The Star of the Lion Mountains

Craig Harris here, Rob's friend of God-only-knows how many years and many, many great memories. He is graciously allowing me to guest blog this entry.

I recently made another mission trip to Sierra Leone. In the Portuguese language, Sierra Leone means 'Lion Mountains.' This was my third trip to the country and the best trip of the three. Sierra Leone is the poorest country in the world according to the United Nations poverty ranking with occasional moves up to next-to-last, so suffice it to save there is great need there. When we go to Sierra Leone, as one would expect, it is NOT safe to drink the water. We purchase bottled water and are careful to listen (and watch) for the seal to crack on the bottles we buy. Also safe to drink are the available soft drinks which include Fanta, Vimto (a Ne hi grape substitute), Bitter Lemon (a mello yello like drink with a small amount of quinine to help ward off Malaria, and the increasingly available Coke products, Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke, and "Coke Light." Those are always safe to drink. But the Star of the bottled drink selection is in fact Star Beer. Oh, there are other beers available (mostly malts which i wouldn't use to quench a fire in my mouth) and the famous Guinness Stout (Sierra Leoneans are poor, not stupid) and Heineken, but Star is the most popular by far.

Star Beer is the only beer brewed in Sierra Leone. It is a light colored Lager which I usually avoid but beggars can't be choosers and the price is right, as little as Le 2,500 (which is 2500 leones, which converts to about 83 cents). On the back label, Star boasts "millions of sparkling bubbles" and it doesn't disappoint. It is more carbonated than the average beer. That fact alone makes it worth consumption after a long day in the heat and humidity of West Africa. Bubbles are not the only reward though. It is a surprisingly full flavor for such a pale beer. It tastes of hops all the way down but not on the return belch. Clean and crisp beer flavor and a pretty good alcohol content as well. I can imagine that this beer would be especially delightful to drink during the months of July and August when rainfall can easily surpass 20 inches per month. Lying in a hammock, thatched roof over your head, listening to the rhythm of the falling rain, sipping a Star. If I weren't so hungry, this would be very, very nice. Odd dichotomy.

Star beer doesn't create memories, but it can seal them. A fine beer for a fine, if impoverished, country.