10 ways you know you’ve been in SA’s craft beer scene for a while

1. You have a We Love Real Beer pint mug in your cupboard.

2. You remember when KZN had more breweries than any other province. (Note: this was my first ever published piece on the SA beer scene, printed in June 2009, but written and submitted in early 2008)

You remember these t-shirts...

You remember these t-shirts…

3. You once bought homebrewing supplies from A. White chemist.

4. You can remember when the only ‘local’ craft beer available on restaurant menus was &Union’s Steph Weiss.

5. You went to a SouthYeasters meeting at Boston Breweries or ever bought homebrew supplies at Access Park.

6. You remember when the Mitchell’s Waterfront Brewery was actually a brewery.

7. You had a pint of Farmer’s Draught in Hattingspruit.

8. You remember when Steve Gilroy’s beard was brown (Note: I am just guessing here – perhaps the old git has always looked like Santa….)

9. Your first CTFoB was pretty much a Black Label fest, with virtually every craft beer available represented at one or two stands.

10. You remember when a bottle of Jack Black was as rare as hen’s teeth.

 

Got any more to add to the list? Please share your memories below!

 

 

8 Comments

  1. Kevin Ryan

    you remember going on a Gilroys tour when he still Ran a printing business behind Westgate.

    You are going to your 5th Clarens Beer Festival next month

    Reply
    • Lucy Corne

      Gutted to be missing out on Clarens this year – looks set to be a goodie!!

      Reply
  2. Craig Groeneveld

    You remember when Fransen Street Brewery was still called Sterling Brewery!

    Reply
  3. Shawn

    You remember when Banana Jam Cafe was better known for its cocktails than its beer menu!

    Reply
  4. Sean

    Try these on…
    They are Gauteng Specific.
    You remember…
    When Draymans was the only Craft Beer at the Deutsche Schule’s Oktoberfest.
    There were only two craft brewery tours available in GP; Gilroy’s and Draymans.
    Craft beer needed a single shelf at the bottle store – for Draymans, Gilroy’s, Mitchells and Nottingham Road.
    Craft beer was only available at specialist/owner-run bottle stores.

    Lucy, why not add another article for being involved with home brewers…
    You can, barely remember:
    From my youth…
    There would be hell-to-pay if you messed with dad’s bubbler.
    Dad’s home brew made the boy next door’s dad ill.
    When dad was making beer in the kitchen, even the whole house stank of stinky socks.

    My own home brew “Career”.
    You remember:
    Importing your own hops, specialty malts and yeast.
    You have only known Moritz – Brewer at Draymans – for about 10 minutes longer than you have known the words Diacetyl or Acetaldehyde.
    When the Worthog Brewers had 40 active members.
    You and 5 others were the first to pass the BJCP exam in 2004.
    20 entries in a home brew competition was an amazing turnout.
    Dry hopping was so uneconomical that no one did it.
    etc, etc…

    Reply
    • Lucy Corne

      You have official veteran status Sean!!

      Reply
  5. Llew Janse van Rensburg

    You celebrated your 40th in 1995 (20 years ago!) at the Firkin Brew Pub in Centurion. Enjoying craft beer brewed by the then resident brewer, Moritz Kallmeyer (now of Drayman’s Brewery). And the reason you chose to do that for such a special birthday? – Because you were already a home-brewer who appreciated good beer.

    Reply
    • Lucy Corne

      I think you take the cake there Llew!!!

      Reply

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