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Small craft brewing has reached the Bahamas in the form of Pirate Republic Brewing!

You can’t miss this spot if you come to Nassau on a cruise ship (or any other trip!). Pirate Republic is located smack dab on the main street near where the cruise ships dock. There weren’t a lot of people there when we visited this sweet little place at the end of June, but it was a Sunday and I don’t know if most people on the island have discovered small craft brewing yet.

Pirate Republic has been open for three years, but their tasting room has only been open for two years. The brew house is located in buildings behind the front restaurant and store, but was not open for viewing on the day we were there. That’s what we get for being there on a Sunday.

This brewery isn’t a one hit wonder either – Pirate Republic served 9 of their own beers on tap when we went! No matter what your beer preference might be, there is something to please every palate. Typical of a warm weather location, the stouts, IPAs and lagers featured a low IBU, making for a lighter, more refreshing beer. They also have a full bar that serves wine and cocktails for those who don’t like beer (I know there are some of you out there!).

The Beers

As usual, we ordered three flights (three beers per flight) so we could sample all nine beers. Unfortunately, we didn’t plan properly and both Allan and I ordered Gold & Haze, so we missed out on one.

Here is what they had on tap when we visited:

Gold & Haze of Piracy – a Belgian ale with wheat (IBU 20, 4.6%)
Captain Kidd’s Kolsch – their newest beer (IBU 15, 5.2%)
Island Pirate Ale – the brewery’s flagship IPA (IBU 50, 5.2%)
Black Beer’d Stout – smooth and dark stout (IBU 53, 6.9%)
Lutra Express – fruit beer (IBU 19, 7.1%)
Long John Pilsner – a light pilsner (IBU 20, 4.5%)
Cream Ale – light cream ale (IBU 12, 4%)
Citra Me Timbers – a pale ale from citra hops (IBU 41, 5.0%)

Favorite Beer: Cream Ale. This beer was really smooth and not bitter and with a 4.0% alcohol content, a refreshing drink in such a tropical climate. I’m not sure I’ve ever tried a cream ale before, so it was nice to try and find another style I enjoyed!

The Food

An onsite kitchen offers up both usual bar fare and local food. At our bartender’s recommendation, we sampled the conch fritters, beer mac and cheese, and of course, wings. The conch fritters are typical island fare which is why we had to try them. I was surprised that they were juicy and a bit spicy, which I like personally. Likewise, the mac and cheese had a bit of a bite, and the crunchy topping made it yummy. We hesitated to order the wings – we get plenty of those in the US. But as far as wings go, these rank in the top wings I’ve ever tried. Cooked just right, they had just enough hot sauce on them. Perfect!

Everything Else

The bathroom was located upstairs, which seems a bit inconvenient for any handicapped patron. Staff control the code to enter the restrooms, which I’m sure is meant to prevent people coming in off the street. Also upstairs, a table was set up for a foursome playing beer pong! I had seen a waitress taking pitchers of beer upstairs and now I know why!

Just like in most micro-breweries, Pirate Republic features an outside seating area where traditional games, like corn hole, are found. It was a bit warm when we were there so most souls hung out inside. This location also featured Wi-Fi, but the signal was not strong and worked slowly. But we were in no rush, and it was a good opportunity for us to catch up on Facebook in a cool spot with a refreshing drink in our hand.