Small Lebanese craft brewers introduce big new tastes in beer
Micro and craft breweries are paving the way for locally made Lebanese beer by working around the lack of traditional ingredients and doing what they can to avoid contributing to the Lebanon's persistent environmental problems.
BEIRUT – After being dormant for thousands of years, beer culture is returning to Lebanon. Lebanese brewers, pursuing their passion of carving out a space for the ancient drink in their homeland, have overcome the lack of traditional ingredients, including hops and malt, by incorporating locally grown fruits and spices. They are also embracing an environmentally friendly ethos in combating a deficiency in such basic materials as glass bottles.
Lebanon’s new take on an old drink was on display at the Beirut International Beer Event, BIBE 2018, held Sept. 13-16 at an open-air hippodrome near the trendy Badaro neighborhood in the nation’s capital. The young festival, in its second iteration this year, brought together beer lovers and beer makers from around the world. It also showcased some of the best craft breweries and microbreweries Lebanon has to offer.
