PALESTINE: Taybeh Beer And Wine Now Exported To The USA

In 1994 Taybeh Brewing Company was the Middle East's first microbrewery; today, the family-owned business produces 600,000 litres of beer annually and is selling to the United States for the first time.

The convoluted journey to the US market involved a 40-foot container, 40,000 bottles of beer and wine, Israeli port bureaucracy and countless checkpoints, but the owners were undeterred.

Now, Taybeh beer and wine were on the shelves of two US liquor stores for the first time.

Selling to North America has been a long-held dream for the Khoury family, who established their microbrewery in the small Palestinian village of Taybeh more than two decades ago.

Their products are made from grapes found in vineyards near the West Bank town of Birzeit and from hops and malt brewed in Taybeh, about 10km northeast of Ramallah.

People thought I was crazy, to come to the end of nowhere or Palestine and open a brewery, founder Nadim Khoury says.

Nadim recently travelled to the US city of Boston to oversee the arrival of the Palestinian wine and beer, which travelled from the commercial port at Ashdod, Israel.

We are very excited and happy to have finally been able to bring the beer to Boston, Nadim's son, Canaan said. My father spent more than 15 years living there, and there is a lot of sentimental value in this accomplishment.

His friends in the area have been ecstatic, waiting to try the beer since 1994.

Taybeh is a family enterprise, While Nadim and Canaan managed the US expansion, daughter Madees handled the brewery, with some help from her younger sister, Raneen, who is training to be a lawyer.

Brewing beer in Palestine is not like brewing beer anywhere else in the world, says Nadim, who opened the business with his brother, David, under the guidance of their late father.

From occupation to local ports, which we don't have, getting ingredients, the wall - Israel's separation barrier - you name it.

On the first day of sales at Foley's Liquors in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, bottles of Taybeh's Cabernet Sauvignon were accompanied by a sign reading: "Conceived in Boston; created in the Holy Land; just hit US ground".

The Brighton Gourmet and Wine Cellar in the town of Brighton, Massachusetts, was also stocking Taybeh beer and wine and offering tastings.

Boston resident Nicholas Croce said that he sampled Taybeh beer on a previous visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank, and rushed to buy it two days after he heard it had become available in the US.

I had been waiting since I moved to Boston a few years ago to hear this news. I immediately told other friends, near and far, who have a connection to Israel and Palestine.

I do hope the beer grows in popularity in the US, he added. Perhaps it can start important conversations. I've always thought that peace is possible when we take the time to know each other, and if beer can facilitate that, I support Taybeh all the more.

Since the US launch, Taybeh's Facebook page has been flooded with scores of comments from US residents, asking for expanded distribution from Nevada, to Washington, to Colorado.

But exporting to the US from the occupied Palestinian territories comes with inevitable challenges. Under the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's rules against making false or misleading statements on labels, Taybeh was told it had to remove the word "Palestine" from the "Product of" description on the beer label.

We export the beer to many countries all over the world with the words 'Product of Palestine', such as Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, Belgium, UK and even Israel," Canaan said.

However, the beer label was only approved for the US after Taybeh changed the wording to "Product of West Bank".

In addition, the high cost of shipping due to checkpoints and other constraints posed by Israel makes it extremely difficult to compete in the US market, Canaan says.

The container got sent back twice and couldn't pass the checkpoints until it finally went through. These unforeseen costs make the situation even harder.

Nadim follows on export trips to Israeli ports, to convince officials at checkpoints that his cargo contains nothing illicit.

Despite the limitations imposed by Israeli authorities, however, Israel and the occupied West Bank make up 60 percent of Taybeh's current market. Their products are not sold in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Madees, 31, points out that she is among the few if not the only female brewers in the Middle East region: When I started, I was 21, and then the older generation of distributors and suppliers were used to dealing with my father and uncle.

But now they are much older, so their sons are taking over, and they would rather talk to me, not my dad and uncle. So it's changing, and that makes me feel better.

She believes the family product is helping to shape the view of Palestine in the region and internationally.

With Taybeh, you are getting the name Palestine, and a high-quality product, to Israelis and you are changing the way they see Palestinians.

Our global expansion resembles hope, determination, and success; not just for us, but for Palestinians in general.

Goodluck, Taybeh Beer and Wine.

The Taybeh Brewing Company has been welcoming people from all corners of the world to celebrate Oktoberfest every year since 2005 when David Khoury become the first democratically elected Mayor of Taybeh.

The Taybeh Oktoberfest is a dream come true for Nadim Khoury, master brewer, who inspired the Taybeh Municipality and all local civic organizations to collaborate in boosting the collapsed local economy and placing Taybeh on the international map.

This unique event has been called the highlight of Palestine reaching over sixteen thousand visitors annually. The exquisite hills and valleys of the village offer the perfect escape from any busy schedule for all international and local people who come to support local products and boost the economy while celebrating the deep cultural heritage offered by one of the most ancient spots in Palestine also known by its Biblical name, Ephraim.

The two-day celebration usually happens on the first Saturday and Sunday of October (excluding religious holidays) and gives venue to local music groups to celebrate their talent and skills in promoting a different face of Palestine.

Artists from Brazil, Germany, Greece, Spain, England, Sri Lanka, and Japan have performed in the last eight years in Taybeh.

