42 / BUSINESS / Beer HERITAGE IN A BOTTLE TUSKER BEER is not just a beer – it’s a national emblem. Brewed in Kenya with local ingredients for almost a century, STIRS PRIDE in Kenyans like few other things. “Tasting a Tusker is like tasting Kenya itself.” text Nils Elzenga and Nina Siegal Getty Images
BUSINESS / 43 WHEN KENYANS go abroad, there is one thing they rarely forget to pack: their Tusker T-shirt. Sporting the iconic image of a silhouetted elephant head on a yellow background, the logo has remained largely unchanged throughout the beer's history. “Wherever I go, people always recognise it,” says Justin Wachira, a Nairobi-based film editor who travels regularly for work. “Wearing it is a great way to make friends.” On a recent trip to Uganda, where Tusker enjoys a growing popularity, he mentioned that he was Kenyan at a bar and “people reacted with ‘Ah, Tusker!’” East Africa’s largest selling beer is not just an emblem for Kenya; Tusker is a brand that, for many who drink it and work for the company, represents a proud heritage of perseverance through hardship, good sportsmanship and nation building. In his book, “Hops and Glory: One man’s search for the beer that built the British Empire,” British beer historian Pete Brown reflects on the fact that Tusker seems to resonate with Kenyans as part of their national identity. “It’s more than just a beer; it’s a symbol of the country, a source of national pride,” writes Brown. “When the ads come on the TV in a pub it’s not unknown for everyone to stand up and sing along with a patriotic jingle, arms slammed across chests in respectful salute.” WHAT’S IN A NAME? But what is it that makes this lager more than just a beer, but part of the Kenyan heritage? The history of Tusker is linked to the very early development of the nation. It begins, somewhat circuitously, with a railway that came to be known later as the Lunatic Line. In the late 19th century, the British Empire wanted a quick route through East Africa to Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile. The plan was to build a railway from Mombasa on the Indian Ocean all the way across southwestern Kenya to Uganda, but the line was considered a terrible idea by many, and after many mishaps, the project collapsed in 1900 – a lucky turn for the continent’s indigenous cultures and wildlife. The British government had lost millions in the process, and was seeking a way to recover its losses by encouraging Brits to settle and invest in the country. That was what brought the brothers George and Charles Hurst to Kenya; experienced brewers, farmers and gold prospectors, they set up their own brewery in 1922 and registered it as Kenya Breweries. They made the beer using local hops and yeast, brewed in a few copper vessels heated by firewood and bottled by hand. They delivered their first cases of beer to the Stanley Hotel in Nairobi, where it reportedly met with mixed reactions. The following year, 1923, George Hurst, an avid hunter who had once been mauled by a lion, embarked on an elephant hunting expedition. Instead of returning home with the anticipated bounty, he was trampled Historic Tuskers Kenya Breweries Ltd. was formally incorporated as a private company in 1922, with headquarters in Nairobi, and the first beer was brewed on 14 December. Later, it would become East African Breweries Ltd. and killed by a bad-tempered male elephant, also known as a tusker. Charles continued to run the family brewery on his own, and decided to name their first lager Tusker, in honour of his brother. Although the first batches of beer hadn’t met with much enthusiasm, he continued to explore ways to improve its recipe and production processes. In 1929, the company started using local malted barley instead of imported malt extracts, significantly enhancing Tusker's flavour, and the lager was officially launched the following year. LOCAL INGREDIENTS Tusker’s flavour is uniquely Kenyan. Its hand-selected barley derives from the Narok plains in the southern Rift Valley and the water used in every bottle comes from spring water collected in the Aberdare Mountains. The yeast used in every bottle comes from a long-term strain that’s bespoke to Tusker. Even as Tusker has grown into a popular international brand, sold in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and India, it still produces all its beer in Kenya. Most beers that have a global market are brewed under license in countries nearer to where their product > “Using local hops and yeast, they brewed the beer in a few copper vessels heated by firewood and bottled by hand”
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