BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia · Est. 1922
Tally's Take
Why this matters
St. George is Ethiopia's oldest commercial brewery — sitting on top of a home-brewing tradition in tella and tej that is far older than the country's lager.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1998Privatised to Castel
Castel's Brasseries Internationales Holding wins the state auction for St. George Brewery in 1998, paying about $10 million, with the privatisation agreement signed that September. Ethiopia's oldest brewery, founded 1922, passes from the state to a French group.
The Beer Library
Beers
St. George
Year-RoundPale Lager
A Belgian brewer named Mussie Hal opened Ethiopia's first brewery in Addis Ababa in 1922, naming it after the country's patron saint — who happens to be the same St. George claimed by England, by pure coincidence of medieval Christianity spreading in two very different directions.
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Sources
- controlConfirmed
BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) is controlled by Founder / family.
Pierre Castel, brasseur de fortune en Afrique · Le Monde · 2023-07
NewsMedium reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-05Reviewed 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery)
- Who owns BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery)?
- BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) is owned by Groupe Castel (BGI). BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Is BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) still independent?
- No. BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) is owned by Groupe Castel (BGI) and is no longer independent.
- When was BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) founded?
- BGI Ethiopia (St. George Brewery) was founded in 1922 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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