Beer in Egypt

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Bouza (beer)
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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

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]

History

Stella, a lager brewed by Al Ahram Beverages Company

The modern beer industry in

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

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 during the First Dynastic Period (3150BC–2613BC).[9]

Local varieties

A beer type known as bouza (

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

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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. BRILL. p. 488. {{cite book}}: |periodical= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Ellix, Sandor. Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods (2nd ed.). Chelsea Green Publishing. p. 248.
  14. ISBN 9780857094131
    .
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