MIAMI — When he opened Cerveceria La Tropical in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood in 2021, CEO Manny Portuondo brought a longtime dream to life, recreating a modern version of a Havana brewery founded in 1888.
But the dream, which included selling a version of the original amber lager recipe made in Cuba, remained incomplete. Due to legal complications involving the name, the brand couldn’t recreate its most popular, bestselling beer, Cristal, first made at the Havana brewery in 1928.
Now, after finally winning approval from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Cerveceria La Tropical can make and distribute the beer using the original recipe under the name Tropi Crystal.
