Beer and the Society
Chiromo campus in Nairobi has a pub(the name skips me) with a very large sign greets you on your way in, interestingly it reads....."BEER, Helping Ugly men have Sex since 1862..."
People take beer for one simple reason, they want to be drunk. And it is fun to be drunk. You can abuse your friends or perceived enemies and give the excuse that you were drunk. Beer has a fascinating history; every society even the most primitive knew how to brew alcohol. And each society had elaborate ceremonies accompanying beer taking. Among the Nandis, people used "pipes" to take beer from the same pot, ensuring no one would poison others. In central Kenya, a horn was passed round and everyone tasted it, before real beer taking started. Today, any time I go to a nyama choma joint, the person serving us must taste our meat to confirm it is okay. But all these elaborate ceremonies are gone. But the brew is still there. We have a less restrained society, where everyone can buy beer, and take it.
We still see taking beer as a sign of being a man, being tough. And getting drunk as cheaply and as soon as possible seen as heroic. However at no time was beer seen as a death trap. Beer was taken with responsibility, by people of a certain age and status. Among most African communities, elderly women were allowed to take alcohol. It is sad that today, men who do not take the bottle are perceived as ‘lesser men’ by their peers and women deem them as ‘boring’! Conversely, some men are willing to offer women beer so that once the woman gets drunk, they can have sex. Moreover, women who take beer are viewed by society as ‘very loose’ or as ‘lacking in morals’.
It has been assumed that the passing of the traditional society with its taboos and unwritten rules was supposed to usher in a modern society with its codified rules and regulation, enforced by the government. In some countries, beer cannot be sold to those less than 21 years old, and this is enforced. In Kenya, we put the age limit at 18, but that is just on paper. Go into any neighborhood and young kids will tell you the difference between Pilsner and Tusker. Go into small towns and cities and people will tell you they have tasted Keroro, Muratina, chang’aa, Karubo, Mugaca, Kong’o, Marwa, Makabo, Busaa, Kangara or some homely name.
The issue of illicit brew is close to that of illicit sex, and the associated problem of aids and pregnancy. Our attempt to stop illicit sex has failed, because like taking brew, there is an element of emotions and passions involved and lot of irrational behavior. One reason both practices thrive is because of conventional wisdom. Both activities are seen as status symbols. Can we have competitors for them?
I am yet to understand the relationship between beer and politics. Anyone who knows?
People take beer for one simple reason, they want to be drunk. And it is fun to be drunk. You can abuse your friends or perceived enemies and give the excuse that you were drunk. Beer has a fascinating history; every society even the most primitive knew how to brew alcohol. And each society had elaborate ceremonies accompanying beer taking. Among the Nandis, people used "pipes" to take beer from the same pot, ensuring no one would poison others. In central Kenya, a horn was passed round and everyone tasted it, before real beer taking started. Today, any time I go to a nyama choma joint, the person serving us must taste our meat to confirm it is okay. But all these elaborate ceremonies are gone. But the brew is still there. We have a less restrained society, where everyone can buy beer, and take it.
We still see taking beer as a sign of being a man, being tough. And getting drunk as cheaply and as soon as possible seen as heroic. However at no time was beer seen as a death trap. Beer was taken with responsibility, by people of a certain age and status. Among most African communities, elderly women were allowed to take alcohol. It is sad that today, men who do not take the bottle are perceived as ‘lesser men’ by their peers and women deem them as ‘boring’! Conversely, some men are willing to offer women beer so that once the woman gets drunk, they can have sex. Moreover, women who take beer are viewed by society as ‘very loose’ or as ‘lacking in morals’.
It has been assumed that the passing of the traditional society with its taboos and unwritten rules was supposed to usher in a modern society with its codified rules and regulation, enforced by the government. In some countries, beer cannot be sold to those less than 21 years old, and this is enforced. In Kenya, we put the age limit at 18, but that is just on paper. Go into any neighborhood and young kids will tell you the difference between Pilsner and Tusker. Go into small towns and cities and people will tell you they have tasted Keroro, Muratina, chang’aa, Karubo, Mugaca, Kong’o, Marwa, Makabo, Busaa, Kangara or some homely name.
The issue of illicit brew is close to that of illicit sex, and the associated problem of aids and pregnancy. Our attempt to stop illicit sex has failed, because like taking brew, there is an element of emotions and passions involved and lot of irrational behavior. One reason both practices thrive is because of conventional wisdom. Both activities are seen as status symbols. Can we have competitors for them?
I am yet to understand the relationship between beer and politics. Anyone who knows?
