How it all began...

In August 2008 Agro Eco, a Dutch consultancy studied the potential to produce and export apple, grape and pomegranate concentrate from Iraqi Kurdistan. As agriculture was neglected under the regime of Saddam Hussein there was very little use of agrochemicals in the farming, so it could be certified organic. However, at the time, there was no modern processing infrastructure. The study was done by Saad Yacoub and Bo van Elzakker (see Actors). After one of the farm visits they were invited for a tea. A bottle of homemade brandy turned up - which tasted surprisingly good. They learned that Christian grape growers have the habit to collect the last grapes of the season, ferment them, distil the alcohol and make a brandy for themselves for the cold winter. As there was no organic brandy or cognac on the world market at the time, Christian farmers in Shaqlawa were asked to make a little more, to take it to Europe. That was the start of Babylon brandy. Since then much has happened. You can read more on this website.