Palestinian beer has defied immense odds, travelling some 2,500 miles from the Israeli-occupied West Bank to reach British store shelves this week. Along the way, it has navigated stringent border checks and a raging regional conflict.
Madees Khoury, brewmaster at Taybeh Brewing Co., reflected on their enduring resilience. “My grandfather used to say, ‘if you can make it succeed and happen in Palestine, you can succeed anywhere else in the world,’” she said. “Because of these challenges and obstacles that we go through – it just makes you stronger.”
The Taybeh Brewing Co. has repeatedly defied the odds. Producing microbrew in a predominantly Muslim population that shuns alcohol is unique enough. Add decades of conflict, water shortages, and Israeli settler incursions, and it’s a small miracle any beer still flows from the Christian village of Taybeh. Business has suffered since the war in Gaza began on 7 October 2023.
Enter Brewgooder, a Scottish company founded to make beer and do good. Co-founder James Hughes saw an article about Taybeh’s struggles and offered to collaborate. “I don’t think we’ve ever come across a brewery that has faced the hardship that Taybeh has,” Mr Hughes said. They developed Sun & Stone, a crisp, Mediterranean-style lager brewed with Bavarian hops and British malt, producing 180,000 cans that are about a pint.
Taybeh, founded 34 years ago, claims to be the oldest microbrewery in the Middle East. Nadim Khoury likes to joke that the barriers they have to clear are what make its beer special. “We have many problems in terms of culture, religion, occupation, siege, closures, the checkpoint, the port, the airport, electricity, shortage of water,” he said. “You name it, you can make a book out of the problems and the obstacles that we have.”
The partnership with Brewgooder should help Taybeh avoid border checks within the UK. The beer is now available in Co-op stores, marking a significant milestone for the Palestinian brewery.
