During my time in Bethlehem (Palestinian territories) this August, it became a habit to end a long day under the punishing sun with a Taybeh beer, a blond variety with honey and vanilla undertones issued from the first and only Palestinian brewery to date. I felt compelled to go to the source, the Christian town of Taybeh nestled between Israeli settlements just north of Ramallah, to find out more about this remarkable family enterprise.
The Taybeh brewery was founded in 1994 by Nadim Khoury, who returned to Palestine from his studies in the US in the optimism that followed the Oslo Accords. The Second Intifada was a ‘slap in the face’, because it caused many friends and family to re-emigrate, compromising the spirit of unity the Khourys were trying to create. But Nadim and his family endured the violence and humiliation of the Israeli reconquest, and survived the contraction of the economy by self-funding the brewery entirely. The burgeoning family enterprise is currently in a generational transition: Nadim is in the process of handing over Taybeh to his children. His daughter, Madees, has shown a passion for beer since age 10, and is poised to take over the brewery.
The secret to Taybeh beer seems to be the Khoury’s dedication to obtaining the best raw materials from all over the world. They get their hops from the Czech republic, their barley from France, and brew according to the Bavarian purity law of 1516, which stipulates the use of spring water. But obtaining pure water is perhaps the biggest practical challenge for Palestinians living under the occupation. The Israelis only turn on the taps about once every 20 days, interfering with the autonomy and scale of the production. This is but one of Israel’s many ‘soft harassment’ tactics, which include checkpoints, arbitrary arrests and traveling prohibitions.
I had only tasted the blond beer, but it turns out Taybeh also makes a dark brew with an earthy flavour, and a non-alcoholic beer that is sold in conservative Muslim markets such as Nablus, Hebron and Jenin; functioning as an insurance policy in times of economic hardship. Madees was also preparing for the launch of a new wheat beer that will be made with oranges and Middle Eastern spices.
For the moment, Taybeh only exports beer to a handful of countries, including Germany, Sweden and Japan, but the Khourys hope to franchise the company in more countries in the future. The fact that the beer is unpasteurized also reduces its optimal shelf life to around 4 months, making it prone to spoilage if left exposed to light or heat and making it harder to export overseas.
Nadim Koury’s son, Canaan, just back from his engineering studies in the US, has taken charge of the imminent opening of the Taybeh winery, and aims to sell his first bottles by early 2014. The two other Palestinian wineries, Crimisan and Latroun, have had their vineyards annexed by Israel, which technically will also make Taybeh the only Palestinian winery.
When I saw him, Canaan was refining a Cabernet Sauvignon red, purchased from Palestinian farmers in the West Bank, but was also experimenting with local varieties of table grapes. Buying from Palestinian farmers is a big sacrifice for Taybeh: the price of Israeli-controlled water is up to five times higher for Palestinians, meaning Israeli farmers invariably undercut them. For this reason, Canaan also had trouble convincing his providers to abide to the Taybeh tradition of using no chemicals.
The Khoury’s preference to support the local economy is not always an option under Israeli occupation. Since there are no bottle manufacturers in Palestine, the Khourys used to buy their beer bottles from Portugal; but the Israeli authorities recently forced them to obtain the bottles from an Israeli firm, and the winery will have to do the same. These necessary compromises have raised some questions about Taybeh’s dedication to the local economy, and the fact that they export to Israel is also contentious for some. But the Khourys proud that their beer is among the few Palestinian products to be sold in Israel.
The biggest challenge faced by Taybeh is to persuade the local market, which mostly looks to get ‘economically drunk’, to buy their high quality, and therefore more pricey products. There is also a pervasive belief that Palestinian products are necessarily of bad quality; a stigma that decades of heavily restricted trade, and a virtually non-existent ministry of health has entrenched. So the Khourys must invest considerable effort into educating the local market to justify the price of their product, and are planning to open a tasting room to that effect.
In the meantime, tourists are always ready to splurge for a better drink and provide the backbone of Taybeh’s clientele, but the political situation makes them a highly volatile market that disappears completely in times of crisis. Every October, the Khourys promote Taybeh beer to tourists and Palestinians alike at their Oktoberfest event. Last year, a staggering 150 000 people swarmed to Taybeh for a weekend of drinking and music.
Like their father, Madees and Canaan returned to Palestine despite the political situation because they felt a sense of duty to use their education to better the quality of life and support the local economy. The Taybeh falafel vendor makes as much during the two days of Oktoberfest as the entire rest of the year. This is rare in a society where an increasing portion of the youth can think only of getting out.
The strength of the family structure is what seems to have given the Khourys the purpose and determination to overcome their challenges. Small scale, family companies like Taybeh are vital to the nation building process, giving Palestinians a quality local product to consume and be proud of. Palestinians do not yet have a country they can call their own, but quality beer and wine is a good start.
By Mischa Snaije