The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry
A beer brewery is set to open in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this month, making it the first company to legally produce alcohol in the region. The microbrewery and gastropub by Side Hustle Brews – named Craft – will be located in The Galleria Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi. While the brand had previously sold beers in the UAE and on Etihad Airlines flights, it conducted its brewing operations in the US. Abu Dhabi revised its alcohol licensing rules in 2021, permitting license holders to produce beverages on-site for consumption within licensed venues. The brewery will provide on-site brewed hops, grains and cocktails by Side Hustle, the UAE's first craft alcohol brand, along with southern smokehouse and pub cuisine. Side Hustle Brews & Spirits' founder and CEO, Chad McGehee, said: "As founders of the local craft movement, we acknowledge the responsibility presented to us and are both humbled and thrilled to open Abu Dhabi's first craft microbrewery". "We commit to delivering innovative and authentic F&B experiences worthy of the UAW's high standards as we build Craft by Side Hustle into a brand the community can be proud to call their own."