Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

Zimbabwe Beer

By

zimbabwe
Today in 1980, Zimbabwe gained their Independence from the UK.

Zimbabwe
zimbabwe-color

Zimbabwe Breweries

Zimbabwe Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.08%

Zimbabwe

  • Full Name: Republic of Zimbabwe
  • Location: Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
  • Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy
  • Language: English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele, sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
  • Religion(s): Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
  • Capital: Harare
  • Population: 12,619,600; 61st
  • Area: 390,757 sq km, 61st
  • Comparative Area: Slightly larger than Montana
  • National Food: Sadza
  • National Symbol: Flame Lily
  • Affiliations: UN, African Union, Commonwealth
  • Independence: From the UK, April 18, 1980

zimbabwe-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: 0.08%
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 4

ZimbabwePnew-1Dollar-2006-donatedfvt_f

  • How to Say “Beer”: beer
  • How to Order a Beer: One beer, please
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Cheers
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

zimbabwe-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 25%
  • Wine: 5%
  • Spirits: 2%
  • Other: 68%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 4.08
  • Unrecorded: 1.00
  • Total: 5.08
  • Beer: 0.96

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 4.1 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Increase
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: Time, location, specific events, intoxicated persons, petrol stations
  • Advertising Restrictions: No
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No

Patterns of Drinking Score: 4

Prohibition: None

zimbabwe-africa

Syria Beer

By

syria
Today in 1946, the French Mandate of Syria ended, giving Syria their Independence.

Syria
syria-color

Syria Breweries

  • Al-Chark Brewery
  • Barada Beer Company

Syria Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%

Syria

  • Full Name: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
  • Government Type: Republic under an authoritarian regime
  • Language: Arabic (official), Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian (widely understood); French, English (somewhat understood)
  • Religion(s): Sunni Muslim 74%, other Muslim (includes Alawite, Druze) 16%, Christian (various denominations) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
  • Capital: Damascus
  • Population: 22,530,746; 53rd
  • Area: 185,180 sq km, 89th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly larger than North Dakota
  • National Food: Kibbeh
  • National Symbol: Hawk of Qureish
  • Affiliations: UN, Arab League
  • Independence: From France when the League of Nations’ French Mandate of Syria ended, April 17, 1946

Syria-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: 0.05%
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 2

SyriaP107-50Pounds-1998_f

  • How to Say “Beer”: beereh (biræ)
    جعة / شراب من الشعير / جعة / المزر شراب نوع من الجعة / بيرة
  • How to Order a Beer: Waheed beera, meen fadleek
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Bismilah / Fi schettak or Fisehatak (“to your health”)
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

syria-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 4%
  • Wine: 30%
  • Spirits: 66%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 1.13
  • Unrecorded: 0.30
  • Total: 1.43
  • Beer: 0.04

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 1.13 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Decrease
  • Excise Taxes: N/A
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: Yes
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: 2

Prohibition: None

syria-mid-east

The Top 50 Annotated 2011

By

ba
This is my sixth annual annotated list of the Top 50 so you can see who moved up and down, who was new to the list and who dropped off. So here is this year’s list again annotated with how they changed compared to last year.

