Chibuku is a commercial sorghum beer based on the traditional Umqombothi homemade African beers; the main grains used are malted sorghum and maize but may also contain millet.[1]
 | |
| Type | Opaque Beer |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Delta Corporation Zimbabwe ]] |
| Country of origin | Namibia |
| Alcohol by volume | 3.3% to 4.5% |
| Colour | Tan-pink to white |
| Ingredients | Sorghum, Maize |
| Variants | Chibuku Super |
The brand name
edit"Chibuku" comes from Max Heinrich's habit of recording all consumers' comments and process changes in a book. Chibuku is an adaptation of the local Zimbabwean language (Shona) word for "book" - "Chi" is the prefix meaning "big", "buk" = "book", and the terminal "u" is because most African nouns tend to end in a euphonic vowel.[2] The shake-shake comes from the ritual of shaking up the beer before taking the first sip. The beer contains starch, germ, and yeast (all typically removed in lagers and ales), and since the solids settle to the bottom of the carton, it needs to be shaken before sipping.
Alcohol content
editThe alcohol content in a fresh Chibuku is relatively low, starting at about 0.5% ABV on day one. Still, as fermentation continues in the carton, the longer it is kept before drinking, the stronger it gets. It may achieve 4% ABV before the shelf-life expires after between 4 and 6 days after packaging.[3]
The brand
editChibuku is a pan-African brand of opaque sorghum beer made by various African brewers.[4][5] Part of the reason for the success of the brand is the commercial brewing process with systems to ensure a consistent quality product that is safe for consumers. Chibuku comes in 2 packs: Chibuku "Scud," a non-carbonated drink and Chibuku "Super," a carbonated sorghum beer.
Chibuku is often the choice of less affluent consumers who can't afford bottled beer, and this may still be the case for many of the consumers in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana.[6] However there are also consumers in the emerging middle class who enjoy the beer as a preference, because of the taste and for the health connotations.[7]
It is now brewed across 14 Delta Beverage Breweries subsidiaries throughout Zimbabwe
Production
editChibuku is now brewed across Africa by various brewers.
- Botswana it is brewed by Botswana Breweries subsidiary of Kgalagadi Breweries Limited
- Ghana by Accra Brewing Limited[8]
- Malawi by Chibuku Products Ltd
- Mozambique by Cervejas de Mocambique
- South Africa by United National Breweries (SA)
- Tanzania by Tanzania Breweries Ltd[9]
- Uganda by Nile Breweries Limited[10]
- Zimbabwe by Delta Corporation - Chibuku was first brewed at a brewery in Fort Victoria in 1962.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "The Beer Fontier". The Economist. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "Chibuku". Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "SABMiller takes Chibuku across Africa". Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ^ "Chibuku Brand page". Delta Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 May 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "UNB Our Beer Brands". Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ^ "Chibuku Shale Shake". Archived from the original on 11 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ Murray, Slater. "Chibuku: Africa's original beer". Beerhouse. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ "ABL's 'Chibuku' plant to create 20,000 jobs". 13 March 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ^ "DarBrew has packaged un-malted local beer Chibuku Super. The Tanzania Breweries Ltd is expanding its market for traditional liquors.| glObserver Global Economics". globserver.cn. Archived from the original on 2017-08-31. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
- ^ "Chibuku". Retrieved 7 April 2016.