Kisturi Beer

Shengeli Tokhosashvili is the owner of a small enterprise in Omalo Village, Pankisi Valley, where traditional Chechen non-alcoholic beer is brewed. It took Shengeli a year to learn how to set up an enterprise and manage a small business. He established his business in 2020.

"Brewing was a tradition and an integral part of our ancestors' life. I am a lawyer and my involvement in this field started with training funded by USAID/Zrda, when we were taught how to generate ideas and write projects. That's when I thought about turning this ancient tradition passed down by our ancestors into my primary occupation. It was not easy learning how to set up and manage a small enterprise, but after two years, despite everything, today my beer is ready for sale.

The support of small grants is very important for our valley, particularly to young people. Helping small businesses is directly linked to the development of tourism, and both will boost the future development of the region."

The recipe for Shengeli's Kisturi beer is published in the Kisturi Tabla cookbook, available at Nazy's Guest House.

Shengeli's brewery can be visited during a cultural tour where the process of producing Kisturi beer can be seen and tasted. It can be purchased in shops across Pankisi Valley and Tbilisi.