Lucy Corne

It’s not always a simple process, but independent brewers in Ghana are favoring locally grown starches such as rice and cassava over imported malt, forging an identity for Ghanaian craft—oh, and they’re winning international medals for the beer.

• Ghana
• Local Grains
• Cassava

Easier to brew than it is for many people to say—it takes a click of the tongue—this ancient sorghum beer is unlike any modern style we know. Thick, tart, and creamy, it’s deeply traditional—yet it’s also open to a brewer’s own creative twists.

• Umqombothi
• South Africa
• African Beer

This traditional, spontaneously fermented sorghum beer is like nothing else you’ve ever tasted—thick, tangy, rustic, and meant for drinking within a few days.

• Beer Recipe
• Traditional Beer