A Beer from Lebanon:
​961 Lebanese Pale Ale

Craft Brew Co. Hong Kong

Before my flight to Nepal, a few friends and I went out to Craft Brew Co. to try a couple new beers. I chose three beers from different parts of the world. Below are my thoughts on each one. 

About the Brewery 

961 Beer began during the siege on Lebanon in July of 2006. With  alack of quality beer in Lebanon, Mazen Hajjar started brewing beer in his own kitchen. The first few batches were brewed in small kettles. With war raging on, the thought of brewing wasn't the most ideal activity for Haijar, as stated on his website. They decided that brewing a good beer for their home country during the war was what they wanted to do the most.

When 961 Beer officially began brewing they were the only microbrewery in the Middle East and still are. With 2 million liters brewed each year, 961 Beer has grown form a small microbrewery to a giant in the Middle East.

-Via 961 Beer's website

TASTING NOTES: 
The beer pours a nice clear amber color with a thick line of foam. The aroma of the beer is a strong, grainy and spicy smell with a lot of cilantro. I also caught whiffs of caramel and a bit of a herbal aroma. The taste begins with a caramel sweetness, then some spice of cilantro and finishes with a taste of clove (herbal). The herbal smell and taste gives the beer a crisp and refreshing flavor. The body of the beer is comes with a 6.3 % ABV rating. Overall, it has a decent showing of spice and herb/floral tastes, which makes this beer a easy one to drink. This is one of those beers that you try once and decide to move on to another brand. It's not one of my favorite Pale Ales. 

FOOD PAIRINGS: 
Spicy chicken hummus with pitta bread, Baba Ganoush and/or a Shawarma sandwich.  

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