The Quest for the Holy Grain - Best Microbreweries
Palestine

 

 

Taybeh Brewing Co.
Taybeh, Ramallah
West Bank, Palestine
Tel. +972-2-2898868 taybeh@palnet.com

Ok, so Taybeh is not really a brewpub, but it's the Middle East's only microbrewery, and that's pretty special.

In May of 2006 I had the opportunity of visiting the charming little Palestinian village of Taybeh , the Taybeh Brewery, and the Khoury family who have made this enterprise their lifetime commitment. One does not ordinarily associate brewing beer with the Arabic-speaking residents of the West Bank , because of the natural assumption that they must all be Muslims, who abstain from alcohol. However, there still remains a sizeable number of Palestinian Christians throughout the Holy Land .

Only 20 minutes from Jerusalem , Taybeh is located in the gently rolling Judean hills, and is covered by olive trees. The Khoury family has lived in Taybeh for at least 600 years. Taybeh currently produces two varieties of beer, Taybeh Gold, and Taybeh Dark. Both are produced with strict attention to German purity laws, allowing them to export and sell Taybeh in Germany .

The Khoury family are absolutely determined to make a difference, one beer at a time, no matter what the odds. I have consumed thousands of beers for the pure pleasure of it, but it was not until I visited Taybeh that I understood that drinking a beer could be so virtuous, and provide such benefits for others.

 

 

 

 

 

"They who drink beer will think beer ." ....Washington Irving