Pombe

What better way to celebrate a successful safari than to crack open a cold one at the end of a long hot day, take that first refreshing sip and stare at the majesty of Africa around you? For almost as long as there have been people, they have been brewing beer. Across cultures and continents, the bacchanalian discovery of fermented cereals' delicious and intoxicating products became ingrained in everyday life.

Like the rest of the world, Africa has a long-standing and merry history of brewing beer – both commercially and traditionally. Preparing (and consuming) indigenous beers is still a part of life, especially in rural areas and during customary celebrations. For many tribes, the rituals involved vary depending on specific events and require different vessels and formalities for each. Umqombothi, chibuku, changa’aa, khadi, hydromel… Africa is awash with distinctive traditional brews – some of which are more meal than drink!

While beer enthusiasts may protest in horror, the truth is that the basic beer recipe is not a complex one: some malted barley here, a handful of hops there, plenty of water, and enough yeast to get the party started. However, brewers in Africa rely upon sorghum and maize and flavor the product with everything from fruits and flowers to roots and honey. These local techniques have been gradually incorporated into a commercial, craft, and boutique brewing practices to create flavors unique to each country.

Look at our list of unusual favorites below to guide your decision.

Twiga Blonde Ale from Twiga Brewery, Tanzania

Operating from the green slopes of Mount Meru in Arusha, Twiga Brewery is a small, independent operation offering hand-crafted beverages of the highest international standard and craftsmanship. As the wildebeest and zebra gallop across the savannah during the Great Migration, take a moment to celebrate a day of extraordinary sightings while sipping on the Twiga Blonde Ale.

Safari Lager (alc. 5,5%)

The stout par excellence from Tanzania. This strong beer corresponds to a German export, maybe a little drier. Available in 0.375 and 0.5-liter glass bottles. Half a liter in a glass bottle costs 2,500 TSH (about $1) in local bars and shops.

Tasting: The dark Safari beer has a strong and tart taste. Since the addition of sugar (see the article below), the bitter note is missing.

Serengeti Premium Lager (alc. 4,8%)

The most sold beer of the SBL brewery. Available in 0.375 and 0.5-liter glass bottles. This Tanzanian beer is the proud recipient of the Golden Award of the German Food Society (DLG). The taste of Serengeti Premium Lager reminds one of a traditional Munich medium beer.

Tasting: This beer is brewed according to the German 'Reinheitsgebot '– you can taste that a palatable and sparkling beer. Our favorite beer in Tanzania.

Kilimanjaro Premium Lager (alc. 4,5%)

One of the most famous beers in Tanzania. Available in 0.375 and 0.5-liter glass bottles and 0.33-liter aluminum cans. The beer costs about $2 to $5 at Silver/Gold Safari lodges. The mild beer would probably be labeled as a light export lager internationally.

Tasting: Light beer with a soft malt note is a good option, e.g., lunch. The lager is a little bit on the lean side, however.

Ndovu Special Malt (alc. 4,8%)

Ndovu Special Malt, unlike the other beers produced by TBL, is brewed using only water, hops, malt, and yeast (no maize). The beer is sold in 0.375-liter glass bottles and is the most expensive local beer in Tanzania.

Tasting: A harmonious and balanced beer taste. Colour and fullness are excellent, and it can compete with the best. If no Serengeti lager is available, I would recommend Ndovu Special Malt.

Tusker Lager (alc. 4,2%)

This beer, originally from Kenya, is probably the most famous beer from East Africa. It is named after an elephant bull that fatally injured one of the brewery's founders in an accident. Until a few years ago, this story could still be read on every Tusker beer label.

Tasting: Unfortunately, Tusker Lager did not make it to the tasting, from my memory, it was a very palatable and thin beer, maybe a little lean.

Raha Banana (alc. 10%)

A local specialty from Arusha. This banana beer is brewed by a medium-sized brewery in Arusha. The beer is only sold in small 0.33 liter bottles and cannot be found in tourist accommodations. If you want to try a banana beer, it is best to ask your local safari guide.

Tasting: Unusual but surprisingly good taste, unfiltered with a deposit at the bottom of the bottle – reminiscent of German' Weißbier'. The high alcohol content is hardly noticeable – please consume with caution.

Banana beer is as strange as it sounds. You can find this Tanzanian indigenous alcoholic beverage in the areas populated by the Chagga Tribe, which originates from the foothills of the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro.

Banana beer is made from the red variety of the fruit and it is meant to be drunk at social events in order to facilitate communication. The members of the tribe gather around in a circle, chat, and pass the beer from one another. Banana beer is drunk at weddings, funerals, birthdays, and all sorts of other meetings.

Making banana beer is a long and complicated process involving red bananas and sprouted millet powder to which quinine bark is added once it ferments. Traditionally, only women are brewing the banana beer.

Banana beer tastes sweet and has a sour aftertaste. I wouldn’t say it’s good, but you get used to the taste after a few sips. The texture of the banana beer is quite grainy, with plenty of residues left from the fermentation process.

You can usually try banana beer when you take a waterfall and coffee tour from Moshi. The locals will bring out a large recipient with a long wooden handle, filled with banana beer. Everyone will sit down and chat, whilst the recipient will be passed around from one another, to drink from.

Enjoy your cool beer after a long and hot Safari in the beautiful Tanzanian National Parks while watching the mystical sunset in the bush.

Karibu Tanzania!