Beer is in the Blood at Sands Beer

A Family Legacy in Sands Beer

A solid family legacy, a passion for the craft, and a commitment to hard work are how you can find yourself at the top of your industry.

That’s what happened for Gary Sands, one of the youngest leaders in the beverage industry in the world.

The Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company Ltd. broke barriers in 2017 when Gary took the helm as General Manager at just 27. Since then, he’s overseen increased production of the company’s locally-made brands and brews. Additionally, he’s overseen the growth of the company’s distribution portfolio including Anheuser-Busch and most recently, Philip Morris International.

“I feel such a great sense of pride as I walk through our office every day knowing that we, Bahamians, are changing the beer industry in The Bahamas,” says Sands. “We’re bringing the industry back to Bahamian hands and proving that, yes, Bahamians have what it takes to compete on a global level.”

With a recent multimillion-dollar expansion of the brewery facility in Grand Bahama and a staff of over 150, Sands is poised to reach that global level. Sand’s father, the company visionary James “Jimmy” Sands remains as President, but several industry veterans who joined the company with him along the way have now retired. This paved the way for Gary and a new generation of bright, young leaders.

“One of the greatest feelings working at Bahamian Brewery and Beverage is doing what people said was the impossible,” Gary says, “By going against the second largest multi-national brewery in the world which produces competing beers in The Bahamas.”

A Family’s Dynasty

The Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company has discovered the key components to maintaining a successful business for decades to come. It starts with the Sands dynasty – generations of entrepreneurs making their mark in The Bahamas since 1648.

Gary’s grandfather Everette Sands, the patriarch of Bahamian Brewery passed away this year at the age of 94, but he left a great legacy in the beverage industry for his descendants. A hard-working young man with a dream, Everette competed against the largest liquor business in The Bahamas, which was owned by a powerful politician in the country. Everette, like many an entrepreneur, created his first shipment in a garage. His sons John and James (Jimmy) helped their dad in his stores from a very young age, learning how to do everything from sweeping the floors to packing boxes.

When Jimmy launched Sands beer, he applied all of the life lessons his father had taught him. He, too, had to come up against a top-selling beer in The Bahamas. Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits liquor stores continue to grow, and now the Sands Beer family line includes Sands Regular, Sands Light, High Rock Lager, Sands Pink Radler, Strong Back Stout, Bush Crack, 66 Steps Ale, and Triple B malt drink.

“I love my new role in the company as General Manager,” says Gary, who, like his father, learned the business from the ground up. “The fast pace and ever-changing industry complements my constantly moving lifestyle.”

The Sands family has proven that a solid legacy built on hard work and sheer determination, along with a commitment to product value, staff and customer satisfaction, are the right ingredients to brew up a business that will stand the test of time.

Learn more about Sands Beer.

By Erin Brennan, Southern Boating April 2019

Cruise to these coastal breweries

Take a different kind of booze cruise and cruise to these coastal breweries.

Beer’s not just for frat parties anymore. The rise of craft brewing has created huge opportunities for local watering holes along the coast. Because let’s be real: there is nothing better than drinking a beer and looking at the water. Check out these coastal breweries on your next trip!

If you have an interest in brewing, taste local craft brews and learn how they are made at Brew on the River held along the picturesque Pocomoke River in Snow Hill, Maryland, on March 9th from 11 AM to 1:30 PM. Expert brewer Tony Hilligoss will demonstrate how to brew your own beer, and 8 to 10 different craft brews will be showcased.

After the brew session, kayak, canoe or chill on your boat on the Pocomoke. Mariners can dock at town boat slips in Byrd Park, Sturgis Park and Gateway Park for a $10 daily fee.
Rates don’t include electricity, which costs $12 per day when operating heat or air conditioning. For more information or to schedule docking, contact Jon Hill at (410) 632-2080 or call (410) 603-4500 at nights and on weekends. brewsup.net

Billsburg Brewery

Jamestown, VA

Mariners traveling on the James River in the lower Chesapeake Bay region can quench their thirst at the Billsburg Brewery just a few steps from the James City County Marina. The brewery is open every day from noon to 9 PM. Serving stout, pilsner, ale, and lager beers, Billsburg rotates its small batch selections using a 10-barrel system to appeal to most everyone’s tastes.

Located close to popular destinations, such as the Jamestown Settlement, Virginia Capital Trail and the Jamestown Beach Event Park, the brewery includes an overlooking deck to relax and take in the waterfront scene, and there’s typically a food truck on site if you get hungry. The boat slips are often fully booked, so if you’re cruising, you may need to drop anchor and dinghy over.

billsburg.com

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co.

Half Moon Bay, CA

This left coast brewery is known waves and waterfront. The crowd at Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. a variable mix of surfers, farmers, urban hipsters, and techies. Two of the best brews? The malty Mavericks Princeton-by-the-Sea IPA and the lighter Harbor Lights Ale. Food is served and reflects the Cali vibe: seafood reigns supreme.

