Tap Handle #138: Ceylon Brewery - Lion Stout

This is a very unique tap. Lion is made in Sri Lanka, so it is extremely rare to find one in the U.S., especially since it isn't marketed like other Eastern beers like Tsingtao or Ichiban. The gold lion head is quite beautiful!

Ceylon Brewery was founded around 1881 in Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). More than a century ago, the British came to Sri Lanka to create tea plantations. These Brits craved a taste of home, so enterprising brewers set up shop to slake thirst, of which Lion is the most well-known. It is often referred to as "the famed beer of Sri Lanka." The brewery's principal product is lager, but it made a pale ale until the 1960s, and it still produces a stout. This pattern is typical in former British colonies. As golden lagers became more popular, the bronze or copper "middle" color vanished, but a black porter or stout survived for those who wanted something truly dark. The Ceylon brewery makes five different beer varieties.

Lion Stout has hints of prunes or figs, bitter chocolate, and mocha. Recommended food pairings are coconut dishes, and it is even used in cocktails, such as one where it is blended with mango, passionfruit, and arrack. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 3.79 out of 5.

Lion Beer Official Website (currently under construction)