  1. Anheuser-Busch InBev; #1 last six years, no surprises
  2. MillerCoors; ditto for #2
  3. Pabst Brewing; ditto for #3
  4. D. G. Yuengling and Son; Same as last year
  5. Boston Beer Co.; Same as last year
  6. North American Breweries; 2nd year on the list, up 2 from #8 last year
  7. Sierra Nevada Brewing; Down 1 from #6 last year
  8. New Belgium Brewing; Down 1 from #7 last year
  9. Craft Brewers Alliance; Same as last year, after dipping down 1 the previous two years
  10. Gambrinus Company; Same as last year, though now listed as Gambrinus instead of Spoetzl
  11. Deschutes Brewery; Same as last year
  12. Matt Brewing; Up 1, after moving down 1 last year
  13. Bell’s Brewery; Up 2 from #15 last year
  14. Minhas Craft Brewery; Same as last year, after dropping 2 the prior year
  15. Harpoon Brewery; Up 1 from #16 last year
  16. Lagunitas Brewing; Jumped up 10 from #26 last year, their second such jump in 2 years, having been at #36 two years back
  17. Boulevard Brewing; Same as last year
  18. Stone Brewing; Up 5 from #23 last year
  19. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Same as last year, after shooting up 5 from #24 last year, being up 9, 5 and 4 the three previous years
  20. Brooklyn Brewery; Up 5 from #25 last year
  21. Alaskan Brewing; Down 1 from #20 last year
  22. Long Trail Brewing; Down 1 from #21 last year, after leaping up 14 from #35 the previous year
  23. August Schell Brewing; Down 1 from last year
  24. Shipyard Brewing; Up 4 from #28 last year
  25. Abita Brewing; Down 1 from last year
  26. World Brew/Winery Exchange; Up 11 from #37 last year
  27. Great Lakes Brewing; Up 4 from #31 last year
  28. New Glarus Brewing; Up 2 from #30 last year
  29. Full Sail Brewing; Down 2 from #27 last year
  30. Pittsburgh Brewing (fka Iron City); Up 3 from #33 last year
  31. Summit Brewing; Down 2 from #29
  32. Anchor Brewing; Same as last year
  33. Firestone Walker Brewing; Up 3 from #36 last year
  34. Cold Spring Brewing; Jumped up 13 from #47 last year
  35. SweetWater Brewing; Up 3 from #38 last year
  36. Rogue Ales Brewery; Down 1 from #35 last year
  37. Mendocino Brewing; Up 2 from #39 last year
  38. Flying Dog Brewery; Up 2 from #40 last year
  39. Victory Brewing; Up 2 from #41 last year
  40. CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (Gordon Biersch/Rock Bottom); Now combined, last year Gordon Biersch brewpubs were #42 and Rock Bottom was #48
  41. Oskar Blues Brewing; Up 8 from #49 last year
  42. Odell Brewing; Up 3 from #45 last year
  43. Stevens Point Brewery; Up 1 from #44 last year
  44. Ninkasi Brewing; Not in Top 50 last year
  45. BJs Restaurant & Brewery; Down 2 from #45 last year
  46. Blue Point Brewing; Not in Top 50 last year
  47. Bear Republic Brewing; Not in Top 50 last year
  48. Goose Island Beer; Plummeted 30 from #18 last year, after selling their production brewery to Anheuser-Busch InBev
  49. Lost Coast Brewery; Not in Top 50 last year
  50. Narragansett Brewing; Not in Top 50 last year

Some new companies made the list, one from a merger — Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom — now CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants, along with Bear Republic, Blue Point, Lost Coast (which had been on the list two years ago), Narragansett and Ninkasi.

Off the list was Straub, Independent Brewers United (IBU), which was swallowed up by North American Breweries, Kona Brewing, which was folded into the Craft Brewers Alliance, and individually Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom were combined into CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants.

If you want to see the previous annotated lists for comparison, here is 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.

Top 50 Breweries For 2011

By

ba
The Brewers Association has also just announced the top 50 breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2011. This includes all breweries, regardless of size or other parameters. Here is the new list:

  1. Anheuser-Busch InBev; St Louis MO
  2. MillerCoors; Chicago IL
  3. Pabst Brewing; Woodridge IL
  4. D. G. Yuengling and Son; Pottsville PA
  5. Boston Beer Co.; Boston MA
  6. North American Breweries; Rochester, NY
  7. Sierra Nevada Brewing; Chico CA
  8. New Belgium Brewing; Fort Collins CO
  9. Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc.; Portland, OR
  10. Gambrinus Company; San Antonio TX
  11. Deschutes Brewery; Bend OR
  12. Matt Brewing; Utica NY
  13. Bell’s Brewery; Galesburg MI
  14. Minhas Craft Brewery; Monroe WI
  15. Harpoon Brewery; Boston, MA
  16. Lagunitas Brewing; Petaluma CA
  17. Boulevard Brewing; Kansas City MO
  18. Stone Brewing; Escondido CA
  19. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Lewes DE
  20. Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn NY
  21. Alaskan Brewing; Juneau AK
  22. Long Trail Brewing; Burlington VT
  23. August Schell Brewing; New Ulm MN
  24. Shipyard Brewing; Portland ME
  25. Abita Brewing; New Orleans LA
  26. World Brews/Winery Exchange; Novato CA
  27. Great Lakes Brewing; Cleveland OH
  28. New Glarus Brewing; New Glarus WI
  29. Full Sail Brewing; Hood River OR
  30. Pittsburgh Brewing; Pittsburgh PA
  31. Summit Brewing; Saint Paul MN
  32. Anchor Brewing; San Francisco CA
  33. Firestone Walker Brewing; Paso Robles CA
  34. Cold Spring Brewing; Cold Spring MN
  35. SweetWater Brewing; Atlanta GA
  36. Rogue Ales Brewery; Newport OR
  37. Mendocino Brewing; Ukiah CA
  38. Flying Dog Brewery; Frederick MD
  39. Victory Brewing; Downington PA
  40. CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (Gordon Biersch/Rock Bottom); Chattanooga TN/Louisville KY
  41. Oskar Blues Brewery; Longmont CO
  42. Odell Brewing; Fort Collins CO
  43. Stevens Point Brewery; Stevens Point WI
  44. Ninkasi Brewing; Eugene OR
  45. BJs Restaurant & Brewery; Huntington Beach CA
  46. Blue Point Brewing; Patchogue NY
  47. Bear Republic Brewing; Cloverdale CA
  48. Goose Island Beer; Chicago IL
  49. Lost Coast Brewery; Eureka CA
  50. Narragansett Brewing; Providence RI

