
Stella () is a popular
Egyptian
''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
beer
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
brand established in 1897.
Founded by
Belgian entrepreneurs as the Crown Brewery Company in Alexandria, Stella quickly became synonymous with beer culture in Egypt, reflecting the nation's historical and cultural transformations.
History
Initially, Stella production was centered in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
under the Crown Brewery Company in 1897, followed by the Pyramid Brewery founded in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
in 1898.
[ Both breweries produced and sold a beer named Stella, each based on completely different recipes.] In 1921, they both merged to produce Stella under a unified recipe.[ The merger arose from strategic necessity, ending direct competition and creating the largest brewing operation in ]Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
at the time. Stella was launched during the culturally vibrant 1920s in Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, a period known for nightlife comparable to global cities such as Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
and New York.[
Throughout the early to mid-20th century, Stella maintained a strong market position, bolstered by high demand from tourists, locals, foreign residents, and British soldiers who were present in Egypt until 1956.][ Recognizing this success, ]Heineken
Heineken Lager Beer (), or simply Heineken (), is a Dutch pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star.
History
On 15 February 1864, ...
invested in Crown and Pyramid Breweries in 1937 with the dual aim of expanding the local beer market and using Egypt as a strategic base for further expansion into the Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
and Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
.[ This strategy initially succeeded, and within two decades Heineken acquired or invested in breweries across ]Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
, Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
, Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
, Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
, and the Congo.[
During the 1950s, Crown and Pyramid Breweries faced accusations of employing anti-competitive practices.][ Nile Brewery, a competitor founded at the time, alleged that Crown and Pyramid used illegal means to suppress competition; however, these allegations remained unverified. Regardless of their validity, Nile Brewery ultimately went bankrupt, allowing Crown and Pyramid to solidify their dominance.][
In 1963, Heineken's operations in Egypt experienced a significant setback when President ]Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 a ...
nationalized Crown and Pyramid Breweries, consolidating them into a single state-owned entity known as Al Ahram Beverages Company. Consequently, Heineken was compelled to relinquish its shares, marking a substantial shift in the Egyptian beer market.[
In 1997, the company was privatized, leading to improved quality standards, and was acquired once again by Heineken International in 2003.
]
Production
Al Ahram Beverage Company is based in Obour, where it produces a variety of local and international brands of beer, including Stella. Stella is brewed primarily using water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
, malted barley
Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air, a process known as " malting".
Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted milk, malt vinegar ...
, hops
Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whic ...
, and yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...
.[
]
Cultural significance
Beer in general, but especially Stella, held a prominent place within Egypt's robust drinking culture of the 1920s and 1930s, a period of widespread social acceptance of alcoholic beverages
Drinks containing alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered non-alcoholic.
Many societies have a di ...
.[ According to historians, Stella beer had become "an inseparable part of Egyptian culture", with the Al Ahram Beverages Company, its producer, holding a near-monopoly in the Egyptian beer market.][
Stella beer still occupies a unique place in Egyptian social life, frequently enjoyed in gatherings and local traditions.][ Its distinctive yellow label and iconic branding have become instantly recognizable symbols of Egyptian popular culture.][
]
Recognition
In 2011, Stella beer received the Gold Medal for Quality from Monde Selection, an international award recognizing excellence in brewing standards.[
]
See also
* Beer in Egypt
References
{{Reflist
Egyptian drinks
Egyptian brands
Products introduced in 1897
Food and drink introduced in 1897