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

Comments

Beers in Kenya: A sober opinion

Note: This is a dated post and has since been mostly passed by events. SAB Miller beers including Castle and Peroni are no longer widely available in Kenya after their exist. Sirville Brewery was bought out by Brew Bistro before being permanently shut in a tax dispute. Kenya is a land of milk, honey, beaches and taxes. I have penned, or is typed, a newer post here . Peroni - One of the best beers in Kenya. Did a taste of canned and bottled Italian, and bottled Tanzanian I like the tangy flavour and body in Tanzanian Peroni. The can is close. Heineken drinkers will like the Italian one. I have had a short beer swigging stint in my life. It has however been long enough for me to share my opinion of Kenyan beer. Interestingly, over the course of sharing such opinions with other drunkards connoisseurs, I have found that we all have different views as to what beer is the best, which one makes you too drunk, or which one gives one free, extra hangover for every ha...

How to Drive from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda to Namibia (or South Africa)

What You Need COMESA Yellow Sticker (Tanzania and Zambia third party insurance. Botswana may require local bond. Namibia doesn’t require insurance) Logbook Processing with KRA Copies of your logbook for temporary import permits in other countries Passport Yellow fever vaccination proof. COVID vaccination proof may be required Warning triangles and 1 litre fire extinguisher Border Crossing Checklist Key: Required items are indicated in brackets next to each country's title YS – COMESA Yellow Sticker, P – Passport TIPi – Temporary Import Permit entry TIPo – Temporary Import Permit exit LB – Log book LBc – Log book copy Recommended Extras 1 extra full size spare, 2 if your tyres are more than 75% worn Tow strap Tyre Pressure gauge and pressure pump. Enough rest every day. It’s a perseverance marathon, not an exhaustion sprint What you need to know Seasons - Tanzania largely has same seasons as Kenya besides the cold July-August season....

WhatsApp Solution: Sorry we were unable to restore any of your message history backup

*This method only works if you are trying to transfer WhatsApp from one phone to another, and have not deleted WhatsApp data or formatted the old phone. If you already uninstalled WhatsApp and deleted data or logged into a different number, it won't work. If you get the “Sorry we were unable to restore any of your message history backup” when trying to restore your WhatsApp messages, trying to restore again from the same backup will probably fail. The issue seems to be caused by an issue with your backup file such as if you repeatedly tried to backup with internet connecting and disconnecting.

Visiting Watamu

Getting to Watamu: Flight to Malindi Airport. Jambojet flies here and so do other airlines from Wilson. You'll then need a Cab to Watamu (KSh. 1,700 to KSh. 2,000 - many apps are inaccurate) or matatu just outside the airport (KSh. 100) SGR to Mombasa, then shuttle to Watamu. There are about 2 regular shuttles and they charge KSh. 1,500 to KSh. 2,000 one way Bus to Watamu. Tahmeed and other buses operate regular schedules to Total Watamu Drive: It's faster branching through Mariakani to Kaloleni then to Kilifi. The route through Tsavo is not any faster and has park fees. Takes 9 hours Things to do Beach Sunbathing : Watamu has some of the world's best beaches, with white sand. The left side from Watamu Village has a bay with shallow water during low tide, you can wade and swim in the ocean even if you don't know how to swim! Ocean is warm in July - August but very windy. Watamu beaches have lots of seaweed but this shouldn't deter yo...

Nairobi's Top 4 Texas Brisket Places Reviewed and Ranked

Brisket on a bed of roast vegetables with barbecue sauce at Texas Brisket, Kikuyu This review has been updated after a number of you suggested I try the brisket at County2County. What's the best place to have Brisket in Nairobi? What's even brisket? Brisket is one of the toughest cuts in a cow, from around the belly. It is so tough that it has to be smoked for about 16 hours to tenderise. But that there, is the catch. 12 to 16 hours later, it is the most flavourful and softest cut you will ever have. So full of flavour and so soft you can pick it apart with your fingers. However, due to the long cooking time involved, only a few places offer brisket in Nairobi. The best so far is Texas Brisket which is located within Kikuyu Railway station. They do the meat for a proper 16 hours, and will usually have a fatty or non-fatty portion. The fatty portions are more tasty. A 500 gram serving goes for KSh. 900 and a 1 KG order comes with a serving of fre...

Dennis Kioko

Search This Blog