Our story
Some brands begin in a boardroom. Ours begins with a story passed down through generations.
The legend, in four beats
Abba was the owner. Shawel was the horse.
Kentiba Desta of Tse'Azega, a man of courage and dignity, rode a gallant horse named Shawel, a name his vassals shouted as a battle cry. Places are usually named after kings. This hill chose the horse.
Once a thickly forested wilderness known as Gnbar Abba Awts, the hill became the first indigenous quarter of the city: dense, loud, generous. Streets like veins. Doors that never fully closed. The birthplace of Asmara's urban soul.
Below it, a capital of 1930s modernist architecture rose, a UNESCO World Heritage skyline of portholes and sunbursts. The oldest quarter watched the newest world being built, and was never once impressed.
Every ethnicity, every faith, one slope. Artists, athletes, legends poured out of one neighborhood like sparks off a flint. Tolerance wasn't a policy. It was the floor plan.
The hill is real · Abba Shawl, Asmara
The streets are real · and still loud
Our mission
To craft a world-class premium lager inspired by the heritage of አባ Shawel and the spirit of Africa. Every bottle celebrates quality, tradition, and the journey from the hills of Asmara to tables around the world.
Our vision
To establish Shawel Beer among the world's leading premium lagers while staying true to its African roots, sharing our story, culture, and craftsmanship with every market we enter.
Our heritage
In 1991, a handwritten brewing recipe dating back to the 1940s resurfaced, preserving a tradition that had nearly been lost. Decades later, that legacy inspired the creation of Shawel Beer, a premium lager that honors the past while looking to the future.
Precision as heritage
Global journey
1940s
A handwritten brewing recipe was preserved, carrying generations of brewing knowledge into the future.
1991
The recipe resurfaced, beginning a journey that would eventually become Shawel Beer.
2019
Inspired by the heritage of Abba Shawel, Shawel Beer was created in Canada as the first African beer founded in North America.
2025
Shawel Beer earned a Gold Medal at the New York International Beer Competition, opening the next chapter of its journey from Asmara to the world.
The creed
Shawel is named after a horse.
Raised by a hill.
Shared with the world.
Brewed for the future.
Shawel Beer: the taste of Africa, at full gallop