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Ahh, beer \u2013 there\u2019s just nothing like that first sip of an ice-cold lager on a hot day, I am sure the majority of South Africans will agree. However, beer culture has evolved into far more than a lager, and on International Beer Day, I want to highlight the diversity in our country through my own journey into beer.<\/p>\n
This International Beer Day, I challenge you to try something different \u2013 whether it\u2019s a beer brewed with indigenous grains, something weird and wonderful from a home brew club, or a traditional Umqombothi. <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”It all started with a lager” module_id=”lager” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
For me, beer started with Castle Lager. It\u2019s what my dad drank around the braai, what sponsored every sporting event in the \u201980s and \u201990s. If you said \u201cbeer\u201d, I thought \u201clager\u201d. Castle, Black Label, Hansa, maybe Windhoek if I was feeling fancy.<\/p>\n
Beer has long been a part of our South African culture. Long before the Dutch settlers arrived at the Cape in 1650 with their European beers, communities across Africa had already been brewing for centuries. From these roots, beer has grown into one of SA\u2019s most loved and diverse drinks \u2013 enjoyed in shebeens, brewed in backyards, and even paired with fine dining.<\/p>\n
The commercial beer scene in South Africa took off with South African Breweries (SAB), founded as Castle Brewery in 1895 during the gold rush, with their flagship beer Castle Lager becoming an iconic national beer. While lagers have long dominated, recent years have seen a rise in craft beer and home brewing culture.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”From lagers to Lex: My craft beer awakening” module_id=”craft” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Growing up on the Garden Route<\/a>, I had no idea what craft beer was. Until I found Mitchell\u2019s Brewery in Knysna, founded by Lex Mitchell. Mitchell\u2019s was SA\u2019s first microbrewery, back in 1983, and it was the first time I tasted something that wasn\u2019t a mass-produced lager.<\/p>\n Years later, while studying hospitality in Port Elizabeth \u2013 now Gqeberha, I found myself craving that spark again. The craft scene hadn\u2019t really landed in PE yet, so I bought a basic home brew kit that came with a plastic bucket, a malt extract tin, a vague instruction sheet, and some yeast. (Spoiler: I had no idea what I was doing). My family politely held down sips, nodded and smiled \u2013 I knew it was bad, but it was the possibility that excited me.<\/p>\n Soon after, Bridge Street Brewery<\/a> opened in Gqeberha, started by none other than Lex Mitchell! They brewed a Best Bitters and a delicious Chocolate & Coffee Stout that totally changed how I thought about beer and so my interest turned into a passion that continues today.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”The rise of home brewing creativity” module_id=”brewing” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I moved to Cape Town in 2015, and the craft beer scene was starting to grow. I discovered Afro Caribbean Brewing Company <\/a>(ACBC) at Banana Jam Caf\u00e9<\/a> who had hundreds of beers, like the Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog<\/a> \u2013 which at the time had the highest ABV in the world, coming in at 32% (Snake Venom by Brewmeister Brewery<\/a> is currently the highest, with a jaw-dropping ABV of 67.5%). But it was their own creations that really inspired me, like their Bacon Jalape\u00f1o Popper Ale. I mean, come on! This showed me that beer was more than simply another beverage \u2013 it was creativity in a glass.<\/p>\n It was around this time that I truly fell in love with beer \u2013 not just drinking it, but brewing, experimenting, and sharing it. COVID was tough, but one upside was the positive impact on home brewing in SA. Many people took up or doubled down on it, and once restrictions eased, they \u2013 like me \u2013 joined local brewing clubs to to continue their newfound passion.<\/p>\nThe rise of home brewing creativity<\/h3>\n
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