Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

Socialize

East Timor Beer

By

east_timor
Today in 1975, East Timor declared their Independence from Portugal.

East Timor
east-timor-color

East Timor Breweries

East Timor 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 0.05%

east-timor

  • Full Name: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste / East Timor
  • Location: Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note – Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English, plus there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by a significant portion of the population
  • Religion(s): Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1%
  • Capital: Dili
  • Population: 1,201,255; 159th
  • Area: 14,874 sq km, 160th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly larger than Connecticut
  • National Food: Soto; Nasi goreng
  • National Symbol: Crocodile
  • Affiliations: UN
  • Independence: From Portugal, November 28, 1975 / Internationally recognized, May 20, 2002

east-timor-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: None
  • BAC: 0.05%
  • Number of Breweries: 0

timor-22

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

east-timor-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 97%
  • Wine: 3%
  • Spirits: <1%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 0.36
  • Unrecorded: 0.50
  • Total: 0.86
  • Beer: 0.30

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 0.4 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Decrease
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: None
  • Sales Restrictions: No
  • Advertising Restrictions: No
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No

Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A

Prohibition: None

east-timor-asia

Lebanon Beer

By

lebanon
Today in 1943, Lebanon gained their Independence from France.

Lebanon
lebanon-color

Lebanon Breweries

Lebanon 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 0.08%

lebanon

  • Full Name: Lebanese Republic
  • Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
  • Religion(s): Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma’ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Coptic, Protestant), other 1.3% [Note: 17 religious sects recognized]
  • Capital: Beirut
  • Population: 4,140,289; 126th
  • Area: 10,400 sq km, 170th
  • Comparative Area: About 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
  • National Food: Kibbeh; tabbouleh
  • National Symbols: Phoenix; Lebanon Cedar; Baalbek, Byblos
  • Affiliations: UN, Arab League
  • Independence: From a League of Nations mandate under French administration, November 22, 1943

lebanon-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: 0.05%
  • Number of Breweries: 2

lebanon-money

  • 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”) / في صحتك
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

lebanon-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 21%
  • Wine: 33%
  • Spirits: 46%
  • Other: <1%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 1.73
  • Unrecorded: 0.50
  • Total: 2.23
  • Beer: 0.36

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 1.73 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: N/A
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: N/A
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None

lebanon-asia

Northern Cyprus Beer

By

northern-cyprus
Today in 1983, Northern Cyprus gained their Independence from Cyprus, though it remains only partially recognized.

Northern Cyprus
north-cyprus-color

Northern Cyprus Breweries

Northern Cyprus Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%

northern-cyprus

  • Full Name: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
  • Location: Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: Turkish (official), English
  • Religion(s): Muslim 98%,Christian 2%
  • Capital: Nicosia (Levkòsia)
  • Population: 294,906; 161st
  • Area: 3,355 sq km, 174th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Rhode Island
  • National Food: Fasolada
  • National Symbol: White Dove
  • Affiliations: None
  • Independence: From Cyprus, November 15, 1983

northern-cyprus-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 17
  • BAC: 0.05%
  • Number of Breweries: 1

north-cyprus-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: bira
  • How to Order a Beer: N/A
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Eis Igian / Stin ijiasas / Jamas / Gia’sou
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

northern-cyprus-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 35%
  • Wine: 32%
  • Spirits: 32%
  • Other: 1%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: N/A
  • Unrecorded: N/A
  • Total: N/A
  • Beer: N/A

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: N/A
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: N/A
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 17
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: N/A
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A

Prohibition: None

no-cyprus-eu

Cambodia Beer

By

cambodia
Today in 1953, Cambodia gained their Independence from France.

Cambodia
cambodia-color

Cambodia Breweries

Cambodia Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%

cambodia

  • Full Name: Kingdom of Cambodia (f.k.a. Khmer Republic, Democratic Kampuchea, People’s Republic of Kampuchea)
  • Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
  • Government Type: Multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
  • Language: Khmer (official) 95%, French, English
  • Religion(s): Buddhist (official) 96.4%, Muslim 2.1%, other 1.3%, unspecified 0.2%
  • Capital: Phnom Penh
  • Population: 14,952,665; 68th
  • Area: 181,035 sq km, 90th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Oklahoma
  • National Food: Amok trey
  • National Symbols: Lion, Kouprey (mammal), Giant Ibis (bird), Elephant; Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer); Angkor Wat
  • Affiliations: UN, ASEAN
  • Independence: From France, November 9, 1953

cambodia-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: None
  • BAC: 0.08%
  • Number of Breweries: 6

cambodia-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: Dughck / ប៊ីយេរ
  • How to Order a Beer: មួយ ប៊ីយេរ, សូម
  • How to Say “Cheers”: សន្តិយុត្ត
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

cambodia-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 38%
  • Wine: 1%
  • Spirits: 61%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 1.77
  • Unrecorded: 3.00
  • Total: 4.77
  • Beer: 0.74

