Almaza Beer

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Lebanon is almost the same latitude as Long Beach—and it feels like there’s about eight minutes distance between Beirut and the Aladdin Café, which does pretty vigorous belly dancing on the weekends and which serves a pedigreed import beer called Almaza. Brasserie Franco-Libano-Syrienne started brewing a German pilsner of their own in the city of Bauchrieh in 1933, keeping the fluids flowing up to and through what the company wearily calls “many damages due to various bombardments.” Now Almaza (purchased by Heineken five years ago) is almost Lebanon’s national beer—the only brand brewed in-country. It’s a light and pale and easy dinner drink—surprisingly sweet after appetizers and solidly flavorful on its own. I’m not sure where to get Tiger beer around here—a taste so casual I almost forgot I’d developed it—but Almaza does great with unexpected introductions. A beer that’s always good to keep close at hand—on one side of the world or another.

ALADDIN CAFÉ | 200 PINE AVE | STE A | LONG BEACH 90802 | 562.951.1200 | ALSO AVAILABLE AT OPEN SESAME | 5215 E 2ND ST | LONG BEACH 90803 | 562.621.1698 | OPENSESAMEGRILL.COM.

Tags: aladdin, almaza, lebanon, open sesame