Why More Kenyans are Switching To Craft Beers

Dire Straits from Bateleur is one of the most popular craft beers in Kenya. High quality ingredients mean more refined flavours

I have been running an experiment for months now. Have you ever considered that you could be having a much better beer than what you had last weekend? Most people don’t think so, but the many who have undergone my experiment have found this to be the case.

The experiment involved trying out craft beers, and many of my friends found that they liked beers from Bateleur better. These include Dire Straits - a medium beer, or Bila Shaka which has higher alcohol content for those looking for a punch. Even ladies, many who confess to hate the taste of beer, have found these beers to be pleasant and even drinkable. Kenya is truly in a new beer age.

254's Craft Beers are also quite
popular and potent

Bateleur makes solid-tasting beers where they take advantage of the hops - the ingredient used to flavour and make beer bitter - by bringing in higher quality hops to complement higher quality barley. Hops highly lend to the smell and flavour of beer. Dire Straits, one of their three main beers has a crisp, fruity taste while keeping its serious-beer characteristic.

Another friend however swears by a rival craft brewery - 254. 254 Breweries does a variety of beers - though I have found them to be on the lighter side of the palate taking a grass-like taste.

What Is however clear is that more and more Kenyans are going for quality. This means that instead of people just focusing on getting drunk and on the taste of their beer as a second aspect, they are starting with flavour first.

The change has elevated the prospects of Bateluer and 254 Breweries. Their beers cost between KSh. 200 and KSh. 250 for just 330 millilitres (Carrefour now has them from as low as KSh. 185 on Jumia). This is high compared to the KSh. 200 to Ksh. 350 that bars charge for 500 ml of Kenya Breweries beer. So it follows that the quality must be higher.

And indeed, it is. Take a sip today.

254's Stout takes a more coffee flavour
over the grassy hops across its range

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Dennis Kioko

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