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 1.8 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Increase
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: None
  • Sales Restrictions: No
  • Advertising Restrictions: No
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None

cambodia-asia

Turkey Beer

By

turkey
Today in 1923, Turkey gained their Independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey
turkey-color

Turkey Breweries

Turkey Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: Beer and Malt Producers´ Association of Turkey

National Regulatory Agency: General Directorate of Protection and Control (Koruma ve Kontrol Genel Müdürlüğü)

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Labels must include the following information: Name and brand of product; Name and address of producing company; Name and address of importing company; Production batch number and date; Country of origin; Net weight or volume; Ministry of Agriculture production or import license number and date; Special instructions for use, preparation, or storage; Special warnings, if applicable; and Alcohol content as a percentage (if the product contains more than 1.2 percent alcohol).

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%

turkey

  • Full Name: Republic of Turkey
  • Location: Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
  • Government Type: Republican parliamentary democracy
  • Language: Turkish (official), Kurdish, other minority languages
  • Religion(s): Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
  • Capital: Ankara
  • Population: 79,749,461; 17th
  • Area: 783,562 sq km, 37th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly larger than Texas
  • National Food: Döner Kebap
  • National Symbols: Gray Wolf; Tulip; star and crescent
  • Affiliations: UN, NATO
  • Independence: From the Ottoman Empire as successor state, October 29, 1918, celebrated as Republic Day

turkey-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18 [Note: The government has been steadily restricting alcohol in Turkey, with proposals to create alcohol-free zones, bars on alcohol sold in new packaging, bans on sports advertising, restricting sales, and making it harder to have alcohol at public events. Alcohol is still readily available and the legal age is rarely enforced in bars or convenience stores.]
  • BAC: 0.05% [Note: zero for commercial transport and public service drivers.]
  • Number of Breweries: 16

turkey-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: bira / slang: arpa suyu
  • How to Order a Beer: Beer beer-ah, luht-fen
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Serefe (“to honor”) / Sagliginiza (“to your health”) / şerefe
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

turkey-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 60%
  • Wine: 5%
  • Spirits: 35%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 1.37
  • Unrecorded: 0.50
  • Total: 1.87
  • Beer: 0.24

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 1.4 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: Places, specific events, petrol stations
  • Advertising Restrictions: Yes
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: Sales promotion

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None

turkey-asia

Turkmenistan Beer

By

turkmenistan
Today in 1991, Turkmenistan gained their Independence from the USSR.

Turkmenistan
turkmenistan-color

Turkmenistan Breweries

Turkmenistan Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.033%

turkmenistan

  • Full Name: Turkmenistan
  • Location: Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
  • Government Type: Secular democracy and a presidential republic; but in reality displays authoritarian presidential rule, with power concentrated within the presidential administration
  • Language: Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
  • Religion(s): Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
  • Capital: Ashgabat (Ashkhabad)
  • Population: 5,054,828; 118th
  • Area: 488,100 sq km, 53rd
  • Comparative Area: Slightly larger than California
  • National Food: Palaw
  • National Symbols: Five carpet guls; Akhal-Teke horse
  • Affiliations: UN, CIS
  • Independence: From the USSR, October 27, 1991

turkmenistan-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: 0.033%
  • Number of Breweries: 5

turkmenistan-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: piwa
  • How to Order a Beer: ÿekelik piwa, ÿaranmak
  • How to Say “Cheers”: saglyk
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

turkmenistan-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 9%
  • Wine: 39%
  • Spirits: 52%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 2.33
  • Unrecorded: 2.30
  • Total: 4.63
  • Beer: 0.21

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 2.3 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: N/A
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: N/A
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None

turkmenistan-asia

How To Win The Battle For The Last Beer

By

tiger-new
San Diego Brewing tweeted this cool ad for Tiger Beer, which they called a “funny commercial for crappy beer.” I don’t think of Tiger as a great beer certainly, more a middle-of-the-road industrial lager. But I may be biased since they had the good sense to make custom View-Master reels a few years ago. At any rate, the commercial is pretty clever, even if it may not make you rush out for some of the beer.

