A SCOTTISH firm is helping a brewery in the West Bank to launch a new beer in the UK despite the ongoing Israeli occupation.
Taybeh Brewing Co, which is believed to be the oldest microbrewery in the Middle East, is launching its Sun & Stone Lager in stores across the UK amid escalating restrictions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The microbrewery is located in Taybeh, a Palestinian village in Ramallah in the West Bank which is frequently targeted by Israeli settlers.
However, thanks to a partnership with Brewgooder – a "socially conscious beer company" founded in Glasgow – the lager will soon be available online as well as on supermarket shelves.
The beer secured a major national listing with Co-op, stocking in 1600 stores from September 10 – just months after the supermarket chain announced it would stop selling products from Israel.
Called Sun & Stone, the lager was named after the region's warm climate and abundance of limestone.
It was developed with Taybeh's Madees Khoury, 39, the region's first and only female brewmaster.
Speaking earlier in August, she said that Taybeh Brewing Co "shows a side of Palestine that people do not always see", adding that it will "always find a way" to survive amid the occupation.
“Three towns near us were attacked early in the morning. Cars were set on fire. Soldiers threw tear gas. One person from the neighbouring town died because he suffocated from the tear gas.
“Things are getting worse, but we’re still here, still making beer. Because what else can we do but keep going? Our brewery provides jobs and much-needed distraction. It tells a story – it shows a side of Palestine that people do not always see.”
She continued: “During the Second Intifada, the roads were blocked and people couldn’t move around. My father was so determined to get beer to customers he had a donkey carry cases past the checkpoint to reach the other side so they wouldn’t run out.
"We always find a way, and this partnership with our friends at Brewgooder, which will help us provide beer to the UK, is another example of that.”
Madees's brother, 33-year-old Canaan Khoury, is a Harvard-trained mechanical engineer who returned to the West Bank to run the brewery alongside his sister, their father Nadim, and uncle David – who co-founded it after the 1994 Oslo Accords.
“Life has descended into total anarchy. There is no protection from any government authority, Palestinian or Israeli.
“The Palestinian police cannot enter our village without Israeli permission. The Israeli army is here only to defend the settlers, not us. The people who attack us are supported by the army.
“You start thinking about how to protect yourself: Do you run? Do you stay? It is very dystopian. But we choose to stay, as this is our home.”
Brewgooder co-founder James Hughes said he first came across the brewery in a news article two years ago. He decided to reach out to collaborate on a beer which could be brewed in the UK to circumvent the restrictions the brewery is facing while preserving its story and providing it with more opportunities.
Hughes commented: “When we first read about Taybeh, we were completely moved by their resilience. They’re incredible people who deserve to have their story told and their beer enjoyed around the world.
"We see this as a chance not just to stand by a brewery we admire, but to also share a perspective of Palestine that is not often seen, while helping to support humanitarian aid in Gaza and elsewhere where the suffering is unimaginably unjust.
“We’re proud to stand beside them and use our business to support theirs. Every can of this beer carries their voice further and provides essential funds to those who need it most.”
Paul Gerrard, Co-op’s director of campaigns, public affairs and policy, said: “We have a longstanding legacy of supporting communities and know the positive impact co-operation can have in fostering long term recovery in regions affected by conflict.
“The Brewgooder and Taybeh beer is such a great initiative to support economic stability and we’re proud to be able to sell the beer in our stores and donate the profits.”
