OnTap Magazine

DEVELOPING THE BEERS In the beginning, 254 didn’t have their own recipes. They decided to elicit feedback from their Beer Clubmembers. They added tags to the bottles so people could provide comments on the beers inside. The 254 team then entered this feedback into an elaborate form they had created. “So we were constantly tweaking the recipes based on this feedback to make the beers better and better.” In fact, their popular IPA Sand Trap was developed through this process: “We were 40 recipes in and finally thought, ‘Okay, we’ve got something here.’” Members of the Beer Club are predominantly white Eoin says point blank, comprised of expats, and the like. Interestingly, when they put those new and experimental beers, developed through the Club, on tap at the Kikuyu tap room, they get totally different feedback from the clientele. “I would say that our IPAs are designed by Beer Club and our Niaje and Muratatu are designed by Kikuyu.” It’s fascinating to recognize that Sand Trap and Muratatu were their two award- winning beers at the Africa Beer Cup this past year – one from each developmental category. At the bar in Westlands, Eoin tells me that they are trying to develop the middle- class Kenyan market. “We don’t want craft beer to be a ‘muzungu’ [Swahili for foreigner] thing, or an expat thing. It’s just about making natural beers.” He goes on: “You come to realize, once you get into the beer business in Kenya where one company holds like 96%market share, that there are actually over 50 traditional beers in Kenya that are all effectively sidelined, and actually, the craft beer revolution should really be where all of them are able to make their products legally and develop a brand…” I ask if by “traditional” beers he means the beers people have been brewing in their communities for generations. He nods, and adds, “Sorghum beers, palm wines, honey wines.” He points to the muratina drink as an example, which is made from the muratina fruit. Currently, traditional muratina brewers are not allowed to brand or sell their product through normal commercial channels. One of 254’s brewers, Max Gathuku, used to make it with his grandfather growing up, and it’s what inspired their Muratina beer. In general, however, Eoin argues that Kenyans are either not familiar with muratina or they look down on it. “The reality is that it's a really incredible drink, and quite interesting from a biochemical standpoint.” LOOKING AHEAD I ask what are the long-term goals for 254: “To not go bankrupt,” comes the succinct response. He then adds that he’d like to see all the craft breweries come together on a malting operation; they can get barley in Kenya, but they need someone to do the malting. (Unlike the SAB in South Africa, this is not something the big EABL provides local brewers.) Finally, Eoin points out that there’s a new kid on the craft beer block: Crafty Chameleon – the name apparently inspired by a local children’s book – opened its doors in December of last year. Located not too far from The Beer District, this new brewery doesn’t yet package their beers for offsite sale, but their restaurant boasts a bar, a colorful beer garden and event space. “You should check it out,” Eoin tells me, “It’s dope.” Sadly, my long weekend trip to Nairobi did not allow for a Crafty Chameleon visit, (which is particularly disappointing given that South Africa’s own Rochelle Dunlop, formerly of Afro Caribbean Brewing Co., is head brewer there now!). However, we did grab a pint at one of Bila Shaka’s three tap rooms in the city located at the Sarit Centre (the other two being at the Village Center and the Nairobi Street Kitchen). According to their website, Bila Shaka has a strong environmental and animal welfare ethos; they describe their beers as “hand forged in Kenya using only natural ingredients while running on 100% renewable energy.” My husband and I were certainly impressed with their IPA and very much enjoyed the crowd at Sarit Centre, comprised of what looked like young, post-workday groups of friends and colleagues. Ultimately, my brief foray into Nairobi’s burgeoning craft beer scene left me with a strong desire to return and dig a little deeper. (What does the homebrewing landscape look like, for example?) Like other countries on the continent, policy-driven challenges for the sector remain, but it sure seems that a vibrant and ambitious city like Nairobi holds immense potential for the industry, and hopefully a broadening of those able to participate in it. 254 Production Lead Walter Ungayi (Pic courtesy of 254) Crafty Chameleon beer garden (Pic courtesy of CC Instagram) Bila Shaka Taprooom at the Sarit Centre Bila Shaka Taproom shared outdoor deck 254 Brewers - From left to right - Kelvin Muigai, Max Gathuku, Joe Muigai (Pic courtesy of 254) 42 | Summer 2023 | ontapmag.co.za