Beer in Egypt has long held a significant role, and its presence in the country is thought to date back to thePredynastic period. Inancient Egypt wine was preferred by the upper class, whereas beer was a staple forworking class Egyptians and a central part of their diet.^[1]

This sectionneeds expansion with: more details about pre-modern beer, especially ancient history. You can help byadding missing information.(September 2025)

The modern beer industry inEgypt was founded by Belgian businessmen in 1897, with the establishment of Crown Brewery inAlexandria and later the Pyramid Brewery inGiza. Both breweries produced and sold a beer namedStella, each based on completely different recipes. In 1937Heineken International became a major shareholder in both breweries. This acquisition coincided with growing nationalist sentiment and a political drive for increased native involvement in businesses, or Egyptianization. Under Heineken's ownership Pyramid Brewery took on the Arabized nameAl Ahram Brewery.^[2] In 1963 the companies were consolidated under the nameAl Ahram Beverages Company (ABC), after being nationalized by the socialist government of Egyptian presidentGamal Abdel Nasser. The Stella brand was unified under government ownership and continued to be mass-produced. In 1997 the government sold the company to Egyptian businessman Ahmad Zayat who restructured it and introduced a line of non-alcoholic beverages to the company's portfolio. It was acquired once again byHeineken International in 2002.^[2] Stella remains by far the most popular beer in Egypt, with 47.5 million liters sold in 2016 (equivalent to a third of Egypt's total beer consumption),^[3] and ABC, which markets Stella as well as non-alcoholic Birell (the second most popular beer in Egypt), controls 89 percent of Egypt's beer market.^[4]

Today Al Ahram is based inObour City produces a variety of local and international brands of beer, includingHeineken,Desperados and the iconicStella.^[5] In 2012 the company made $300 million in profit from beer sales alone.^[6] It is one of two major breweries in the country, the other being theEgyptian International Beverage Company (known as Egybev) owned by Egyptian businessmanSamih Sawiris.^[7]

Non-alcoholic beers, like the aforementioned Birell and fruit-flavored Fayrouz, are very popular in Egypt, as observant Muslims tend to avoid the consumption of alcohol due to religious restrictions. Flavored alcoholic beers have also become trendy since the successful launch of tequila-flavored Desperados in 2016. ABC followed up with the launch of several fruit-flavored versions of theirhigh-strength Meister Max brand, later in 2016, and other companies have since followed suit. These flavored beers are particularly popular with younger Egyptians.^[4]

In February 2021, archaeologists confirmed the discovery of a beer factory atAbydos that dates back to the time ofKing Narmer, who reigned during the First Dynastic Period (3150BC–2613BC).^[8]

A beer type known asbouza (Egyptian Arabic:بوظة), based on barley and bread,^[9] has been consumed in Egypt since beer first made its appearance in the country, possibly as early as thePredynastic era.^[10] Despite sharing names withboza, a nonalcoholic beverage consumed inTurkey and theBalkans, it is not the same beverage.Bouza, and beer in general, was referred to asmizr in Egypt, and alsokeshkab, during the Middle Ages. The latter specifically refers tobouza that usedmint,lemon leaves,nigella,pepper orrue asgruit, historically consumed in the coastal provinces of Egypt.^[11] The beverage is traditionally homebrewed, following a 5,000 year-old^[12] method of preparation that closely resembles depictions of beer-brewing onancient Egyptian murals. The alcohol content ofbouza can reach up to 7%, depending on how long it is left to ferment.^[13] It is often associated with the working class and is seen as an inexpensive alternative to commercial beer.^[9]

• Stella (beer)
• Egyptian wine
• Egyptian cuisine

• Egyptian alcoholic beverages
• Beer in Africa

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