Here is this year’s press release.

Top 50 Craft Breweries For 2011

By

ba
The Brewers Association just announced the top 50 breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2011, which is listed below here. For the fifth year, they’ve also released a list of the top 50 craft breweries based on the new definition adopted by the Brewers Association a few years ago, and updated earlier this year. Here is the new craft brewery list:

  1. Boston Beer Co.; Boston MA
  2. Sierra Nevada Brewing; Chico CA
  3. New Belgium Brewing; Fort Collins CO
  4. Gambrinus Company; San Antonio TX
  5. Deschutes Brewery; Bend OR
  6. Matt Brewing; Utica NY
  7. Bell’s Brewery; Galesburg MI
  8. Harpoon Brewery; Boston, MA
  9. Lagunitas Brewing; Petaluma CA
  10. Boulevard Brewing; Kansas City MO
  11. Stone Brewing; Escondido CA
  12. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Lewes DE
  13. Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn NY
  14. Alaskan Brewing; Juneau AK
  15. Long Trail Brewing; Bridgewater Corners VT
  16. Shipyard Brewing; Portland ME
  17. Abita Brewing; New Orleans LA
  18. Great Lakes Brewing; Cleveland OH
  19. New Glarus Brewing; New Glarus WI
  20. Full Sail Brewing; Hood River OR
  21. Summit Brewing; Saint Paul MN
  22. Anchor Brewing; San Francisco CA
  23. Firestone Walker Brewing; Paso Robles CA
  24. Sweetwater Brewing; Atlanta GA
  25. Rogue Ales/Oregon Brewing; Newport OR
  26. Flying Dog Brewery; Frederick MD
  27. Victory Brewing; Downingtown PA
  28. CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (Gordon Biersch/Rock Bottom); Chattanooga TN/Louisville KY
  29. Oskar Blues Brewery; Longmont CO
  30. Odell Brewing; Fort Collins CO
  31. Stevens Point Brewing; Stevens Point WI
  32. Ninkasi Brewing; Eugene, OR
  33. BJs Restaurant & Brewery; Huntington Beach CA
  34. Blue Point Brewing; Patchogue NY
  35. Bear Republic Brewing; Cloverdale CA
  36. Lost Coast Brewery; Eureka CA
  37. Big Sky Brewing; Missoula MT
  38. North Coast Brewing; Fort Bragg CA
  39. The Saint Louis Brewery/Schlafly Bottleworks; St Louis MO
  40. Gordon Biersch Brewing; San Jose CA
  41. Breckenridge Brewery; Denver CO
  42. Founders Brewing; Grand Rapids MI
  43. Saint Arnold Brewing; Houston TX
  44. Karl Strauss Breweries; San Diego CA
  45. Real Ale Brewing; Blanco, TX
  46. Mac and Jack’s Brewery; Redmond WA
  47. Smuttynose Brewing; Portsmouth NH
  48. Utah Brewers Cooperative; Salt Lake City UT
  49. Left Hand Brewing; Longmont CO
  50. TIE: Anderson Valley Brewing; Boonville CA & Four Peaks Brewing; Tempe AZ

Five breweries are new to this year’s Top 50 Craft Breweries list; Anderson Valley, Founder’s, Four Peaks, Left Hand and Smuttynose. Here is this year’s press release.

I’ll have my annual annotated list shortly.

Lagunitas Building New Brewery In Chicago

By

lagunitas-circle
Sheesh, you try and do something other than sit at your computer all day, and all hell breaks loose. At least I have an excuse, sort of. My wife and I just bought another house, which we’re having some work done on before we move in, and that’s been occupying a healthy percentage of my time over the past few weeks, which is also why I haven’t been posting as much, either. But what I missed was a wowzer. Tony Magee, the iconoclastic owner of Lagunitas Brewing, revealed via twitter that’s he’s signed a lease for an old movie soundstage (and former Ryerson Steel Factory) in Chicago, where he’s planning to build another 250-barrel brewhouse by July 2013, with the first brew anticipated in the 4th Quarter.