Said California vibe is also reflected in the décor: surfboards dot the walls and the open ceiling shows exposed pipes. The outside patio is pet-friendly.

hmbbrewingco.com

A1A Ale Works

St. Augustine, Florida

A1A Ale Works is one of Florida’s oldest breweries. The brewery is conveniently located right on the Intracoastal Waterway and named for the nearby coastal highway that spans Florida’s east coast. With five flagship beers, you can’t go wrong. Generally, you’ll find two rotating beers on tap as well. Food is served on the second story.

a1aaleworks.com

Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company

Madeira Beach, FL

Mad Beach Craft Brewing Co is based in Madeira Beach, FL (get it?). The full brewpub restaurant specializes in beach-friendly and session-able beers by day. By night, Mad Beach provides some higher ABV beverages and an expansive Caribbean and Southern-inspired menu. Not into beer? They offer a coconut cider and a watermelon sangria. Yum!

madbeachbrewing.com

Harpoon Brewery

Boston, MA

This Boston-based brewery offers some of the best sightseeing on the list. Harpoon is located in the popular Seaport District’s historic waterfront. Visitors are treated to the best of skyline and waterline views. The décor is a true beer garden: the Bavarian-style beer hall is the spot to snack on a warm pretzel. And to, of course, wash it all down with New England Style IPA.

harpoonbrewery.com

By Erin Brennan, Southern Boating October 2018

Bahamian Beer

Drink Local

When in the islands, quench your thirst with Bahamian Beer.

Grand Bahama Island is the largest and northernmost of the Bahamian islands that is situated east-west, which makes it easily distinguishable on maps. Many cruisers arriving from the U.S. clear Customs at the island’s West End, which is a port of entry for The Bahamas and a mere 56 nautical miles from Palm Beach, Florida.

Unfortunately, for some, clearing Customs is their sole purpose and the extent of their visit to this island. But of the many additional reasons for an extended stay on Grand Bahama Island, high on the list is a tour of the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company (BBB) on Queens Highway in Freeport.

Among the visceral images and experiences The Bahamas typically brings to mind—sunny days, sandy beaches, gin-clear water, trophy-worthy fishing—a brewery visit seems to be diametrically opposed, that is, until visitors are led to where they’re invited to enjoy the delicious malt beverage. “We have allocated two acres of land to build a botanical garden where Grand Bahamians can sit and enjoy their Bahamian brewed beer in a relaxing atmosphere and so, too, can visiting tourists, or even me,” according to owner James “Jimmy” Sands, who launched the company in 2007.

Jimmy got his start in the wine and spirits business through his father, Everett Sands, a founding partner of Butler and Sands, the largest distributor of its time in The Bahamas. As a young boy, Jimmy would take his boat after school and tie it up at the dock near his father’s business. He’d do whatever odd jobs needed doing, whether it was to sweep floors or make deliveries. Jimmy eventually became more involved in his father’s business and learned all he could, which provided an experience and knowledge platform in preparation for his own venture.

A new type of Bahamian Beer: Sands Pink Radler With the Bursting Taste of Pink Grapefruit

“I had this idea to brew beer by Bahamians for Bahamians and had the plan completed and a brew license ready to go when my dad sold the business,” said Jimmy, whose family’s Bahamian roots go back more than three centuries. “For four years, I sat on the beach turning ideas over in my head, planning the details of how I would build a brewery when my non-compete clause expired.” At that time, his strongest competition was Kalik beer, which was introduced in 1988 and by 2007 had increased its market share to 50 percent. But Jimmy used his established connections and lined up strong financial investors.

In addition to his experience in distribution, Jimmy’s research led him to Bavaria to learn more about the craft of brewing. There, he was introduced to Brewtech, which had experience with setting up breweries in the Caribbean and South America. Jimmy contracted with the German company to design, test and manufacture his new brewery in Germany so that it could be disassembled, shipped to The Bahamas and reassembled by his Bahamian team on a 20-acre parcel on Grand Bahama Island, the island of his mother’s birth. Grand Bahama also offered the opportunity to use spring water—through the Hawksbill Creek agreement—as opposed to desalinated water, a business advantage that was not available in Nassau. Brewtech helped him find a brew master along with German exporters of hops and barley since those crops are not grown in The Bahamas.

Now, a decade after Jimmy’s family’s namesake beer was introduced, Sands Beer (full-bodied, 5.3% alc.) now offers Sands Light (less calories, 4.2% alc.) and Sands Pink Radler (mixed with grapefruit juice, 2.3% alc.). BBB also offers:

• High Rock Lager: full-bodied, bolder taste, 5.6% alc.

• Strong Back Stout: dark malt, 7.7% alc.

• Bush Crack: light lager, 5.9% alc.

• Triple B Malta: natural malt vitamin mix, 0% alc.

For more information on Bahamian Brewery and Beverage company or to arrange a tour, go to bahamianbrewery.com or call (242) 352-4070.

By Liz Pasch Southern Boating May 2017