Beer in Ghana

Ghanaians love beer. I’m inclined to think that this accounts for their incredibly friendly, life-affirming manner. Wine and liquor are also available, but beer seems the national drink of choice. If you sit at a restaurant or bar and order one, it is understood that you desire the large bottle. If you prefer the standard, unambitious 12-oz bottle you must submit to the disgrace of ordering a “mini.”

As for the choices, like so many hot climates, the styles tend toward lagers. The principal brands to be found in Cape Coast, and Accra, include the following:

1. Star – This may be the de facto national beer, at least if one judges by the number of signs. It is a typical lager with nothing special to recommend it except that in large quantities it brings on a pleasant drunken feeling. But like most lagers or pilsners, it can rival the best beers in the world when served frosty cold on a 90°-degree day with near 100° humidity.
2. Club – Another predictable lager and probably the second most popular beer in this part of the country. I’m not sure a taste test could distinguish between Star and Club, or Coors for that matter. This is a beer meant for drinking in large quantities and with a hammock nearby. The shamrock logo makes me think that luck somehow figures in its appeal.
3. Stone – See #2.
4. Gulder – Though not quite as popular, I think this is probably the best of the lagers. Your mouth doesn’t forget it’s drinking it quite as quickly as it seems to with the others. It's also just a tad darker.
5. Castle Milk Stout – If you’ve followed the blog, you know this is not the first mention of this delectable brew. Though not quite as prevalent, it has nevertheless become our go-to. It has a nice rich, full flavor that doesn’t suffer as terribly as the lagers if it not available cold.

I don't include my purchase the other night of Friends Beer. This one, served in a can, is for those without a lot of time to get drunk. At 12.2% alcohol per 500ml, it only makes a brief stop in Happyland before pitching you headfirst into Passedoutville.