MAZEN HAJJAR likes to say that barley was first domesticated—in the Middle East, mind you—for the purpose of brewing beer, not baking bread. Bread is now the region’s daily staple; beer barely registers. But the founder of 961, a Lebanese microbrewery, thinks there is a fertile market in the Fertile Crescent. “There is too much light fizzy tasteless stuff,” he says.
In Lebanon the trend is growing. Colonel Brewery in Batroun, a Christian seaside town, serves its beers in its garden and sells more to 70 Lebanese bars. Beirut Beer is another brand made by a winemaking family. Schtrunz is the latest to join, made by a family with Czech roots. But Lebanon is not the rest of the region. Is there room elsewhere?
Yes, say producers. Israel has a flourishing craft beer scene, and in the West Bank Taybeh (“tasty” in Arabic) has been producing a range of craft beers since the 1990s. Even Jordan has its own microbrewery, Carakale. Some brews are flavoured with regional herbs and spices such as sumac and thyme.
Most Arabs are Muslim and most Muslims agree that the Koran bans alcohol. But not...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/297M2uK
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