Bantermarket Blog

The Egyptian classic. Asking for ‘a beer’ here will get you Stella. Anywhere that sells alcohol in Egypt will sell Stella. Some pubs only sell Stella. So this analysis is mainly academic, even more so than the others. I buy it in the iconic green half-litre bottles in pubs and normally in cans from the offy (that way it’s easier to carry moar back home like a boss). This lager is brewed by al-Ahram, best in KHEgypt since 1897 ya basha. ABV 4.5%.

It usually pours well. The colour is a fairly standard yellowy-orange. Quite like Tennent’s. The head has a bad habit of collapsing after a few minutes, even if you use a proper pint glass. There’s nothing at all noteworthy about the smell either, a bit of malt and hops and a slight sweetness.

Being a lager, it’s the taste of Stella that’s the main event. It tastes fresh, quite pleasantly full-bodied, a wee bit sweet, not too much though, just right, and slightly fruity. The aftertaste especially is great, probably as strong as the initial taste and mouthfeel themselves, you get plentiful hops that make you want moar. And moar you can have, normally for less than £1. Azeem ya basha.

It’s the versatility of the taste that means it goes well with practically any Egyptian cuisine. Stella’s quite good with fish, amazing in large quantities with chicken and rice, and also surprisingly nice with liver and stuffed pigeon. It’s also pretty good in large quantities on its own, oddly enough. But in most decent cheap pubs you get a plate of chickpeas or fava beans to go with your bevvy.

Stella has to be the best widely-available lager I’ve ever had (gasp). Even Krombacher, which to my poorly-developed Scottish taste buds is fantastic, only comes in (a close) second place to Stella. Authentic Egyptian, recommended to anyone. 9/10.