Harar Brewery

On Thursday evening Dereje and I headed over to the brewery in Harar,
home to Hakim Stout and Harar Beer, as well as a non-alcoholic brew
called Harar Sofi which is popular amongst the Muslim population here.
On the way inside we walked through a small park with some trees in it
and I could see what looked like plastic squares falling from the tree;
they were all over the ground too. At first I thought someone must have
had a wedding here and it was confetti all over the ground, but then
Dereje caught one and we realized it was coming from the tree. It was a
nearly transparent white square with a heart-shaped mark in the
middle--completely natural. I snapped a few pictures of them and then we
headed on to the beer.
The brewery has its own well so they don't have to rely on the Alem Maya
well field for water. As such, the brewery is located at the foot of the
Hakim Mountain, a source of water for their well. Dereje ordered a draft
Harar and I ordered a bottle of Hakim Stout. I had tried the bottled
Harar beer when I was in Dire Dawa the other day, but the draft here was
much darker, so I decided to have that next. The Hakim Stout was a light
amber color, as was the head of foam. We then ordered a hamburger and
fries to share, sat back and watched the African Cup football game on
the big screen television. By the time the food came I was ready for my
Harar draft, and have to say it was excellent. Apparently they are
preparing this brew for export, so for those who don't have plans to be
in eastern Ethiopia anytime soon, keep an eye out.