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In terms of alcohol, Egypt is in a delicate position: on the one hand, most of the local residents are devout Muslims and cannot consume alcohol, on the other hand, tourism brings the most money to the treasury, and guests from Europe and other non-Muslim countries cannot imagine a vacation without intoxicating.”
So theoretically alcohol is not welcome in Egypt. In fact, the Egyptians are not averse to drinking at all.
History
The ancient Egyptians brewed alcohol from malted grains about five thousand years ago. Arab conquest in the XNUMXth century AD although it had a negative impact on beer consumption, it did not fundamentally change anything. In the XNUMXth century, the orientalist Edward William Lane wrote that boozah, an alcoholic drink based on barley bread, can be easily bought on the streets of Egypt, while wine and stronger spirits are strictly prohibited. However, the same researcher noticed that many Muslims did not deny themselves wine and brandy, they simply did it secretly at home.
Today, the local drinking culture boasts incredible diversity: while the most religious citizens abstain from alcohol, bars, European restaurants with wine lists, and liquor stores can be found in any city. Much depends on the area: for example, in Cairo, Zamalek, Maadi and Heliopolis are inhabited by Europeans and representatives of the upper class, alcohol is not something forbidden here. But in Giza and Sayda Zeinab – the place of residence of the middle class and the poorest segments of the population – the sale of alcohol is almost equated to the drug trade.
official legislation
Officially, in Egypt, it is forbidden to sell and consume alcohol in public places or shops, with the exception of hotels and tourist facilities approved by the Minister of Tourism. Tourist outlets can sell alcohol if they have a license, but obtaining one is difficult, especially for retail stores, bars and hotels with a rating below 4 stars. Any advertising of alcohol is also prohibited.
In 1973, a law was passed prohibiting the sale of alcohol to Egyptians during Ramadan and other Muslim holidays, including 10% of the Christian population.
Egyptian alcohol
Most people in Egypt drink beer – it accounts for 54% of the total volume of alcohol consumption. The Al-Ahram Beverages concern, which has been operating since 1897, is practically a monopolist in the local market. It was nationalized in 1963, but returned to private ownership in the 1970s and remains the biggest player in the industry to this day.
Al-Ahram Beverages’ only competitor is EIB (Egyptian International Beverage Company, Egyptian International Beverage Company), but it does not have many licenses, so the rivalry is not evenly matched.
Alcohol in hotels in Egypt
Alcohol in hotels in Egypt is represented by both imported brands and local beer, wine and spirits produced by the same Al-Ahram Beverages. There is no shortage of alcohol, but there may not be a familiar brand, it is quite possible that you will have to be content with its Egyptian counterpart. Common local brands:
- Beer: Stella, Sakara, Meister (European brand, which is produced under license in Egypt).
- Wine: Omar Khayyam (dry red), Cru des Ptolmees (white semi-dry), Rubis D’Egypte (rosé), Abarka (fortified red), Chateau des Reves (premium red semi-sweet), Aida (white sparkling), Obelisk (occasionally and red, and white, and rose, is considered one of the best representatives of Egyptian wines), Grand Marcus (aged red, white, rose).
- Other drinks: Chill (low-alcohol bottled cocktails), Edge (low-alcohol vodka-based cocktails), ID Vodka (low-alcohol cocktails in 1000 ml bottles), Auld Stag (blended whiskey), Butler’s Gin (gin).
In addition, in Egypt you can find imitations of world famous brands – manufacturers try to repeat the design of the container as accurately as possible, and replace one or two letters in the name.
Customs rules for the import and export of alcohol
An adult tourist can bring into the country up to 1 liter of any alcohol: even vodka, even wine, even beer. After entering, foreign citizens can buy up to 3 liters of spirits in Duty Free.
You can export alcohol in unlimited quantities.