Spotlight
Taybeh Brewing Company
Information last updated on 13 June 2024
About the Founder and Founding Story
David (Daoud) Khoury and his younger brother Nadim Khoury (b. 1959) were born in Taybeh, a Christian town northeast of Ramallah, Palestine.[9] Members of the Khoury family (whose name is Arabic for “priest”) have resided in Taybeh for at least 600 years, with many serving the Orthodox Church as priests and nuns through the generations.[10]
During their childhood, the Khoury brothers attended school near Ramallah. Political conflicts and the scarcity of educational and economic opportunities ultimately compelled the brothers to seek a new life in the United States.[11] In the 1970s, the brothers set off for Massachusetts to study at Hellenic College in Brookline.[12]
Beer-making was a longstanding tradition for the Khoury family, one that the two brothers practiced during their college years.[13] In 1982, Nadim started making beer in his dorm room. He would bring back home-brew kits to Taybeh to make beer for his family and friends over the summer.[14] As his interest in brewing grew, he worked on perfecting his beer recipe.[15] The two brothers also worked at a liquor store after their classes.[16] David and Nadim graduated from Hellenic College in 1980 and 1983, respectively, and remained in the US.[17] The brothers, along with other relatives, eventually owned and operated Foley’s Liquors in Brookline from around 1986.[18] Their father, Canaan David Khoury (1926–2002), a businessman and well-to-do landowner, served as the proprietor of Foley’s.[19]
Nadim married Suhair Hard in 1985 and had two daughters, Madees and Raneen, and a son, Canaan.[20] David married Maria Khoury, a Greek-American fellow Hellenic College graduate, who is now an author and human rights advocate for the Palestinian Christian communities.[21] The couple had three children: Elena, Canaan, and Constantine.[22]
The Israeli authorities revoked residency rights for Palestinians who left the West Bank to work or study for more than seven years between 1967 and 1994.[23] Fearing that his sons could lose their Palestinian ID cards, their father convinced them to return to their hometown.[24] They had a strong desire to help build the Palestinian economy, create opportunities for their people, and invest in their country.[25] In 1993, the first Oslo Accord, known as Oslo I, was signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), with a short-lived promise to work through a mutually negotiated two-state solution.[26] The Khourys returned to Palestine the following year, establishing the Taybeh Brewing Company, bringing with them the expertise, materials, and capital needed to produce beer in Palestine.[27] The brewery was named after their hometown, Taybeh, which bears a double meaning of “good” and “delicious” in Arabic.[28] Establishing a brewery in a Muslim-majority community posed obvious challenges. For that reason, the Khourys flew to meet with Yasser Arafat, the soon-to-be president of the PLO in Tunisia, where he lived in exile until 1993, to seek his support.[29] Arafat gave the green light to the Khoury brothers, and the brewery was built next to their father’s house.[30]
Growth Phase
The brothers struggled to obtain loans, as banks doubted their ability to sell alcohol in a Muslim-majority city. So the family pooled their savings and invested in the brewery.[31] In 1994, Taybeh launched its flagship beer, Taybeh Golden, brewed according to the German Purity Law without any preservatives or additives.[32] Processing beer from start to finish in 30 days and producing 4,000 bottles per hour, in 1997, it became the first Palestinian company to franchise in Germany.[33]
Following the Second Intifada in 2000, however, production declined drastically due to travel restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities, making it difficult to obtain brewing ingredients and transport products.[34] Taybeh, which had been producing 6,000 cases a month in the summer of 2000, suffered a 75% decline the following year and lost the majority of its regional market.[35] The company began trading in olive oil as unemployment increased and the village’s school students couldn’t afford tuition. The school priest allowed students to pay with olive oil, amassing 1,360 liters in the school’s basement. Taybeh bought the olive oil and sold it to a Belgian company, adding a new product to its portfolio.[36] The Khourys also persisted with their main business, transporting kegs of beer on donkeys through military checkpoints.[37]
In 2002, Taybeh expanded to Japan and the UK. It also launched the Taybeh Oktoberfest in Palestine in 2005 to boost the local economy.[38] With the success of the business, David was elected mayor of Taybeh in 2005.[39] In 2007, Madees, Nadim’s daughter, returned to Palestine and joined the family business, becoming one of the few women brewers in the country.[40] In 2013, Nadim’s son, Canaan, joined the family business and co-founded Taybeh Winery with his father and uncle.[41] Taybeh expanded internationally to Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, and Denmark in 2014, entered the US market in 2017, and began exporting to Chile in 2018, followed by Canada and France in 2019.[42] The family also owns and runs the Taybeh Golden Hotel.[43]
Today
Following the 2023 aggressions on Gaza, Taybeh production has slowed down. With the conflict’s spillover impact on the West Bank, the brewery has struggled to secure export permits for international shipping through Israeli ports, and several of Taybeh’s employees have been injured in attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied territories.[44] The Khourys have expressed their unwillingness to give up. The business is led today by Madees Nadim as general manager, overseeing the brewery and day-to-day business operations,[45] while her brother Canaan serves as a winemaker and general manager at Taybeh Winery.[46]
Notes
Photo Credit: Canaan Khoury, United Kingdom, 1962. Image Credit: The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive. Image Source: The Palestinian Museum Digital Archive.
