Today I'm featuring Tusker, a Kenyan lager that I've never heard about before. As a writer, I love to hear a good story. Anytime a new beer comes along with an interesting story, for me it's like combining the best of both worlds. Tusker is one of those beers that not only comes from an exotic locale, but also has a unique story behind the naming of the beer.
Kenya Breweries was founded in Kenya (Who would have thought?) in the year 1923 by a man named George Hurst. Hurst like many British transplants in eastern Africa was an avid hunter and frequently took part in big game hunts upon the savannah and highlands of Kenya. One hot summer day in 1923, Hurst left the duties of his fledgling brewery behind to join in on an elephant hunt. Ironically while Hurst sought to slay the hulking beast, he was impaled by the tusk of the very elephant he was attempting to hunt. To honor the memory of it's late founder, Kenya Breweries chose the name "Tusker" for their new lager, which was the nickname that George Hurst's friends had given to the elephant that took his life.
Today Tusker is probably the largest alcoholic brand in all of Kenya and perhaps even in all of eastern Africa. The brand is so successful that it even has it's own professional soccer club that plays in Kenya's top league. This beer was pretty good, but nothing to write home about really. It has a very unique, almost fruity flavor about it that almost certainly comes from the variety of barley grown in Kenya, which is near the equator for those of you out there who don't own a globe or a map. Naturally, one can't expect to find Tusker just anywhere, so if you're interested in tracking this one down, don't look around at your local liquor store. If I were to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, it would be about a 6.5. The beer itself is adequate, but the lore behind the name gives it the kind of macabre appeall that a sick man such as my self delights in.
Maisha Marefu! (swahili for cheers)
Ian
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