Bermuda’s only microbrewery has been named in a top ten list in America’s biggest-selling print newspaper.

The Dockyard Brewing Company, attached to the Frog & Onion pub, was singled out in USA Today’s list of the best Caribbean beers and breweries.

Both are part of the Island Restaurant Group (IRG), which includes the Pickled Onion, Barracuda Grill, the Hog Victoria Grill and Rumbar, all Hamilton.

IRG president Philip Barnett said: “It’s fantastic — it’s not cheap running a brewery in Bermuda, so it’s nice to be recognised for sticking at it.”

The USA Today list said that the Frog & Onion, based in the former Royal Navy cooperage, offered a range of five beers in a historic setting, with tours of the brewery available for groups of ten or more.

Mr Barnett said: “I was so pleased that USA Today had obviously paid a recent visit and it was a lovely little piece about us.”

He added that the brewery, run by veteran brewmaster Jim McLennan, had introduced a seasonal special for the summer called Jolly Roger, a strong imperial black IPA with a dark colour and a 7.9 per cent alcohol by volume rating.

Tours of the brewery, which cost $75 a head, come with a five-course lunch or dinner, including fish and chips and bacon-topped burgers, as well as tastings of the five brews created in the brewery, which sits behind the pub in a former Dockyard storage building.

Mr Barnett said: “The cruise lines have arranged some tours. Because it’s a single-operated brewery we have to get a significant number of people available for the tour and the brewmaster has to be there as well.”

But he added that groups of a suitable size could make appointments for a tour could be booked through the Frog & Onion.

He said: “We do the tastings in the pub, where we pair it with the food to make it a really great experience.”

He added that summer demand for Dockyard Brewing Co’s bespoke beers was strong — with the brewery working at full capacity.

Mr Barnett explained: “Because we don’t pasteurise our beers, it has to be refrigerated, so we run out of storage space, even if we try to get ahead of demand.”

The range of beers is also available at other IRG bars and restaurants in Hamilton.

Mr McLennan said: “I didn’t even know there was someone from USA Today on the Island. It was a total surprise to me when Phil sent me the link to the paper.”

He added he thought the brewery had been singled out because “I try to put out a good product with a diverse flavour spectrum and make a little something for everybody”.

Mr McLennan said: “It’s because I make different flavours, rather than just the same lagers.”

Bermuda was listed on the USA Today top ten just after Jamaica’s famous Red Stripe.

Mr McLennan said: “I was pretty impressed with that because Red Stripe is the most popular beer in the Caribbean.”