Sierra Leone Brewery Limited

Heineken and United African Company (UAC) began construction of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited in October 1961 in Wellington Industrial Estate in Freetown, and the first brew was mashed-in on 23 November 1962. The first brand to be brewed was Star Lager.



It closed for six months in 1982 following a shortage of foreign exchange, reopening after the end of the rainy season. During the 1997 Military Coup, the brewing stopped for six months after the brewery was ransacked. On 6 January 1999, the rebel forces looted the brewery, stopping production for one and a half years.



Products

 * Star Lager - Pale Lager (launched in 1962)
 * Amstel
 * Guinness Foreign Extra Stout 7.5% ABV (launched in 1967)
 * Mützig Lager (October 2013)
 * Salone Beer (made of 100% sorghum)
 * Maltina (Alcohol-free)
 * Trenk Dark Malt Energy Drink

Community investment
In 2006 a program was started to encourage local farmers to grow sorghum as part of a local sourcing drive. The current target of the local sourcing program is to receive 60% of raw materials from within Africa. The production of Salone Beer, made with 100% sorghum, has created a reliable source of income for over 12,000 farming families.