Beer Styles

Tusker Lager belongs to the international pale lager style, a style found in many warm countries around the world. It is golden, clear, lightly hopped, and without much malt sweetness. It's drunk cold, from the bottle or glass, and is meant above all to refresh.

How does such a lager differ from a German Pils? Pils is noticeably more bitter and drier, with hops taking center stage. An international pale lager stays more restrained, showing a touch of grain and little bitterness. It differs from a Munich Helles in having less maltiness and often a lighter body.

Alongside this, Kenya has its home beers. Busaa is a thick, sour maize beer without filtration, drunk within a few days. It follows no international style guideline, so there are no official spec numbers for it. The distinction with Chang'aa is clear: one is beer, the other a distilled spirit.

Nairobi's small brewers have broadened the offering. Sirville Brewery, located in a city shopping mall, pours four beers, including a Pils called Mara Pils and a lager called Tsavo Lager. Their alcohol content reportedly ranges from 4.2 to 6.2 percent. Bila Shaka is known for its IPA, a strongly hopped pale ale. The name Pils in Kenya, as in Germany, is a style term rather than a brand, and Ale is likewise just the umbrella term for top-fermented beers brewed warmer than lagers.

The figures in the style profile apply to the style in general, not to any single brand. They are drawn from the BJCP 2021 style guidelines, a reference used for beer competitions, and represent ranges rather than strict recipes.