Archive record · Brewery
Desnoes & Geddes
Kingston, Jamaica
- Founded
- 1918
- Archive ID
- TB-W2Z2E3RN
- Last checked
- 2026-09-27
Who owns this brewery?
The direct owner is recorded. No company is held above it.
- Desnoes & GeddesThis brewery
- Heineken N.V.Conglomerate
From the record
Summary
Jamaica's national brewery and the home of Red Stripe, whose stubby bottle became a global shorthand for the island. Heineken took full control in 2015.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
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 Lager
Year-RoundLager
Official current product.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Lemon Paradise
Year-RoundFlavoured lager
Jamaica-only official listing.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Sorrel
Year-RoundFlavoured lager
Official Jamaica-only listing.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Melon
Year-RoundFlavoured lager
Official current page.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Dragon Stout Original
Year-RoundStout
Official current product.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Dragon Stout Spitfire
Year-RoundStout
Official current product.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Tallawah Beer
Year-RoundLager / style not further resolved
Observer reports production began in 2012 for Jamaica's 50th anniversary; later no longer in production.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Burst
Year-RoundRaspberry-flavoured beer
Observer reports raspberry-flavoured Burst entered market in 2013 and had ceased production by 2014.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Light Apple
Year-RoundFlavoured light lager
Contemporary Observer coverage confirms Red Stripe Light Apple as a beer brand; later source says flavour line ceased production.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Light Ginger
Year-RoundFlavoured light lager
Contemporary Observer coverage confirms Red Stripe Light Ginger; later source says flavour line ceased production.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Light Lime
Year-RoundFlavoured light lager
Observer reports Lime completed the trio of flavoured Red Stripe Light beers; later production ceased. 3.6% ABV supported by BeerAdvocate/Untappd secondary records.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Red Stripe Ale (original formulation)
Year-RoundAle
Official history states the first Red Stripe beer brewed in 1928 was an ale; the modern lighter formulation followed in 1934. Preserved as a separate historical beer rather than merged into current lager.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Heineken
Year-RoundPale lager
Gleaner tour reports Heineken brewed at D&G's Spanish Town Road brewery under licence. Brand ownership remains separate from local producer attribution.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Guinness
Year-RoundStout
Gleaner reports D&G as one of the few brewers in the region producing Guinness under licence. Exact variant/package requires future depth.
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 reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-05Claim last checked 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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