its lager and IPA, widely found on island drafts. Its Cole Bay brewing plant offers insights in how your favorite beverage came about, what makes a beer great and -of course- the necessary tasting of the results of the brewing process you witnessed.
Check Availability
On the way back to Philipsburg, you will be making a short scenic stop. Ask the driver not to bring you back to the port (yet), but to drop you off in Philipsburg right before you reach back.
Capital Craft Beers
Though Pelikaan beer is brewed in Cole Bay too, it is the Seaview Beach Bar in capital Philipsburg that is the brand’s best known point of sale from the draft. Once a year, the bar / restaurant invites all other island beer brands for a special beer, art and music event on its terrace with scenic cabanas along Great Bay Beach. A recommendation is its light and fruity Tropical Session Ale.
Seaviews seaside (and poolside!) restaurant offers a variety of lunch options to go with their flagship beverages.
Next door, you find Dutch Blonde Beach Bar, home to the prize winning fruit and spice lager Dutch Blonde Beer. The bar offers a commanding view over the beach – and your cruise ship! Dutch bites like pancakes and bitterballen can accompany your third phase of beer tasting in theme with the well known beer brand.
Crawling Back To The Cruise Ship
If you are on a spree now, see our suggested Philipsburg pub crawl route.
Getting back to the ship from here is easy. In front of the courthouse (one minute walk) you find taxis waiting. Walking back to the ship (20 minutes) is easy too; follow the boardwalk and turn right at Bobby’s Marina.
Thankfully, the three beers above can be found in many island bars and restaurants too, so you can compile your own itinerary of activities and still taste all of them en route. See for our other suggested day plan itineraries if you are looking for ideas beyond beer alone.
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