USA. Heineken Global Duty Free entertained over 150 cruise customer guests with an ‘appreciation night’ on 30 March. It was staged at the brand’s newest joint venture brewery Cervecería La Tropical in Wynwood, Miami. The event rounded off a busy week in the cruise sector at Seatrade Cruise Global in nearby Fort Lauderdale.
The party was hosted by the Heineken Global Duty Free team including Manager Niek Vonk and Global Account Manager Cruises Christian Klimpke.
The event provided an opportunity for guests to enjoy a taste of Heineken Silver, the latest innovation from the Heineken portfolio launching soon in the US cruise market.
Heineken Silver is a new, ‘extra-refreshing’ lager brewed to 4%ABV, and crafted using an ice-cold brewing process at -1°C to create a crisp flavour and subtle finish. “It is carefully balanced to provide a lighter drinking profile making it the ideal on-board drink,” in the words of Heineken.
With live music from Machaka, a Cuban funk and fusion band, and a Caribbean-inspired menu of tapas bites with a Miami twist, the party filled the brewery’s botanical gardens and taproom with guests attending from a number of major cruiselines.
A tour of the brewery included the chance to discover and taste a range of Cuban-inspired craft beers including Tropi Crystal, originally brewed in 1928 by Cerveceria La Tropical in Havana and launched again in March 2023.
Christian Klimpke said: “It’s important for us at Heineken to show our appreciation to our customers and partners, especially as we celebrate the return of cruise after the challenge of recent years.
“We had a fantastic evening in the lush surroundings of Cerveceria La Tropical, introducing Heineken Silver and catching up with our industry friends. We look forward to many more celebrations together.”
Last week, we reported that Heineken Global Duty Free underlined its focus on the cruise sector with sponsorship of the inaugural F&B@Sea, a new live event created by Seatrade Cruise Global.
F&B@Sea formed part of the wider Seatrade event which ran from 27-30 March in Fort Lauderdale, Miami. The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt chaired a panel session on retailing in the cruise sector during the event. Access insights from the session here. 
