Beer in Egypt

Last updated
A bottle of Luxor Weizen, a wheat beer from the Luxor brand brewed by Egybev, and a bottle of Sakara Gold Luxor sakara bottles.jpg
A bottle of Luxor Weizen, a wheat beer from the Luxor brand brewed by Egybev, and a bottle of Sakara Gold

Beer in Egypt has long held a significant role, and its presence in the country is thought to date back to the Predynastic period. In ancient Egypt wine was preferred by the upper class, whereas beer was a staple for working class Egyptians and a central part of their diet. [1] Despite religious restrictions and conflicting views on alcohol after the Muslim conquest of Egypt, the consumption of beer did not cease, and it still remains the most popular alcoholic beverage in the country by far, accounting for 54 percent of all alcohol consumption. [2]

Contents

History

Stella, a lager brewed by Al Ahram Beverages Company Stella Bier Agypten 02.jpg
Stella, a lager brewed by Al Ahram Beverages Company

The modern beer industry in Egypt was founded by Belgian businessmen in 1897, with the establishment of Crown Brewery in Alexandria and later the Pyramid Brewery in Giza. Both breweries produced and sold a beer named Stella, each based on completely different recipes. In 1937 Heineken International became a major shareholder in both breweries. This acquisition coincided with growing nationalist sentiment and a political drive for increased native involvement in businesses, or Egyptianization. Under Heineken's ownership Pyramid Brewery took on the Arabized name Al Ahram Brewery. [3] In 1963 the companies were consolidated under the name Al Ahram Beverages Company (ABC), after being nationalized by the socialist government of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Stella brand was unified under government ownership and continued to be mass-produced. In 1997 the government sold the company to Egyptian businessman Ahmad Zayat who restructured it and introduced a line of non-alcoholic beverages to the company's portfolio. It was acquired once again by Heineken International in 2002. [3] Stella remains by far the most popular beer in Egypt, with 47.5 million liters sold in 2016 (equivalent to a third of Egypt's total beer consumption), [4] and ABC, which markets Stella as well as non-alcoholic Birell (the second most popular beer in Egypt), controls 89 percent of Egypt's beer market. [5]

Today Al Ahram is based in Obour City produces a variety of local and international brands of beer, including Heineken, Desperados and the iconic Stella. [6] In 2012 the company made $300 million in profit from beer sales alone. [7] It is one of two major breweries in the country, the other being the Egyptian International Beverage Company (known as Egybev) owned by Wadi Group and Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris. [8]

Non-alcoholic beers, like the aforementioned Birell and fruit-flavored Fayrouz, are very popular in Egypt, as observant Muslims tend to avoid the consumption of alcohol due to religious restrictions. Flavored alcoholic beers have also become trendy since the successful launch of tequila-flavored Desperados in 2016. ABC followed up with the launch of several fruit-flavored versions of their high-strength Meister Max brand, later in 2016, and other companies have since followed suit. These flavored beers are particularly popular with younger Egyptians. [5]

In February 2021, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of a beer factory at Abydos that dates back to the time of King Narmer who reigned from 3150BC–2613BC. [9]

Local varieties

A beer type known as bouza (Egyptian Arabic : بوظة), based on barley and bread, [10] has been consumed in Egypt since beer first made its appearance in the country, possibly as early as the Predynastic era. [11] Despite sharing names with boza , a nonalcoholic beverage consumed in Turkey and the Balkans, it is not the same beverage. Bouza, and beer in general, was referred to as mizr in Egypt, and also keshkab, during the Middle Ages. The latter specifically refers to bouza that used mint, lemon leaves, nigella, pepper or rue as gruit, historically consumed in the coastal provinces of Egypt. [12] The beverage is traditionally homebrewed, following a 5,000 year-old [13] method of preparation that closely resembles depictions of beer-brewing on ancient Egyptian murals. The alcohol content of bouza can reach up to 7%, depending on how long it is left to ferment. [14] It is often associated with the working class and is seen as an inexpensive alternative to commercial beer. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-alcohol beer</span> Type of beverage

Low-alcohol beer is beer with little or no alcohol content and aims to reproduce the taste of beer while eliminating the inebriating effects of standard alcoholic brews. Most low-alcohol beers are lagers, but there are some low-alcohol ales. Low-alcohol beer is also known as light beer, non-alcoholic beer, small beer, small ale, or near-beer.

Nigerian Breweries Plc, is the largest brewing company in Nigeria. It serves the Nigerian market and West Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liquor</span> Alcoholic drink produced by distillation

Liquor is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit, distilled beverage, spirituous liquor or hard liquor. The distillation process concentrates the liquid to increase its alcohol by volume. As liquors contain significantly more alcohol (ethanol) than other alcoholic drinks, they are considered 'harder'; in North America, the term hard liquor is sometimes used to distinguish distilled alcoholic drinks from non-distilled ones, whereas the term spirits is more common in the UK. Some examples of liquors include vodka, rum, gin, and tequila. Liquors are often aged in barrels, such as for the production of brandy and whiskey, or are infused with flavorings to form a flavored liquor such as absinthe.

In India, traditional beer has been prepared from rice or millet for thousands of years. In the 18th century, the British introduced European beer to India. Beer is not as popular as stronger alcoholic beverages like desi daru and Indian-made foreign liquor, such as Indian whiskey. The most popular beers in India are strong beers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Brazil</span>

Brazil is the world's third largest beer market with total volume at 139 million hectoliters, and per capita consumption 61 liters in 2016.

Beer in Africa, especially lager, is produced commercially in most African countries, and varieties of beer are also made by indigenous people. Beer is served in a range of locales, from neighbourhood shebeens to upscale bars. Many countries have standardized beer bottle sizes, which are cleaned and re-used, and so when buying beer at a store often people must pay a deposit on the bottle as well as the price of the beer. An alternative to glass-bottle beers is local beer sold in tetra-pak style paper cartons.

