Prokopp Beer

Here comes the first beer in Turkey. Prokopp!

Prokopp Beer, an emigrant from Bavaria, Germany, moved to Izmir in 1846. Beer production began in Turkey as a result of this move.

It first came to Izmir as an imported good, then started to be manufactured locally. The beer was served to the people in "Brasserie de la Pointe", or Punto Pub in Punto, today's Alsancak. The place was also a factory and a beer garden.

Prokopp beer was also sold on the streets of Izmir on the backs of donkeys and mules. Look at the beauty of Prokopp beer bottles; they look very modern and distinctive considering the period. And meticulously prepared. Prokopp beer is one of the sources of proud for Izmir and Turkey.

According to the statistics given by Austria’s Izmir consul Karl von Scherzer, Izmir imported 3000 barrels of beer in the 1870s. 2300 of these barrels were Austrian origin while the rest were British and Bavarian beer. In addition to these, Spatenbrau beer and Augustinnerbrau beer were imported from Munich, Drener beer from Trieste and Guraber beer from Strasbourg in 12-bottle cases.

Reşat Ekrem Koçu summarizes our beer and pub culture wonderfully: “As a low alcohol drink, beer first became popular among young people of the Tanzimat era, who were keen on adopting European lifestyle, but it could not compete with raki and wine among the lower classes of Istanbul. The first pubs were opened as European style drinking places, where the lower classes could not enter and if entered, would not find the peace they were looking for. The errand boys they called “muğbece” (a word of Persian origin) in a saloon, were now called “garçon” (a word of French origin) in pubs.”