A new local brewery is expected to begin producing beer during the first quarter of 2027 as the government expands efforts to strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s manufacturing sector, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Saturday.

Browne said the project is being developed through a partnership with Mantege Distillery and is expected to be fully financed and under construction by the end of this year.

“I had a discussion a few days ago with Anthony and Vento of Mantege Distillery. We partnered with them to create our own local beer, to have a brewery,” Browne said during his weekly Pointe FM programme.

According to the prime minister, the developers have advised that financing for the project is nearly secured.

“He says by the end of this year they have all the funding and so on in place. I think it’s ECAB who’s funding it. I stand corrected, but I think it’s ECAB,” Browne said.

Browne said construction of the brewery is expected to be completed before the end of 2026, with commercial operations scheduled to begin shortly afterward.

“By the end of this year that brewery should be fully constructed and operations start early in 2027, first quarter of 2027,” he said.

The prime minister cited the brewery as one of several private and public sector investments that he said demonstrate continued expansion across multiple areas of the economy.

“So there is no sector, not even agriculture,” Browne said before pointing to additional investments planned for agriculture, including abattoirs, dams and ponds.

He said the government recently secured a US$9 million grant to expand agricultural infrastructure and had already committed millions of dollars locally to improve the sector.

“We got a grant of US$9 million and that’s going to help to build out the agriculture infrastructure. Again, we had allocated about six or seven million dollars prior, so a lot of activity is taking place on the island. We are trying to build capacity in every single area,” Browne said.

The brewery announcement formed part of Browne’s broader assessment of development projects underway across Antigua and Barbuda, including investments in sports, manufacturing and agriculture, which he said are intended to diversify the economy and expand local production.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: WATCH: Local Brewery Expected to Begin Operations in Early 2027, Browne Says.