Bouza (beer)

Bouza (Egyptian Arabic: بوظة, also spelled buza) is a traditional Egyptian fermented grain beverage with roots stretching back to Predynastic Egypt. The drink has remained a popular among Egypt’s working class for millennia, today serving as an affordable alternative to commercial beer.

Despite its name resembling boza, a nonalcoholic fermented drink popular in Turkey and the Balkans, bouza is an entirely different beverage, distinguished by its alcoholic content. The ancient Egyptian word for malt was besa, which may have influenced the term bouza. In turn, bouza is considered a possible origin of the modern English word "booze."