Beer has been a stalwart companion to humanity for centuries, providing important nutrients to every aspect of the social strata and becoming a key element to dozens of cultures worldwide. This fermented cereal beverage has been at the epicenter of culture worldwide, but most modern beer culture revolves around the European tradition. Lagers, pilsners and pale ales rain supreme in most beer-consuming worlds, but Africa has a long and storied brewing history that modern breweries are trying to revitalize.

Bature Brewery

Bature Brewery is a Nigerian-based craft brewery specializing in creating unique brews using local ingredients and traditional brewing techniques. Its most famous brew, the Black Gold Stout, which won the African Beer Cup in 2019, utilizes Nigerian coffee as a main ingredient. This Internationally recognized stout is just the beginning of Bature’s brewing lineup of beloved brews, all produced with local ingredients and designed by local artists. This commitment to relying on locals while reaching international markets is key to creating a strong brand.

Bature is not allowing success to go to its head and instead of resting on its laurels, it is experimenting and extending its purview. All of these products and successes indicate the spirit of African craft brewing, which is that keeping true to local culture is a key building block for these companies.

Senator Keg Beer

Another example of the local ingenuity of these brewers is the Senator Keg beer, which has been a popular staple of Kenyan beer culture for more than a decade. This brew is an inexpensive alternative to more dangerous alcoholic beverages. Senator Keg is brewed by Kenya Breweries using local ingredients and techniques.

This emphasis on maintaining strong local roots is also seen in the outreach done using the beer. Many local farms used to produce the beer are helmed or hire disabled farmers. This was a deliberate effort by the brewery to instigate a physical and psychological change in how disabled workers are treated.

SABMiller’s Innovative Use of Local Resources

Using local resources, be it an underutilized workforce or crop, is at the forefront of many businesses that strive to make a difference. SABMiller, a South African international beer distributor and brewer has found a new way to use local ingredients. Cassava is a long root vegetable similar to sweet potato, creating rich, starchy flour.

This is one of Africa’s most widely grown crops, but it is rarely seen anywhere else; SABMiller is looking to change that. Its new brew, Impala Lager, is made using cassava as a new means to increase the exportation of this widely grown crop to markets that would have ignored it, ultimately pulling African farmers out of poverty.

Final Remark

These companies and initiatives are examples of the desire to expand African beer production and craft breweries. This goal would not only create dozens of new and delicious beers for people from all over to enjoy, but it would also lead to increased exportation of local African ingredients, therefore, pulling vulnerable farmers in the continent out of poverty.

– Charles McFadden

Charles is based in Glasgow, Scotland and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash