Save Sea Turtles While Sipping a Cold IPA on a Hidden Island Brewery

If you ever find yourself in the British Virgin Islands, craving a cold beer, you’ll probably grab a Carib or a Red Stripe without thinking twice.

But if you want something brewed right there in the BVI — not shipped from another country — you’ll need to get off the beach and hop on a boat.

Cooper Island Beach Club has the only microbrewery of its kind in the British Virgin Islands.

You can’t drive there.

You have to sail two to three hours from Tortola.

But trust me, it’s worth the trip.

The brewery sits inside a private eco-resort, owned by Colin Harris — one of the brains behind Harrows Darts.
He built the brewery back in 2015, adding solar panels for power and a full rainwater system for brewing.

Every drop of beer there comes straight from the island’s own rain.
Every batch is brewed by just one guy — Marco Biga.

Marco keeps things simple.
He brews the kind of beer you actually want to drink while sitting under the Caribbean sun.
Light. Crisp. Refreshing.

On tap every day, you’ll find four main beers:

• Everyday Lager
• Sunset Pilsner
• Turtle IPA
• Suppin IPA

There’s also usually a rotating seasonal beer or a fruity hard seltzer if you want something different.

The Turtle IPA isn’t just good — it’s doing good too.
Every time you buy a pint, one dollar goes straight to the Turtle Foundation to help save sea turtles.

Marco brews in a space barely bigger than a walk-in closet.
His small setup can make up to 2,000 liters at a time.
He learned brewing back home in Giaveno, Italy, and now plans every batch four months ahead because supplies have to be shipped from the U.S.

Brewing on a tiny island isn’t easy.
Sometimes supplies take ages to arrive.
So Marco has to plan carefully — especially for the IPAs, which need about a month to be ready.
The lagers and pilsners take even longer, and there’s no hiding mistakes when the flavors are that clean.

When Marco isn’t brewing, you might find him quietly hanging out at the bar.
He doesn’t tell people he’s the brewer.
He listens to what they really think about the beers.

He’s not chasing awards.
He’s chasing smiles at the bar.

If you visit, get the tasting flight and try everything.
You can even grab a growler to take back on your boat.

How to get there:

If you’re staying overnight at Cooper Island Beach Club, you can get picked up by boat from Road Town, Tortola.
If you’re visiting just for the day, you can charter a boat and anchor at Manchioneel Bay — either by reservation or first-come, first-served.

Cold beer. Warm sun. And every sip helping save sea turtles.
Sounds like a pretty good reason to raise a glass.