Cerveceria La Tropical Takes Over University Station with Flavor, Fun, and the World’s First Distilled Beer Cocktail

October 9, 2025

If you’ve hopped on the MetroRail in Coral Gables recently, you probably did a double take at University Station. Vibrant color and flamingos have taken over, courtesy of Wynwood craft brewery Cervecería La Tropical.

But behind the IRL branding spectacle lies a rich story that stretches back more than a century.

From Havana to Miami: A Legacy with Flavor

La Tropical isn’t just another Miami brewery. Its roots go back to 1888 Havana, when the Blanco-Herrera family founded Cuba’s first and oldest brewery. By the 1950s, La Tropical was producing over 60% of Cuba’s beer and had become a cultural landmark, complete with its famous Los Jardines de La Tropical beer gardens (SOURCE: La Tropical).

After the Cuban Revolution, the brand’s assets were seized, and the families behind it fled to Miami. For decades, the name sat dormant—until descendants revived it in partnership with Heineken, bringing the brewery back to life in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District in 2020. Today, La Tropical honors its Cuban roots while embracing Miami’s creative energy.

Station Domination, La Tropical Style

That heritage came to life in the boldest way possible at University Station. A station domination is more than just a few posters; it’s a full takeover where every surface becomes part of the brand story in real life. Think walls wrapped in vibrant colored posters, tropical floor graphics, columns glowing with logos, and even turnstiles and elevators splashed with messaging.

For a few steps, riders weren’t in University Station, they were in La Tropical’s world. With thousands of University of Miami students and commuters passing through daily, this station was the perfect canvas for high-impact storytelling.

The World’s First Distilled Beer Cocktail

Behind all that punchy branding was cause for celebration as La Tropical shared its newest creation: the world’s first distilled beer cocktail. It’s not quite beer, not quite cocktail but it’s a bold hybrid that’s distilled to deliver both malt character and cocktail kick.

Showcasing the Havanito, a blanco rum mojito cocktail, and the Pasióntini, a passion fruit vodka martini cocktail, at University Station turned heads, sparked curiosity, and gave riders a reason to say, “I need to try that.”

Activating New Customers

For a campaign intended to introduce a new product, La Tropical’s University Station campaign hit all the right notes:

1. Visibility – Every touchpoint in the station reinforced the message, ensuring no rider missed it.

2. Location – Serving University of Miami students, faculty, sports fans, and busy commuters, the station reaches and influences La Tropical’s target young, social, and adventurous audiences.

3. Innovation – Launching a product as unique as a distilled beer cocktail demanded the kind of equally bold stage that can only be achieved IRL.

4. Activation – Enthusiastic brand reps surprised and delighted commuters with free pint coupons, shot glasses, and stress balls. The brand activation turned passive advertising viewers into engaged experience participants, spreading buzz and goodwill.

That made the campaign a brand experience bigger than just ads; creating real emotional connections that stuck long after riders left the platform.

A Celebration of Miami Flavor

At its heart, Cervecería La Tropical has always been about more than beer. It’s about blending Cuban heritage with Miami’s vibrant culture, creating drinks that feel as alive as their surroundings.

This University Station takeover was a perfect showcase for that mission. It demonstrated that advertising can be as immersive, generous, and joyful as the city of Miami itself.

So next time you’re on the MetroRail and your station looks suspiciously like a tropical paradise – don’t worry, you’re not daydreaming. You’ve just stepped into La Tropical’s world, where the ride is fun, the branding is bold, and the pint at the end is worth every stop.

When it comes to IRL brand experiences, yours can be the next stop. Contact us today!

Author: Caroline Webb, Marketing Specialist @ OUTFRONT

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