Beer is back in Samoa after a dry spell which lasted almost a month where many people had been scavenging for the alcoholic beverage and many shops had empty fridges.

Samoa Breweries Limited and Taula Beverages Limited have confirmed that they have supply now.

Samoa Breweries Limited General Manager Moira Simi said Vailima was being manufactured in Fiji and there was added cost and therefore there would be change in price of the beer.

"We now have to pay duty and freight, " Mrs. Simi said.

Taula Beverages Co. Ltd General Manager Enele Westerlund said their supply has begun to normalise and they had not been able to meet the demand because they have had mechanical problems as well.

"The supply of Taula beers (Original Lager and Strong Lager) has begun to normalise again this week. The past few months has seen a meteoric rise in unique obstacles facing our industry here in Samoa, simultaneously," he said. 

"The shared issue between most companies being that of shipping schedules; being repeatedly postponed or changed leading to a type of domino effect of tran-shipments missing connecting vessels, further delaying arrival of goods needed to produce great beer.

"Unfortunately, this also coincided with two other vital shortages that dampened our ability to produce the needed quantities in a timely manner; the complete collapse of the CO2 production industry in New Zealand, a critical component of producing beer, and severe water shortages in Samoa which has now already begun to recover," he added.

Mr Westerlund said Samoans have been blessed to have so many returning residents and new tourists coming into the country with the opening of the borders; however, it also contributed with the consumption being unprecedently high with locals returning back home to have Taula beer again and multitudes of tourists making sure to join in on the local beer.

"Over the festive season Taula Beverages Co. Ltd. has endeavored to take steps most breweries around the world would not, to ensure that there was always beer for our customers here in Samoa to the best of our ability," he said.

Mr Westerlund acknowledged the customers and supporters of Taula.

Meanwhile while there had been complaints about Vailima moving to Fiji and losing its taste, many are now going back on their word saying the beer had never tasted better.

Owner of Birdies Bar at the golf course in Faleata, Taupau Carlton Chadwick said people did not mind paying more for the Vailima.

"I also know that the Vailima draft is tasting much better now from the feedback we get. I think the machinery the Fijians have are much better than what we had, so it would contribute to the fresh Vailima," he said. 

"We used to charge $20 for the 1.5 litre jug but now we are charging $25. We used to charge $35a for the tower of Vailima but now we charge $50. 

"Even with that rise in prices, people still drink the vailima to the point of us having a dry bar."