Adam Nasam, from Beer Pulse, happily, was paying attention and broke the story yesterday, even including a map of the property. Earlier today, Craft Business Daily had an interview with Magee, where he revealed more details about Lagunitas’ plans for the Chicago brewery.

This afternoon, Lagunitas finally sent out a press release about the acquisition and their plane for a Chicago brewery.

The Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma CA is moving forward with the construction of a second brewing facility in the crossroads of the US; Chicago Illinois. Carl Sandburg’s ‘City of Big Shoulders’ will be home to a new ROLEC-built 250 barrel kettle and 200,000 barrels of initial capacity. The brewery will be operating by the 4th quarter of 2013, and will occupy 150,420 square feet on the grounds of the CineSpace Movie Soundstage complex at 15th Street and Rockwell in Chicago’s Douglas Park neighborhood.

According to Lagunitas founder and CEO, Tony Magee, the idea got very real in the last 2 months. A few days spent with a calculator and a couple more visiting sites around the city crystalized the plan. “I was born and raised in Chicago so the siting questions were easy to figure out. But the real driver behind it all was two-fold; first, I realized that there was about 4 ounces of diesel in every 22oz bottle of our beer when enjoyed in Chicago, even more if you’re in NYC. Secondly, the future of Craft Beer is, we believe, local and we sure want to be a part of the future so the decision was easy. One of the best things about craft brewing is being close to the people who are digging it.”

Lagunitas is just finishing up a major expansion of its Petaluma home where it built a new brewhouse that will eventually enable it to brew more than four times what it brewed in 2011. The Petaluma brewery only has fermentation capacity to meet its needs through 2013. By building a second brewery in Chicago, Lagunitas will be adding that needed future capacity closer to where it will be enjoyed. According to Magee, “By the time Lagunitas Chicago is ready to mash in we will move about 140,000 barrels of production there. All the left coast and western states beer will still be brewed in Petaluma and life at the Petaluma brewery will be pretty calm, for a change, for a while…!”.

Awesome news for Lagunitas. That’s the fourth regional brewery this year to announce a second location. I’d say we’re witnessing a definite trend.

Republic Of Georgia Beer

By

georgia-new
Today in 1991, Georgia gained their Independence from the USSR.

Republic of Georgia
georgia-color

Georgia Breweries

  • Kaiser Brau
  • Lomisi Brewery
  • Natakhtari Brewery

Georgia Brewery Guides

Other Guides

  • CIA World Factbook
  • Official Website
  • U.S. Embassy
  • Wikipedia

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.03% or 0.02%

Georgia

  • Full Name: Republic of Georgia
  • Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: Georgian (official) 71%, Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
  • Religion(s): Orthodox Christian (official) 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7%
  • Capital: Tbilisi
  • Population: 4,570,934; 123rd
  • Area: 69,700 sq km, 121st
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than South Carolina
  • National Food: Khachapuri, Khinkali
  • National Symbols: Five red crosses, Kartlis Deda
  • Affiliations: UN, Commonwealth of Independent States
  • Independence: From the USSR, April 9, 1991 / From Soviet Russia, May 26, 1918

georgia-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 16
  • BAC: 0.03%
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 17

GeorgiaPNew-10Lari-2002-donatedsrb_f

  • How to Say “Beer”: ლუდი
  • How to Order a Beer: N/A
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Gagimardschoss / Gaumardschoss
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

georgia-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 18%
  • Wine: 20%
  • Spirits: 62%
  • Other: <1%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 3.90
  • Unrecorded: 2.50
  • Total: 6.40
  • Beer: 0.76

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 3.9 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: Places
  • Advertising Restrictions: Yes
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: Yes

Patterns of Drinking Score: 2

Prohibition: None

georgia-eu

New Belgium Announces Asheville As Site For 2nd Brewery

By

new-belgium-new
Wow, it’s been a good year for beer in Asheville, North Carolina. Not too long ago, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced they would build a second brewery in the county seat of Buncombe County. Now a second large craft brewery — New Belgium Brewing — today announced that they, too, have chosen Asheville as the city where they will build an East Coast brewery to brew and distribute their beers.

According to the press release:

The 400,000-barrel brewery and packaging facility will provide New Belgium with additional capacity allowing the Colorado-based brewer to expand into new areas of distribution. Upon completion in 2015, the facility will initially create 50 new jobs in the Asheville area with more than 100 positions expected at full buildout.

