For those intrigued by the Middle East conflict but have never been there, Ziryab offers a perfect way to taste a bit of Palestine without going so far. Taybeh is a beer brewed by a family in the west bank, in the beautiful village of Taybeh. It’s a village in the countryside, surrounded by rolling hills where the sun shines most days of the year – not too different from Barcelona.
The difficulties are paramount – the political situation in the region prevents goods from easily being exported from the territories, as they have to undergo rigorous checks and face many delays, to bring products through checkpoints and through Israel to be brought to the rest of the world. But this pioneering family persevered and learned how to make a fantastic brew, despite the obstacles they faced. The Khoury family decided – after the Oslo accords of the 90s, when peace seemed near yet unfortunately remained so far – to set up the first microbrewery in the Middle East and show the world what Palestine could produce. Learning methods from traditional German beer-brewing, they used the German “purity law” to ensure no preservatives or additives would be added to the beer, maintaining the pure essence of a good brew and bringing in fantastic tastes.
Despite the difficulties, Ziryab brings in Taybeh via its distributor based in Copenhagen, and offers several different flavours on the menu: Taybeh Golden, White beer, Amber and Dark. They are all fantastic, flavoursome, and super healthy 🙂 They pair great with the tastes we have in our fusion tapas or a great shisha at our Shisha Lounge.
Come and taste the flavour of Taybeh, of the rolling hills of Palestine, and support Palestinian producers! The village of Taybeh also has an Oktoberfest every year in October, and if you manage to make it over there it’s a wonderful occasion to enjoy Taybeh straight from the brewer, as well as try some of the gastronomical delights of the region – Palestinians make some of the best food of the Middle East!
