Desnoes & Geddes
Kingston, Jamaica · Est. 1918
Tally's Take
Why this matters
The stubby brown bottle that exported an entire island's image. Jamaica's national brewery since 1918.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1918Founded
Desnoes & Geddes begins brewing in Kingston.
- 2015Milestone
Heineken took full control in 2015.
- 2015Heineken buys out Diageo
Heineken acquires Diageo's stake in October 2015, taking its holding to 73.3% and full control of Red Stripe — after which production of the brand returned to Jamaica.
The Beer Library
Beers
Red Stripe
Year-RoundPale Lager
The first batches were a dark heavy ale nobody wanted in the tropics. They flipped it to a light lager in the stubby bottle and it became Jamaica in glass form.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Light
Year-RoundCountry seed listing. [Region Pass 04]
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1918Founded
- 2015Heineken buys out Diageo
Heineken acquires Diageo's stake in October 2015, taking its holding to 73.3% and full control of Red Stripe — after which production of the brand returned to Jamaica.
Today the chain tops out at Heineken N.V..
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
Desnoes & Geddes is controlled by Founder / family.
Heineken Holding N.V. Annual Report 2025 · Heineken Holding N.V. · 2026-04
PrimaryHigh reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Desnoes & Geddes
- Who owns Desnoes & Geddes?
- Desnoes & Geddes is owned by Heineken N.V.. Desnoes & Geddes is based in Kingston, Jamaica.
- Is Desnoes & Geddes still independent?
- No. Desnoes & Geddes is owned by Heineken N.V. and is no longer independent.
- When was Desnoes & Geddes acquired?
- 2015. Heineken acquires Diageo's stake in October 2015, taking its holding to 73.3% and full control of Red Stripe — after which production of the brand returned to Jamaica.
- When was Desnoes & Geddes founded?
- Desnoes & Geddes was founded in 1918 in Kingston, Jamaica.
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