“After several years of searching, we are incredibly excited to have landed in Asheville,” said Kim Jordan, CEO and co-founder of New Belgium. “From the deep sense of community to the rich natural environment and the opportunity to revitalize a brownfield site near a vibrant downtown, Asheville has everything we’ve been looking for in a location for our second brewery.”

The 17.5-acre site located in the heart of the River Arts District will accommodate the 150,000 sq. ft. facility. The brewery will feature a 200-barrel brewing system, a tasting facility, and a process wastewater treatment center on-site. Tours will be available to the public. Total cost projections are over $100 million.

“Today’s announcement by New Belgium will enhance the craft brewery cluster that is growing in North Carolina,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “The jobs and investment the company is committing will be a major boon for the region and for the state.”

Construction is expected to begin in early 2013 with beer rolling off the line in early 2015.

Let the brewing wars begin ….

Senegal Beer

By

senegal
Today in 1960, Senegal gained their Independence from France.

Senegal
Senegal-color

Senegal Breweries

Senegal Brewery Guides

Other Guides

  • CIA World Factbook
  • Official Website
  • U.S. Embassy
  • Wikipedia

Guild: Soc. Des Bras. De LQuest Afr.

National Regulatory Agency: Not Known

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.00%

Senegal

  • Full Name: Republic of Senegal
  • Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka
  • Religion(s): Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1%
  • Capital: Dakar
  • Population: 12,969,606; 71st
  • Area: 196,722 sq km, 88th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than South Dakota
  • National Food: Thieboudienne
  • National Symbol: Baobab
  • Nickname: The Generous Country
  • Affiliations: UN, African Union
  • Independence: From France, April 4, 1960

senegal-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: 0.00%
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 3

WestAfricanStatesP707Kj-1000Francs-1990-dts_f

  • How to Say “Beer”: bière
  • How to Order a Beer: N/A
  • How to Say “Cheers”: N/A
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

senegal-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 54%
  • Wine: 43%
  • Spirits: 3%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 0.30
  • Unrecorded: 0.30
  • Total: 0.60
  • Beer: 0.15

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 0.3 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: Hours, places, specific events, intoxicated persons, petrol stations
  • Advertising Restrictions: Advertising
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None.

senegal-africa

Iran Beer

By

iran
Today in 1979, Iran declared itself a theocratic Islamic Republic.

Iran
iran-color

Iran Breweries

Iran Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.00%

Iran

  • Full Name: Islamic Republic of Iran
  • Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
  • Government Type: Theocratic Republic
  • Language: Persian (official) 53%, Azeri Turkic and Turkic dialects 18%, Kurdish 10%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 7%, Luri 6%, Balochi 2%, Arabic 2%, other 2%
  • Religion(s): Muslim (official) 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%), other (includes Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha’i) 2%
  • Capital: Tehrãn
  • Population: 78,868,711; 18th
  • Area: 1,648,195 sq km, 18th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Alaska
  • National Food: Chelo kabab; Ghormeh sabzi
  • National Symbols: Lion; Lion and Sun; Tulip
  • Affiliations: UN
  • Independence: Declared itself a theocratic Islamic Republic, April 1, 1979, a.k.a. Republic Day

Iran_Coat_of_Arms

  • Alcohol Legal: No; While there is a ban on alcohol, religious minorities may purchase small amounts from shops owned by the same religious minority.
  • Minimum Drinking Age: Illegal
  • BAC: 0.00%
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 1

IranPNew-1000Rials-(2001)-donatedfvt_f

  • How to Say “Beer”: ab’jo / ابجو
  • How to Order a Beer: N/A
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Persian: (Be) salam ati (to your health) Nush (“Enjoy it, and let it be part of your body”); Baluchi: Vashi
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

iran-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: Unknown
  • Wine: Unknown
  • Spirits: Unknown

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 0.02
  • Unrecorded: 1.00
  • Total: 1.02
  • Beer: 0.02

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 0.02 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: Total ban
  • Minimum Age: Illegal
  • Sales Restrictions: Total ban
  • Advertising Restrictions: Total ban
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: Total ban

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: Iran began restricting alcohol consumption and production soon after the 1979 Revolution, with harsh penalties meted out for violations of the law. However, because of corruption, there is widespread and open violation of the law. Officially recognized non-Muslim minorities are allowed to produce alcoholic beverages for their own private consumption and for religious rites such as the Eucharist (two of the four religious minorities guaranteed representation in the Majlis, the Armenians and Assyrians, are Christian, the former being chiefly Armenian Apostolic and the latter being predominantly Chaldean Eastern Catholic).

iran-mid-east