NAILANTEI NORARI

Craft beer has been in Kenya for about 10 years now. Over time, craft beer, beer made small scale locally and by qualified local brewers, has steadily grown, taking quite a sizeable chunk of drinkers in the frothy stuff market.

The main difference between craft and industrial beer is that the former is brewed in batches and can be taken fresh from the barrels, while the latter is brewed for the mass market and is consequently less flavourful and tasty.

It might not be readily available outside Nairobi, and what most drinkers in the country are likely to have had a taste of is craft whisky.

I tried it out once in shagz and spent the night atop a neighbour’s water tank curled up with a friend, with the dog that had chased us standing sentry at the bottom of the tank.

This, my dad, had not warned me of. He had just told me to be careful if I ever decided to take chang’aa, as it is known to cause momentary paralysis – of the brain, I think now – when taken.

That man saw and recognized my precociousness from birth, methinks. But that is a story for another day.

However, the warning “Do not take craft whisky otherwise known as chang’aa during your visits to shagz” needs to be given out. Today.

Back to craft beer. There are several craft brewers in Kenya such as Sierra, which pioneered the movement in Kenya, the more known Brew Bistro, and Bateleur Brewery, the new kid on the block.

One of the main reasons Nairobians love craft beer is that it is cheaper than industrial beer, especially during happy hour. It is not uncommon to find a table of two men with more than four jugs of beer at Brew Bistro, trying to beat the 7pm happy hour deadline.

The other reason people love craft beer is that it is a departure from the normal beers, and is most times more flavourful and tastier. I for one cannot stand some of the darker industrial stouts, but will gladly take a craft stout from Brew.

I am a bit less picky with lagers, as I can stomach a Tusker Lite, just as well as I do a Heineken, the stand-in for imported beer, a Dirty Hairy from Bateleur, Simpils from Brew Bistro or Sierra Blonde from Sierra Lounge.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you should enjoy whichever beer that speaks to your soul, mouth and pocket… Be it craft or industrial beer! – Happy Octobeer!