We bring you fresh beer directly from the Taybeh Brewery within hours of packaging because we are a small local brewery with a limited market area. Below is a list of places that sell and serve Taybeh Beer

Jerusalem:

Andrea Karkar, Distributor. Tel: 02 656 7460
R&R, Rami Jubran, Distributor. Tel: 02 625 0006
Avi Ben (Shop) West Jerusalem. Tel: 02 625 9703
Frieg Supermarket, Beit Hanina. Tel: 02 585 4115
Bulghourji, Old City, Armenian Quarter. Tel: 02 628 2080
Mehbash Restaurant (Nablus Road). Tel: 02 628 9185
Sierra Bar, West Jerusalem. Tel: 02 625 6022
Uganda Bar, West Jerusalem. Tel: 02 628 6087
YMCA, West Jerusalem. Tel: 02 569 2692
Al Zahra Hotel. Tel: 02 628 2447
Ambassador Hotel. Tel: 02 541 2223
American Colony. Tel: 02 627 9777
Jerusalem Hotel.. Tel: 02 628 3282
Legacy Hotel Tel: 02 627 0800
Notre Dome Hotel. Tel: 02 627 9107
St. George Landmark Hotel. Tel: 02 627 7232

Jaffa/Tel Aviv

ENOTECA, Andrew Hinnawi, Distributor. Tel: 03 683 2810
Wine and More Shops. Tel: 03 683 2810
Puaa Bar, Jaffa. Tel: 03 518 6763
Minzer Bar, Tel Aviv. Tel: 03 517 3015
Joz o Loz Bar, Tel Aviv. Tel: 03 560 6385

Nazareth

Shamshoum (Store). Tel: 04 656 8393

Haifa:

Fatoush (Restaurant). Tel 04 852 4930
Suidan (Store). Tel 04 866 3047
Zoom (Café). Mobile: 0526224014
The Colony Hotel Haifa, 28 Ben-Gurion Boulevard, Telephone: 04 8513344
Website: www.colony-hotel.co.il

Tiberias, Sea of Galilee:

Scotch Hotel. Tel: 04 671 0713
Pilgerhaus, Tabgha. Tel: 04 670 0100

Bethlehem area:

Bir Ouna (Beit Jala). Tel: 02 274 2778
Jumbo Supermarkets. Tel: 02 275 8685
George Rabee (Beit Jala), Distributor. Mobile: 0599 030 688
George Musallam. Tel: 0599 212 709
Sabat, Distributor. Tel: 02 274 3885
Paradise Hotel. Tel: 02 274 4543
Afteem Restaurant Tel: 02 274 7940
Grotto Restaurant. Tel: 02 274 8844
King Gaspar Restaurant. Tel: 02 276 5301
Salam Restaurant. Tel: 02 275 8122
Tent Restaurant, Beit Sahour. Tel: 02 277 3875

Ramallah:

Arak Ramallah, Distributor. Tel: 02 295 6776
Jubran Marketing, Distributor. Tel: 02 295 3201
Jeries Dalou, Distributor. Tel: 02 295 6673
Philip Dalou, Distributor. Tel: 02 295 7826
Al-Habash Shop. Tel: 02 295 6052
Al Hambra Palace. Tel: 02 295 6226
Ankars Suites and Hotel. Tel: 02 295 2602
Beauty Inn (Hotel). Tel: 02 296 6477
Movenpick Hotel Ramallah. Tel: 02 295 5888
Royal Court Suite Hotel. Tel: 02 296 4040
Azure Restaurant. Tel: 02 295 7850
Bet Aniseh. Tel: 02 295 2991
Darna. Tel: 02 295 0590
Level 5 Tel: 02 298 6868
Pronto Resto-Café. Tel: 02 298 7312
Sangria’s. Tel: 02 295 6808
Sinatra Café. Tel 02 297 1028
Stones. Tel: 02 296 6038
Zarour Restaurant. Tel: 02 295 6767
Ziryab. Tel: 02 295 9093
Birzeit (Old City) Hoash Il’iliyet Restaurant Mobile: 0599 868 914

Ramla:

Samir’s Restaurant,Tel: 08-922-0195 www.samir1948.co.il

Acre (Akka):

Savida Bar , Old City Tel: 04-901-9062

Worldwide

Taybeh Brewing Company aspires to have Taybeh Beer in the UK and in the United States.

JAPAN

Save the Olives
#B-03, Belute Yoyogi 2, 2-21-11 Yoyogi Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan
Tel:+81-3-6383-4514 & Tel: +81-3-6856-4662
Email: taybehbeer@frvl.com
http://savetheolive.main.jp/taybehbeer.htm

SWEDEN

First Signs of Water, Stockholm
www.firstsigns.se
Henrik Bergquist
+46 707 442 050
Email: henrik@firstsigns.se

USA

Imported by Taybeh USA
Boston
email: canaand@taybehbeer.com
Tel: 617 415 8766

Taybeh Beer & taybeh Winery boutique Palestinian wins available at:

Foley’s Liquors
228 Cypress St.
Brookline, MA 02445
Tel 617 277 6100

Brighton Gourmet
569 Washington St.
Brighton, MA
Tel: 617 987 0123

DENMARK

+45 4061 3896
www.taybeh.dk

ITALY

Zefiro-Group Srl
via Camozzi 55
25126 Brescia – Italy
p.iva 03356820989
www.zefiro-group.com
www.labirrapalestinese.com

SPAIN

Ziryab Fusion Tapas Bar, Barcelona

SWITZERLAND
Palestine Grill, Zurich