Insider Trading: Bosphorus Brewing Company

Let’s be honest: Turkey isn’t exactly renowned for its beer. Efes and Bomonti, the country’s two homegrown brands, leave a lot to be desired, and Tuborg isn’t even Turkish. If I had a lira for every Sunday morning where I’d woken up with a raging headache proclaiming that I would never drink Efes ever again, well…I’d almost have enough money to buy any of the select few ridiculously overpriced import beers the city has on offer. Thankfully, there is an oasis amongst the sea of yeasty mediocrity: The Bosphorus Brewing Company. Located a hop, skip and a jump from the Gayrettepe metro station, the BBC is (to my knowledge) the only micro-brewery in Istanbul.

OK, so it’s not exactly the best kept secret in Istanbul; run by a British expat and his Turkish partner, the BBC is a hive of activity every night of the week. We first went expecting the industrialism of a commercial brewery, but the BBC resembles more an upmarket gastro-pub in Soho than your dad’s homebrew room in your garage back home. The décor is chic, full of Edison bulbs and exposed wooden paneling. There’s a full dinner menu as well, although we generally stick to the shared entrees. This isn’t your standard Turkish meze fare either – the starter menu alone features haloumi cheese, chicken liver pate and a delicious ‘Cheddar Ale’ soup.

But enough about the “food” and “atmosphere”; these are just the support acts for the main event: the beer. There are five on offer, all brewed locally by the BBC team. Beer 81 will have every expat with even a passing knowledge of Turkish giggling as they order, while the Haliç Gold is a refreshing lager that would go down a treat in Istanbul’s sweltering summers. There’s also a stout and an ale on tap for those with more adventurous palettes. In my hopinion though the best is the IPA – cleverly retitled Istanbul Pale Ale – it’s nice and fruity and not too brash. At 18 TL for a pint, quality doesn’t come cheap, but a warning: the beers here will make all subsequent beverages in Istanbul pale in comparison. The craft beer craze that has hit the west may have not quite reached Turkey yet, but if the Bosphorus Brewing Company is anything to go by, the future is hop-ful.

Bosphorus Brewing Company
Esentepe Mah. Yıldız Posta Cd No:1/1A
Gayrettepe, 34500

Insider Trading is our new column sharing expats’ secret finds in Istanbul. These recommendations are unsolicited and uncompensated. Have a place you want to share? Send us an email at emma@yabangee.com.

Will Dawson is a contributor to Yabangee

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