Wadadli Beer

Wadadlien

Also: Wadadli Gold

A light, golden pale lager brewed in Antigua and named for the island's indigenous Arawak name, Wadadli.

Identity criteria

  1. 1A pale, light-bodied lager rather than an ale or stout
  2. 2Brewed locally on the island of Antigua
  3. 3Named after 'Wadadli', the Amerindian (Arawak) name for Antigua
  4. 4Served very cold as a hot-climate refresher
  5. 5The unofficial national beer of Antigua and Barbuda

Components

Base

Malted barleyessential

Liquid

Wateressential

Binder

Lager yeastessentialBottom-fermenting yeast defines its clean lager character.

Seasoning

HopsessentialLight bittering, restrained aroma for an easy-drinking profile.

Technique

Bottom (lager) fermentation
Cool fermentation with lager yeast yields the clean, crisp body characteristic of a pale lager.
Cold conditioning (lagering)
Extended cold storage smooths the beer and produces its bright, refreshing finish.

Form & serving

Served
In bottle or glass
Temperature
ice cold
Portion
single serving (bottle)
Pairs with
grilled fish · jerk chicken · beach fare · spicy Caribbean dishes

Character

Flavour

crispmaltylightly bitterrefreshing

Texture

light-bodied, effervescent liquid

Eaten

Antigua's everyday and celebratory beer, drunk ice cold at beaches, bars and festivals across the island.

When

year-round · summer

Variations & related

Regional variations

  • Wadadli Gold · Antigua

    The flagship pale lager bottling.

Related dishes

  • sibling Carib Lager

    A neighbouring Caribbean pale lager.

  • pairs-with Antiguan fungee and pepperpot

    Local foods commonly enjoyed with the beer.

Substitutions

  • WadadliCarib or Red Stripeadmissible

    Other Caribbean pale lagers offer a comparable refreshing profile.

  • Pale lager baseStout or dark aleinadmissible

    A heavy dark beer is not the same light island lager.

Common mistakes

  • Serving warm, which dulls the crisp lager character
  • Confusing it with a dark or heavy beer; it is a light pale lager
  • Misspelling the indigenous name (Wadadli)

Provenance

A modern locally brewed lager of Antigua and Barbuda, taking the island's indigenous Arawak name Wadadli; a national point of pride.

Claimed by: Antigua and Barbuda

References

  1. 1.Antigua and Barbuda brewing and cultural references

Confidence: medium