The Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico (formerly known as Cervecería India ) is a large brewery in Puerto Rico . It is located in Mayagüez , Puerto Rico. The company's main brand is Medalla Light .
15-951: The company was founded on November 2, 1937, by the brothers Valdés Cobián: Alfonso , Sabino and Ramón Valdés Cobián , in Mayagüez , the largest city on the west coast of Puerto Rico . The Valdés brothers were following the example of their father, Don Ramon Valdés, who had founded the Mayagüez Light, Power and Ice Company in 1910. In 1938, their first beer, Cerveza India, was released to the public. The company competed with two other native beer breweries, "Real" and "Cerveceria Corona" (Cerveceria Corona de Puerto Rico "subsequently sold its trademark rights to Cervecería Modelo de México, which then launched Cerveza Corona as Modelo's Corona Extra)." Alfonso , as chairman and president, successfully led his company converting it into Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery and manufacturer of canned and bottled soft drinks. In
30-498: A degree in electrical engineering in 1911. The family returned to Puerto Rico and in 1910, his father, Ramón Valdés founded and organized the "Mayaguez Light, Power and Ice Company", a utility in the city of Mayagüez . The elder Valdés named Alfonso the company's vice president in 1915. The Government took over all power generation in the late 1930s and the company is now operated by "La Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rico Electric Energy Authority). Mayagüez
45-537: A distribution agreement to expand the Medalla Light brand into the United States, specifically Florida. The company's main product is Medalla Light , a 4.2% abv pale lager . The brewery also produces Malta India , a non-alcoholic soft drink made from barley. In 1940, it began producing Orange Crush and Old Colony sodas. In May 2010, the brewery announced the launch of their new beer, Silver Key Light, which hit
60-471: A heart attack two days earlier, at the age of 97. Valdés Cobián was buried in Bayamón's Porta Coeli Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Grace García, whom he married on August 14, 1939, two daughters, Grace Marie, Encarnita Quinlan and a son, Alfonso Jr., and five grandchildren. After his death, his wife became the president of brewery until her retirement in 2002, when her granddaughter, Camalia Valdés assumed
75-632: Is known as "La Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" (The City of the Pure Waters) because of the quality of its waters. The nickname originated because of the quality of the waters from the Yagüez River . The word "Yagüez" is Taino for "Place of pure and clear waters" . Valdés Cobián's brother Sabino, took a sample of the waters of Mayagüez to the Wallestein Laboratory in New York which confirmed the quality of
90-801: The Orange Crush soft-drink franchise and was president of the Ana Maria Sugar Company and the Insular Feed Mill. For 25 years he was the major stockholder and board chairman of the Banco Credito y Ahorro Ponceno , which at the time was the second largest bank in Puerto Rico. Valdés Cobián was a founder of the Puerto Rican winter baseball league and owned the Indios de Mayagüez (Mayagüez Indians),
105-417: The brewery reverted its name to "Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico". From 2002 to 2017, Camalia Valdés served as president and CEO of the company. In 2017, Grace Marie Valdés succeeded Camalia as president and CEO. The company works to promote the art and culture of Puerto Rico. It soon later launched an artisanal brewery, Del Oeste Brewery within its main brewing facility. In 2018, the company announced
120-737: The district of Mayagüez, position in which he served until 1928. In 1928 he won his first of three terms as a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico , and also became president of the Puerto Rican Republican Party. In 1960 he was president of the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association . Valdés Cobián lived in Villa Caparra, a San Juan suburb. On February 8, 1988, Valdés Cobián died in San Juan, Puerto Rico , after suffering
135-471: The late 70s, the brewery was forced to expand its portfolio and produce a lighter beer with less calories than their Cerveza India. Until that time, India was the only alcoholic beverage producing plant in Mayagüez. In 1985, their main competition, Corona, went bankrupt and left a free way to Cervecería India, which was in full swing after the release of its new product Medalla Light years before. In October 2009,
150-419: The market on June 1, 2010. They launched Magna, a premium beer, on August 1, 2011. On November 5, 2019, Cerveza India, which was their first beer, was relaunched as a limited edition. 18°12′24.24″N 67°08′29.33″W / 18.2067333°N 67.1414806°W / 18.2067333; -67.1414806 Alfonso Vald%C3%A9s Cobi%C3%A1n Alfonso Valdés Cobián (June 23, 1890 – February 14, 1988),
165-656: The most successful team in the history of the Puerto Rican League. The team was founded in 1938, and once the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League (LBPPR in Spanish) was created, the Mayagüez team became a part of it. A management team led by Valdés Cobián owned the team during its initial years. Valdés Cobián was elected in 1917 to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives representing
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#1733086083557180-578: The presidency of the company. The City of Mayagüez honored his memory by naming the street where the Cervecería India Inc. is located Avenida (Blvd.) Alfonso Valdez. Ram%C3%B3n Vald%C3%A9s Cobi%C3%A1n Ramón Valdés Cobián was a Puerto Rican businessman, entrepreneur and politician . He served as a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1917 to 1920. Valdés Cobián was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico to Ramon and Encarnación Cobián. When he
195-728: The waters for the elaboration of beer. Valdés Cobián and his brothers, Sabino and Ramón decided to build a brewery in Mayagüez and on November 2, 1937, they founded the Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico which was later renamed Cervecería India. The company competed with two other native beer breweries, "Real" and "Corona". Corona would later be launched in Mexico. Valdés Cobián, as chairman and president, successfully led his company converting it into Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery and manufacture of canned and bottled soft drinks. Besides his chairmanship of Cervecería India, Valdés Cobián held
210-713: Was a child his family moved to the United States and lived in Manhattan . The family returned to Puerto Rico and in 1910, his father, Ramón Valdés founded and organized the Mayaguez Light, Power and Ice Company, a utility company in the city of Mayagüez . In 1917, Valdés Cobián was elected to the first Senate of Puerto Rico , representing the District of San Juan . He served in that position until 1920. After that, Valdés Cobián and his brothers, Sabino and Alfonso decided to build
225-505: Was an industrialist, banker, sportsman and politician. Valdés Cobián was a cofounder of Cervecería India , Inc., currently Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery. Valdés Cobián was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico to Ramon and Encarnación Cobián. When he was a child his family moved to the United States and lived in Manhattan . While living there he attended the Hamilton institute , a preparatory school, and Columbia University , where he received
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