[1] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company, https://taybehbeer.com/about-us/. Accessed 11 June 2024.
[2] Ibid.
“Despite Government Resistance, Beer Flows Freely for Palestinians.” Forward, https://forward.com/culture/321783/l600-000-litres-of-beer-on-the-wall/. Accessed 11 June 2024.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Porter, Lizzie, and Canaan Khoury. “How a Palestinian brewery is taking on the US.” Al Jazeera, 27 May 2017, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/5/27/how-a-palestinian-brewery-is-taking-on-the-us. Accessed 11 June 2024.
[5] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Saad, Jamal. “A ‘taste of Palestine’ that’s kosher and halal – DW – 01/30/2019.” DW, 30 January 2019, https://www.dw.com/en/taybeh-beer-a-taste-of-palestine-thats-kosher-and-halal/a-47283781. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[8] “In the West Bank, Taybeh’s Palestinian Oktoberfest.” Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-21/in-the-west-bank-taybehs-palestinian-oktoberfestbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice. Accessed 11 June 2024.
[9] Knight, Ben, and Nicole Goebel. “Hops of hope.” DW, 2 April 2011, https://www.dw.com/en/taybeh-beer-offers-germany-a-taste-of-palestine/a-6217555. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE: EVERLASTING ROOTS, INFINITE HORIZONS.” Palestine Forum, United Nations, 2021, https://www.palestineforum.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/English-Final-version-Booklet-2017.pdf. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“Taybeh.” Welcome To Palestine, https://www.welcometopalestine.com/destinations/ramallah-al-bireh/taybeh/. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[10] Khoury, Maria C. Witness in the Holy Land. CDK Publications, 2003. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“A Town Named ‘Good.’” CNEWA, https://cnewa.org/magazine/a-town-named-good-33558/. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[11] “A Town Named ‘Good.’” CNEWA.
[12] Sontag, Deborah. “The Palestinian Conversation.” New York Times, 3 February 2002, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/03/magazine/the-palestinian-conversation.html. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Khoury, Grace. “904-056-1 Entrepreneurship in an Adverse Environment: The Case of Taybeh Brewing Company -Palestine.” Research Gate, Jan 2004, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264863978_904-056-1_Entrepreneurship_in_an_Adverse_Environment_The_Case_of_Taybeh_Brewing_Company_-Palestine. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[13] “Meet the only female beer brewer in the Middle East.” Telegraph, 23 September 2016, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/23/meet-the-only-female-beer-brewer-in-the-middle-east/. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[14] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
GLOVER, JULIA. “Palestinian brewery hopes to toast Middle East peace.” CBC News, https://web.archive.org/web/20061128202643/http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_glover/20050221.html. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[15] Knight, Ben, and Nicole Goebel. “Hops of hope.” DW.
Khoury, Grace. “904-056-1 Entrepreneurship in an Adverse Environment: The Case of Taybeh Brewing Company -Palestine.” Research Gate.
[16] Sontag, Deborah. “The Palestinian Conversation.” New York Times.
[17] “Taybeh’s Plea for the Last Christians of the Holy Land.” Saint George Taybeh, http://www.saintgeorgetaybeh.org/docs/TaybehPlea.pdf. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Shaltiel, Jason. “Beer and Wine, Palestinian-Style.” Dollars & Sense, https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/dollarsandsense/2015/11/25/beer-and-wine-palestinian-style/. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Shaltiel, Jason. “Beer and Wine, Palestinian-Style.” Dollars & Sense.
[18] “Brighton Gourmet and Cellar store opens in Oak Square selling gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer.” The Boston Globe, https://www.mattrocheleau.com/clips/bostonglobe/pdfs/01570%20-%20Brighton%20Gourmet%20and%20Cellar%20store%20opens%20in%20Oak%20Square%20selling%20gourmet%20food,%20fine%20wine,%20craft%20beer%20(1%20of%201)%20-%20The%20Boston%20Globe%20-%207-23-13.pdf. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[19] “Taybeh Beer and Wine coming to Canada this summer.” Palestine Just Trade, https://palestinejusttrade.ca/tag/palestine-wine/. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“`Bringer of drink’ defies Islamic law – Oct. 3, 1995.” CNN, 3 October 1995, http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9510/palestine_beer/index.html. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Khoury, Grace. “904-056-1 Entrepreneurship in an Adverse Environment: The Case of Taybeh Brewing Company -Palestine.” Research Gate.
“David Khoury-Canaan Obituary.” The Boston Globe, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/david-khoury-canaan-obituary?id=28011055. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[20] Halpern, Orly. “Yes, Taybeh Beer Is Still Alive and Fermenting.” Haaretz, 22 Feb 2002, https://www.haaretz.com/2002-02-22/ty-article/yes-taybeh-beer-is-still-alive-and-fermenting/0000017f-e0ae-d804-ad7f-f1fe09e40000. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Porter, Lizzie, and Canaan Khoury. “How a Palestinian brewery is taking on the US.” Al Jazeera.
