Grand Bahama is only just weeks away from tasting it’s newest beer, Sands, the first product of the Bahamian Brewery Beverage Company. “Final touches are being made now on the building and the painters are in. We are working on the roads and the exterior, it’s really coming along,” said President, James “Jimmy” Sands.
Announced in June of 2006 the $15 million beer brewery for Grand Bahama plans to open before the end of the year. “We have reached one of the best parts of the building a brewery, finalizing the tasting of the new Sands beer,” Sands added, “our brew master is refining the taste we want and perfecting what we know will be another hit beer for The Bahamas.”
The brewery plans to launch their beer in Grand Bahama first, “this brewery is Grand Bahamian, it’s part of the community, we want and need locals to promote and enjoy our beer,” said Francis Plakaris, Sales and Marketing Manager. “We will launch Sands beer here in our home and then move on to Nassau and the family islands once we have conquered our own market.”
The brewery also expects that their plans to launch an integrated tour at the plant will help the Grand Bahamian tourist product. “Recently we have heard a lot about their not being enough to do on the island. Our tour should add another point of interest, like many other islands have, we will showcase how our beer is produced and bottled. We will have taste testing at the end of the tours and then end at our sales store,” said Plakaris. “We want to work with local tour companies to promote this venue and add it to the tourist activities available in Grand Bahama.”
The brewery designers, Brewtech, a well known German firm is in the final stages of setting up the brewery’s equipment, which is expected to be ready for commissioning in November. The $15 million beer brewery will cover 20 acres of land located at the intersection of Queens High-way and will open with a large store front with a Bahamian crafts store and logo shop. The team is also working on the proposed garden area to hold a restaurant and outside bar to be utilized for parties and events, this will not come into fruition until 2008.
Initially the Brewery plans to employ up to 50 persons and currently has an operating staff of fourteen. “We have been inundated with resume’s,” said Donny Delahey, General Manager of the Brewery, “we plan to hire the balance of our staff in late November. When we open we will have an all Bahamian staff except for the brew master.”
James Sands who is continuing in the footsteps of his father, Everette Sands, the well known co-owner of Butler and Sands, is truly proud of his all Bahamian product, “coming back into the liquor business has been rewarding but demanding too. I have stuck to a simple game plan, 100% Bahamian. We have hired Bahamian architects, builders, sign makers, decorators, marketers and brewery staff. My only foreign employee, the Brew master, is already training his replacement a local Grand Bahamian, Lorenzo Johnson”
“What’s most important to me is keeping it here, ‘what’s made here stays here’,” stated Sands, “I believe in Bahamian business, I believe we are capable of producing the finest quality products ourselves and I believe in Grand Bahama.” Sands gave no official date for the doors to open but did say that this Christmas he plans to see everyone sipping a sands for the holidays.
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Plan to Sip a Sands…this Christmas!
Grand Bahama is only just weeks away from tasting it’s newest beer, Sands, the first product of the Bahamian Brewery Beverage Company. “Final touches are being made now on the building and the painters are in. We are working on the roads and the exterior, it’s really coming along,” said President, James “Jimmy” Sands.
Announced in June of 2006 the $15 million beer brewery for Grand Bahama plans to open before the end of the year. “We have reached one of the best parts of the building a brewery, finalizing the tasting of the new Sands beer,” Sands added, “our brew master is refining the taste we want and perfecting what we know will be another hit beer for The Bahamas.”
The brewery plans to launch their beer in Grand Bahama first, “this brewery is Grand Bahamian, it’s part of the community, we want and need locals to promote and enjoy our beer,” said Francis Plakaris, Sales and Marketing Manager. “We will launch Sands beer here in our home and then move on to Nassau and the family islands once we have conquered our own market.”
The brewery also expects that their plans to launch an integrated tour at the plant will help the Grand Bahamian tourist product. “Recently we have heard a lot about their not being enough to do on the island. Our tour should add another point of interest, like many other islands have, we will showcase how our beer is produced and bottled. We will have taste testing at the end of the tours and then end at our sales store,” said Plakaris. “We want to work with local tour companies to promote this venue and add it to the tourist activities available in Grand Bahama.”
The brewery designers, Brewtech, a well known German firm is in the final stages of setting up the brewery’s equipment, which is expected to be ready for commissioning in November. The $15 million beer brewery will cover 20 acres of land located at the intersection of Queens High-way and will open with a large store front with a Bahamian crafts store and logo shop. The team is also working on the proposed garden area to hold a restaurant and outside bar to be utilized for parties and events, this will not come into fruition until 2008.
Initially the Brewery plans to employ up to 50 persons and currently has an operating staff of fourteen. “We have been inundated with resume’s,” said Donny Delahey, General Manager of the Brewery, “we plan to hire the balance of our staff in late November. When we open we will have an all Bahamian staff except for the brew master.”
James Sands who is continuing in the footsteps of his father, Everette Sands, the well known co-owner of Butler and Sands, is truly proud of his all Bahamian product, “coming back into the liquor business has been rewarding but demanding too. I have stuck to a simple game plan, 100% Bahamian. We have hired Bahamian architects, builders, sign makers, decorators, marketers and brewery staff. My only foreign employee, the Brew master, is already training his replacement a local Grand Bahamian, Lorenzo Johnson”
“What’s most important to me is keeping it here, ‘what’s made here stays here’,” stated Sands, “I believe in Bahamian business, I believe we are capable of producing the finest quality products ourselves and I believe in Grand Bahama.” Sands gave no official date for the doors to open but did say that this Christmas he plans to see everyone sipping a sands for the holidays.