South Ossetia Beer

By

south-ossentia
Today in 1990, South Ossetia declared their Independence from Georgia, though it remains unrecognized by most nations.

South Ossetia
south-osseta-map

South Ossetia Breweries

  • Tshinvalskiy Pivovarenniy Zavod

South Ossetia Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.08%

Beer in Ossetian Mythology: Uacilla (Уацилла; “Saint Elijah”). Also spelled Wasilla. God of rain, thunder and lightning. As protector of the harvest he is known as Хоры Уацилла (Hory Uacilla, “Uacilla of the wheat”). Anyone struck by lightning was considered chosen by the god and, if they survived, a sheep was sacrificed in their honor. His festival was celebrated in the summer with the sacrifice of a lamb and a bull and the drinking of specially brewed beer. On that day women baked bread in silence as a mark of reverence.

south-ossentia

  • Full Name: Republic of South Ossetia
  • Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
  • Government Type: Semi-presidential Republic
  • Language: Ossetic, Georgian, Russian
  • Religion(s): Russian Orthodox, Georgian Apostolic, Muslim, and traditional Pagan religions, especially Etseg Din
  • Capital: Tskhinvali
  • Population: 72,000
  • Area: 3,900 sq km
  • National Foods: fyjjyn (a cake with meat), wælîbækh (a cake with cheese)
  • National Symbol: Golden Snow Leopard
  • Affiliations: None
  • Independence: From Georgia, declared September 20, 1990 / declared again November 28, 1991 / recognized by a few countries, August 26, 2008

south-ossentia

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 16
  • BAC: 0.08%
  • Number of Breweries: 1

so-ossetia-money

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

so-ossetia-color-2

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 85%
  • Wine: <1%
  • Spirits: 10%
  • Other: 5%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: N/A
  • Unrecorded: N/A
  • Total: N/A
  • Beer: N/A

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: N/A
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 16
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: N/A
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A

Prohibition: None

so-ossetia-long

Tajikstan Beer

By

tajikistan
Today in 1991, Tajikstan gained their Independence from the USSR.

Tajikstan
Tajikistan-color

Tajikstan Breweries

Tajikstan 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 Not Known, but law enforcement has recently started cracking down on offenders

Tajikistan

  • Full Name: Republic of Tajikistan
  • Location: Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
  • Religion(s): Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10%
  • Capital: Dushanbe
  • Population: 7,768,385; 96th
  • Area: 143,100 sq km, 96th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Wisconsin
  • National Food: O’sh
  • National Symbol: Crown and seven stars in a semicircle
  • Affiliations: UN, CIS
  • Independence: From the Soviet Union, September 9, 1991

tajikistan-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 21 (Off-limits to the Muslim majority)
  • BAC: Not known
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 7

Tajikistan-money-1

  • How to Say “Beer”: pivo / пиво
  • How to Order a Beer: як пиво, Аҳамияти
  • How to Say “Cheers”: N/A
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

tajikistan-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 21%
  • Wine: 5%
  • Spirits: 74%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 0.39
  • Unrecorded: 3.00
  • Total: 3.39
  • Beer: 0.08

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 0.4 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Decrease
  • Excise Taxes: N/A
  • Minimum Age: 21
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: N/A
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None

Tajikistan-asia

North Korea Beer

By

korea_north
Today in 1948, North Korea declared their Independence from Korea.

North Korea
north-korea-color

North Korea Breweries

North Korea Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC N/A

north-korea

  • Full Name: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
  • Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
  • Government Type: Communist state one-man dictatorship
  • Language: Korean
  • Religion(s): Traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way). Note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
  • Capital: Pyongyang
  • Population: 24,589,122; 49th
  • Area: 120,538 sq km, 99th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Mississippi
  • National Food: Kimchi
  • National Symbols: Korean Tiger; Magnolia; Red Star
  • Affiliations: UN
  • Independence: Founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), September 9, 1948 / From Japan, August 15, 1945

north-korea-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18 (Alcoholic beverages are served on Saturdays)
  • BAC: N/A
  • Label Requirements: N/A
  • Number of Breweries: 1

no-korea-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: mek-ju (maek-joo) / 맥주 / 발포성 음료
  • How to Order a Beer: N/A
  • How to Say “Cheers”: N/A
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

korea-no-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: N/A
  • Wine: N/A
  • Spirits: N/A
  • Other: N/A

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: N/A
  • Unrecorded: N/A
  • Total: N/A
  • Beer: N/A

WHO Alcohol Data:

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

Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A

Prohibition: None

north-korea-asia