Bermuda’s other national drink has been given a major boost from Formula 1 superstar Sir Lewis Hamilton.

For the winning formula of Barritt’s Ginger Beer has tantalised Sir Lewis’s taste buds and given the brand international exposure after a social media holiday snap of the world champion with a can of the Bermuda icon went viral on social media.

Bruce Barritt, the general manager of John Barritt & Son, said a staff member had alerted him to the Instagram post of Hamilton on a boat in what appeared to be a tropical setting with an open can of Barritt’s ginger beer.

And he added he was able to settle a major online debate over whether the picture - which had about 624,000 “likes” by Tuesday - was taken on the island or not.

Mr Barritt said: “I feel pretty safe saying the picture was not taken in Bermuda.

“The clue for me was that the can he had in his hand was not a Bermuda can.”

He explained cans sold on the island had a dark brown band around the top with “Bermuda” on it – unlike cans sold in the Caribbean and the US.

Mr Barritt said: “It dawned on me the photographer could have taken the picture in the Bahamas because we have a producer there that uses a can without the band.

“It could also be the Caymans and it could be the US Virgin Islands, which also ships into the British Virgin Islands.”

He added the Bermuda staple was also sold in Turks & Caicos and Florida.

But Mr Barritt said the pic was “quite something” even if Sir Lewis had taken his break elsewhere.

He added: “He’s chilling out and enjoying it. The can is open, so he’s obviously enjoying it.

“We’re all very happy here in Bermuda – it would be wonderful for him to stop off in Bermuda to visit the island, rather than see us.

Mr Barritt said: “I’m not sure how to reach out to Lewis Hamilton to thank him – I’d send him a case if I knew how to.

“I’ll even forgive him for saying it was ‘ginger ale’ – it’s not ginger ale, it’s ginger beer.”

Sir Lewis – who started his top flight career with McLaren and now drives for Mercedes – is the joint Formula 1 championship record holder with Michael Schumacher on seven victories.

But Mr Barritt said Sir Lewis was not the only sports superstar to develop a taste for the firm’s ginger beer.

He added that golfer Nick Faldo. who three Open Championships and three Masters, was “a big fan”.

Mr Barritt said Faldo, who once owned a home on the island and is now a top golf commentator, even had the fizzy drink shipped to the UK a few years ago to help slake his thirst during a major tournament.

He added: “I think it was the Ryder Cup – the production crew reached out to us to ship it to them and we were happy to oblige.”