WATCH: What would you go for - old school brewed beer or a modern brew?
Nigerian small scale breweries are competing to keep their doors open as competition with the big brands comes into play...
When it comes to old school versus new, there are those that stick to their guns about preference and then there are those that are willing to be swayed, depending on the circumstances.
Alcohol has become such a varied experience, with consumers moving from traditional beer to internationally-recognised brews and then even jumping on the trendy gin carts because everyone else is making a big hype about it...
Read more: LISTEN: Craft beer industry in dire straits
So it is firm to say that when it comes to the small-scale brewers, it hasn't been easy, but then when has it ever been easy? With the pandemic and the uncertainty of its exit, many brands have been finding it difficult.
Unfortunately, it comes down to the financial state of the business, and without customers, there is no future. Small-scale Nigerian beer brewers are feeling the pinch as bigger breweries are winning over their market.
"Every morning, Wilson Ovwiroro leaves home early to paddle a wooden canoe into the thick rainforest in southern Nigeria, where he taps raffia trees, making palm wine from their fermented sap. The 50-year-old tapper also distils the alcoholic juice into a kind of gin known locally as “ogogoro” or “Sapele water,” named after the nearby town where it reputedly originated." (MSN)
But what was once the delight for many is now declining in popularity due to the modern breweries. The bigger companies, both international and local breweries, are vying for the local market and are obviously gaining traction as small-scalers like Ovwiroro are feeling the pinch.
The alcoholic content in one glass of Ogorogo is unknown, but it is said that after consuming one glass, it is enough to make you intoxicated. With that kind of purist energy, we think that this is just a phase.
Just like fashion trends that always make a comeback, we think that the purists will return. It's the cycle of the industry, the cycle of life.
I produce original ogorogo here. When you drink it, you know it is original. I don’t mix it with ethanol. My own is the real special one. When I cook it, even rich people buy from me.
Check out a video of how palm wine is tapped (courtesy of YouTube):
Image Courtesy of YouTube