For our next stop in Alcohol around the World, we visit another Islamic country, Algeria. Unlike Afghanistan, there was and is slightly more elbow room when abiding to Islam’s dietary laws; alcohol is not totally banned.
Algerian wine accounted for nearly two thirds of the wine that was internationally traded, though this was during the 1950’s. Algerian wine has a deeper red color compared to French wine and is higher in alcohol as well.
Nowadays, like Afghanistan, there is a shortage of alcohol consumption. Many of the vineyards in the Hauts Plateaux region which produced the bountiful grape were turned to produce agricultural crops (e.g., cereal or table grapes), this was greatly encouraged by government officials seeing their Islamic country being economically dependent on an alcoholic product. There are about 70 wineries in operation today.
Continue through Read Button and watch guys open wine the “Algerian Way.” Plus a tidbit of info on contraband alcohol.
Though there is hope for the boozers in Algeria. According to Euromonitor International:
“Between 2005 and 2008 the Government of Algeria chose to close down approximately 78 bars and 2,000 retail outlets…Contraband volume sales of alcoholic drinks increased in 2008 as a direct result of the continued governmental policy of closing both retail and foodservice outlets. As a result of this policy volume demand for contraband products thrived owing to the very high level of profit that can be made from the sale of such products. In 2008, media reported that approximately 30% of products sold in alcoholic drinks were contraband products.”
