Beers of the Middle East

Although most of the Middle East’s population is Moslem and don’t drink alcohol a number of well established locally produced beer brands are available in the region.

These are the most famous home-grown alcoholic beer brands across the Middle East .

• Taybeh Beer (Palestine): Founded in 1994, Taybeh Brewing Company is widely considered the Middle East’s first modern craft brewery. Located in the West Bank, they brew high-quality Golden, Amber, and Dark ales using local ingredients.
• Almaza (Lebanon): Established in 1933, Brasserie Almaza is the most famous and dominant lager in Lebanon. It is a light, crisp pilsner-style beer perfect for warm Mediterranean weather.
• Stella (Egypt): Not to be confused with Belgium’s Stella Artois, Egypt’s Stella Local Beer has been brewed in Cairo since 1897. It is a highly popular, light-bodied blonde lager.
• Efes (Turkey): While technically transcontinental, Turkey’s Efes Beverage Group produces Efes Pilsen, which is a staple across the entire Middle East. It is a clean, slightly sweet Mediterranean lager.
• Carakale (Jordan): Jordan’s first craft brewery, Carakale Brewery, was founded in 2010. They are famous for creative craft styles, including ales infused with local dates, salt, and coffee.
• Goldstar, (Israel): This is Israel’s most popular beer. It is a dark Munich-style lager with a deep reddish-amber color, featuring a slightly sweet, malty flavor profile and 4.9% ABV.
• Maccabee, (Israel): A lighter, crisp pilsner-style lager. It is brewed with 100% European malt and is designed to be highly refreshing in Israel’s hot Mediterranean climate.

Over the last two decades, dozens of microbreweries have popped up across Israel , adding intense variety, local flair, and experimental styles.

• Shams ( Iran):

The original Shams Beer brand was founded in 1962 in Iran. The word Shams means “Sun” in Arabic and was widely used in Persian culture.

The company’s trajectory changed overnight with the Iranian Revolution.In 1979, the new government legally prohibited the production, sale, and consumption of all alcoholic beveragesz The original Shams brewery was forced out of business and shut down completely.

The brand has now been re born as a non alcoholic beer in Iran and with its original 5 per cent alcohol content in North America.

Destinations: Middle East