This article is about the main brands of beer produced and served in Romania, also revolving around the history of this beverage on the territory of the Romanian lands, since at least the times of the Romanian Old Kingdom to contemporary times. The hereby article also focuses on the local breweries and craft beers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of alcoholic drinks</span>

Purposeful production of alcoholic drinks is common and often reflects cultural and religious peculiarities as much as geographical and sociological conditions.

Heineken Lager Beer, or simply Heineken is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian cuisine</span> National cuisine of Egypt

Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use of poultry, legumes, vegetables and fruit from Egypt's rich Nile Valley and Delta. Examples of Egyptian dishes include rice-stuffed vegetables and grape leaves, hummus, falafel, shawarma, kebab and kofta. ful medames, mashed fava beans; kushari, lentils and pasta; and molokhiya, bush okra stew. A local type of pita bread known as eish baladi is a staple of Egyptian cuisine, and cheesemaking in Egypt dates back to the First Dynasty of Egypt, with Domiati being the most popular type of cheese consumed today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Asia</span> Overview of beer in Asia

Beer in Asia began when beer was produced in Sumer, Mesopotamia circa 6000 years ago. It was introduced by Europeans in the 19th century, with modern breweries established in British India, the Dutch East Indies, China, and Japan. Asia's first modern brewery was established in 1830 in India entirely using European brewing technology.

Heineken N.V. is a Dutch brewer which owns a worldwide portfolio of over 170 beer brands, mainly pale lager, though some other beer styles are produced. The two largest brands are Heineken and Tecate; though the portfolio includes Amstel, Fosters, Sagres, Cruzcampo, Skopsko, Affligem, Żywiec, Starobrno, Zagorka, Zlatý Bažant, Laško and Birra Moretti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Chile</span> History and overview of beer in Chile

The primary beer brewed and consumed in Chile is pale lager, though the country also has a tradition of brewing corn beer, known as chicha. Chile's beer history has a strong German influence – some of the bigger beer producers are from the country's southern lake district, a region populated by a great number of German immigrants during the 19th century. Chile also produces English ale-style craft beers while also developing its own craft beer identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcoholic beverage</span> Drink with a substantial ethanol amount

An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The consumption of alcoholic drinks, often referred to as "drinking", plays an important social role in many cultures. Most countries have laws regulating the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Regulations may require the labeling of the percentage alcohol content and the use of a warning label. Some countries ban such activities entirely, but alcoholic drinks are legal in most parts of the world. The global alcoholic drink industry exceeded $1 trillion in 2018.

Beer is a popular beverage in Venezuela. The country produces a variety of beers and beer-related products, and though not very varied, they are very popular in Venezuela. According to The Wall Street Journal, Polar beer was shut down in April 2016 as the Venezuelan government restriction shortened the supply of malted barley necessary to produce beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian wine</span> Wine produced in Egypt

Winemaking has a long tradition in Egypt dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. The modern wine industry is relatively small scale but there have been significant strides towards reviving the industry. In the late nineties the industry invited international expertise in a bid to improve the quality of Egyptian wine, which used to be known for its poor quality. In recent years Egyptian wines have received some recognition, having won several international awards. In 2013 Egypt produced 4,500 tonnes of wine, ranking 54th globally, ahead of Belgium and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcohol in Indonesia</span>

Alcohol in Indonesia refers to the alcohol industry, alcohol consumption and laws related to alcohol in the South East Asian country of Indonesia. Indonesia is a Muslim majority country, yet it is also a pluralist, democratic and secular nation. These social and demographic conditions led to Islamic parties and pressure groups pushing the government to restrict alcohol consumption and trade, while the government carefully considers the rights of non-Muslims and consenting adults to consume alcohol, and estimates the possible alcohol ban effects on Indonesian tourism and the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in Switzerland</span>

Switzerland straddles the border between the beer-loving central European countries and the wine-loving western European and Mediterranean countries and today beer is second to wine in terms of consumption among Swiss. The country has a long tradition of brewing, with significant domestic beer production and a growing craft brewing sector.

References

  1. Seawright, Caroline. "Ancient Egyptian Alcohol: Beer, Wine and the Festival of Drunkenness". The Keep. Archived from the original on 18 June 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  2. Rios, Lorena. "Drinking Alcohol Is Always an Open Secret in Egypt". Munchies. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 Foda, Omar. "Egypt's beer industry toasts long history". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. Smith, Oliver (August 4, 2017). "The surprising countries that consume the most beer per capita". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  5. 1 2 Beer in Egypt (Report). Euromonitor. June 2017.
  6. "Beers". Drinkies. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  7. "Egypt foaming over beer sales". Ynetnews. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  8. "About GoCheers". GoCheers. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  9. "Archaeologists unearth world's oldest known beer factory in Egypt". Yahoo. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  10. 1 2 Jensen, Jon. "Poor of Cairo drown their sorrows in moonshine". jonjensen. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  11. Caballero, Benjamin; Finglas, Paul; Toldrá, Fidel. Encyclopedia of Food and Health. Academic Press. p. 348.
  12. Lewicka, Paulina (2005). Restaurants, Inns and Taverns That Never Were: Some Reflections on Public Consumption in Medieval Cairo. JESHO. BRILL. p. 488.
  13. Ellix, Sandor. Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods (2nd ed.). Chelsea Green Publishing. p. 248.
  14. Arendt, Elke (2013). Cereal Grains for the Food and Beverage Industries . Woodhead Publishing. p.  341. ISBN   9780857094131.