Meister Max

A long (long, man, long!) day at the office with our hosts here in Cairo, followed by a fantastic dinner at a local restaurant with a huge selection of appetizers that could have fed an army. If only we’d known there was a main course to come, I probably wouldn’t have tried to eat everything on the table. Amazing stuff – if a Cairene ever wants to treat you to a typical Egyptian dinner, save some room at lunch and don’t hold back.

Anyway, feeling fat as a badger and needing a little rest and refreshment between courses, I opted for a cheeky bottle of Meister Max. Locally brewed by Al Ahram, but living up to it’s Germanic name, it’s a pretty standard lager with a good strong flavour and a robust ABV that held up well during the mighty tagine that arrived for the second course.

Definitely a step up from the Sakara Gold I tried earlier in the week.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again (even when not in Egypt)

PS: Sorry for the crap photo; while I do love my iPhone, the camera’s dire…

Sakara Gold

 After a very dusty day pounding the streets of Cairo (where the air pollution’s so bad, you think “where’s that cigarette ash coming from?”, only to realise… it’s just the air), an enigmatic encounter with the mummified remains of Rameses II that made me feel incredibly insignificant, and a lengthy stroll along the banks of the Nile, I was more than ready for a tasty pint.

My hope’s weren’t high, I’ll have to admit – despite a long and honourable brewing history, Egypt’s not really the first place that springs to mind when you’re looking for a brew or two. That, combined with the fact that my hotel’s dry in the public areas, has pretty much put the dampers on having a really good time here.

But all was not lost – room service came up trumps with a bottle of Sakara Gold to accompany dinner – sitting on my balcony, watching the sun set behind the city and the feluccas cutting back and forth across the Nile, I enjoyed this light, refreshing lager in the setting it’s probably best enjoyed in. If only the Hilton wasn’t in the way of the pyramids, everything would have been perfect (and maybe if it had been a little stronger than a feeble 4.0%) it would have done even better.

Apparently there’s a Sakara King that clocks in at 10%. I’m on the hunt for it now.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again (when in Cairo), Middle of the Road (anywhere else)