Power, Shannon, et al. “Palestine’s Taybeh Brewery is a hop-ful symbol of pride.” The New Arab, 8 July 2022, https://www.newarab.com/features/palestines-taybeh-brewery-hop-ful-symbol-pride. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[21] Khoury, Maria. “Keeping the Faith in Taybeh: An Interview with Maria Khoury.” Pravoslavie.ru, https://pravoslavie.ru/89715.html. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“75TH ANNIVERSARY FALL LUNCHEON LECTURE SERIES IS PLEASED TO HOST DR. MARIA KHOURY.” Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, https://stots.edu/news_121116_1. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[22] “Biography of Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D.” St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Taybeh, http://www.saintgeorgetaybeh.org/maria_khourys_page/maria_khourys_archive/biography.html. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[23] Sherwood, Harriet. “Israel stripped 140000 Palestinians of residency rights, document reveals.” The Guardian, 11 May 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/11/israel-palestinians-residency-rights. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Whitson, Sarah Leah. “Israel: Jerusalem Palestinians Stripped of Status.” Human Rights Watch, 8 August 2017, https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/08/08/israel-jerusalem-palestinians-stripped-status. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[24] Shaltiel, Jason. “Beer and Wine, Palestinian-Style.” Dollars & Sense.
[25] “A Town Named ‘Good.’” CNEWA.
[26] “Oslo Accords | Summary, Significance, & Breakdown.” Britannica, 14 May 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oslo-Accords. Accessed 12 June 2024.
“What were the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians?” Al Jazeera, 13 September 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/13/what-were-oslo-accords-israel-palestinians. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[27] Shaltiel, Jason. “Beer and Wine, Palestinian-Style.” Dollars & Sense.
Khoury, Grace. “904-056-1 Entrepreneurship in an Adverse Environment: The Case of Taybeh Brewing Company -Palestine.” Research Gate.
[28] Deknatel, Frederick. “West Bank brewery celebrates success with Oktoberfest.” 30 May 2010, https://theworld.org/stories/2017/03/10/west-bank-brewery-celebrates-success-oktoberfest. Accessed 12 June 2024.
[29] McCann, Paul. “He’s got some bottle.” Independent, 29 May 2005, https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/he-s-got-some-bottle-492265.html. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Power, Shannon, et al. “Palestine’s Taybeh Brewery is a hop-ful symbol of pride.” The New Arab.
[30] Power, Shannon, et al. “Palestine’s Taybeh Brewery is a hop-ful symbol of pride.” The New Arab.
“About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[31] GLOVER, JULIA. “Palestinian brewery hopes to toast Middle East peace.” CBC News.
[32] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[33] GLOVER, JULIA. “Palestinian brewery hopes to toast Middle East peace.” CBC News.
“A Town Named ‘Good.’” CNEWA.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Sontag, Deborah. “The Palestinian Conversation.” New York Times.
[36] “Taybeh Brewing: Olive Oil as School Tuition.” Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI) – Palestine, https://web.archive.org/web/20060630075814/http://jai-pal.org/content.php?page=56. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[37] “This Palestinian Brewery Is Resisting Military Occupation, One Beer at a Time.” VICE, 9 May 2018, https://www.vice.com/en/article/wj7wnz/this-palestinian-brewery-is-resisting-military-occupation-one-beer-at-a-time. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[38] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[39] “Taybeh Beer: The Taste of Palestine — London Real.” London Real, 18 March 2015, http://londonreal.squarespace.com/blog/taste-of-palestine. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[40] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[41] Ibid.
“Our winemaking philosophy: create top quality wines of distinction.” Taybeh Winery, https://www.taybehwinery.com/taybeh.html. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[42] “About us.” Taybeh Brewing Company.
[43] Gostoli, Ylenia. “The Taybeh Vinfest, West Bank: Turning water into wine.” Qantara.de, 23 March 2015, https://qantara.de/en/article/taybeh-vinfest-west-bank-turning-water-wine. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[44] Glinski, Stefanie. “The West Bank brewmaster hoping to keep her business bubbling along.” The Guardian, 27 December 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/dec/27/female-brewmaster-palestine-beer-women. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[45] Ibid.
“The brewmistress of Taybeh.” Y Net News, 2016, https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4867155,00.html. Accessed 13 June 2024.
[46] Zewe, Adam. “Alumni profile: Canaan Khoury, S.B. ’13.” Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 24 January 2017, https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2017/01/alumni-profile-canaan-khoury-sb-13. Accessed 13 June 2024.
To cite this article please use:
“Taybeh Brewing Company” Family Business Histories Research Project, New York University Abu Dhabi and Tharawat Family Business Forum, 10 Sep. 2024, familybusinesshistories.org/spotlights/Taybeh-Brewing-Company