Africa’s Tusker Lager available in America after years-long hiatus
SOKO Distributors becomes official new importer of beloved Kenyan pale lager
OAKLAND, Calif. – Absent since 2019, the iconic black elephant label of Tusker Lager, a 4.2% ABV pale lager, is once again available for U.S. bars, restaurants and retailers. SOKO Distributors, based in Oakland, California, secured the agreement early last year, and Tusker is now licensed in 11 states (California, Nevada, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Washington, Missouri, Oregon and Pennsylvania) and Washington, D.C. SOKO hopes to expand availability to three additional states each month.
Few lagers have the storied history of Kenya’s Tusker. First brewed in 1922, the lager’s name honors the large male elephants of East Africa, called “tuskers” by Kenyans. Over a century ago, George Hurst, the founder of Kenya Breweries (now East African Breweries), met his end while elephant hunting. His brother Charles named the beer in his memory.
Tusker Lager is brewed with local yeast, barley grown in the East African Savannah and the Maasai Mara and spring water from the Aberdare Mountains. Africa’s number-one exported beer, Tusker was available for decades in the American market, and its recent absence has been felt by the African diaspora and the beverage industry at large.
The woman responsible for Tusker’s return stateside is Chris Wachira — known in her community as Dr. Chris — a Kenyan-born entrepreneur who has spent 15 years at Stanford Healthcare working in neuroscience. Along the way, Dr. Chris also fell in love with the science of winemaking and licensed Wachira Wines in 2017, which highlighted a distribution gap in the industry for boutique wineries. SOKO Distributors was created to address this need for wine, beers and liquors crafted by minorities and small batch crafters. She also opened KARIBU Lounge, a community hub and the first black- and woman-owned winery tasting room in Alameda County, to showcase diversity in wine and beer.
“As a Kenyan American, it’s an incredible honor to bring Tusker back to the U.S.,” said Dr. Chris. “For the diaspora, it’s a taste of home — and a chance to share a piece of who we are with the world.”
During this unprecedented time of volatility in the import/export sector, SOKO’s success in bringing Tusker Lager into its portfolio is a case study in how to gain access through cross-cultural respect and representation. Forging partnerships with legacy brands requires investment in policies, structural framework and human capital, along with the ability to “change the game,” as Dr. Chris puts it.
“After two and a half years working on authorization, I signed the deal on my birthday last year — what a present that was!” she said. “We intend to treat the Tusker brand with the gravitas it deserves, and introduce it to many new beer enthusiasts in the U.S.”
About SOKO Distributors
Founded in 2017 by Chris Wachira, SOKO Distributors is a Tier 1 supplier and California’s first black- and woman-owned importer and distributor specializing in craft beers and rare liquors. A vertical of the Wachira Group, SOKO is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Dedicated to equity, access and cultural heritage, SOKO (the Swahili word for “marketplace”) is forging a new model of inclusive commerce where culture and community drive success.
About the Wachira Group
The Wachira Group is a family of ventures committed to building bridges between culture, commerce and community. Bringing together enterprises that highlight African heritage and innovation, including Wachira Wines and SOKO Distributors, the Wachira Group’s mission is to create equitable access and opportunities across industries.
