Huzzah and hooray – it is very almost time for the annual Fools & Fans Beer Festival in Greyton and I am excited. We don’t really have any beer fests in the Cape Town region any more and while Greyton is a two-ish hour drive, this is a festival that’s definitely worth travelling for. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Unique festival beers

One of my favourite things about fests is that brewers have something new/limited edition on tap for the day. The beer menu for Fools has been released and I am particularly excited for Clockwork’s Tamarillo-Granadilla Gose, Afro Caribbean’s Smokeback Mountain Lichtenhainer, Devil’s Peak’s Cherry Oh Baby Lambic (enjoyed this a lot of Clarens), Jack Black’s Fresh Hop, Richmond Hill’s Raspberry & Grape Sour, Karoo Craft’s Hazelnut Stout and Woodstock’s Margarita Sour (my personal BOS at Capital Craft last year). Check out the 2024 beer list here.

2. Collabs that I (vaguely) had a hand in

Shameless self-promotion alert!! I have two collabs on tap at the fest this year. First up, a beer I’ve been wanting to brew ever since we did those ridiculous karaoke collabs, partly for the name and partly because I love the style. Sweet Mild O’ Mine is a 3.8% ABV dark mild brewed with Charlie at Longbeach/Charlie’s Garage. I’ll be doing a couple of stints behind Charlie’s stand throughout the day. Best rendition of the song throughout the day gets a free pint. The second collab is kind of a collab in name only, because I wasn’t actually there in person on brewday. It’s Just My Face is a raspberry, hibiscus and English rose witbier brewed by Megan of Clockwork Brewhouse in KZN. The beer is inspired by mine and Megan’s perpetually pink faces, for we are both blessed/cursed with the “English rose” complexion – something which randoms often feel the need to pass comment on. “You’re face is very pink/red – I can see you’ve spent too long in the sun!” “No, random and rude stranger. It’s just my face.”

3. The biggest homebrew fest in South Africa

There are a number of regional homebrew festivals in SA, but the Friday fest at Fools & Fans is by far the biggest homebrew gathering in South Africa. And I will go out on a limb and extend that to the whole continent. This year there are 13 homebrew clubs representing five different provinces. They’ll be pouring their individual and club brews on Friday 5 April from noon. Your ticket includes unlimited tasters of the homebrews on offer. And make sure you stick around for the evening musical entertainment, which includes 1000 Hills owner Trevor Maarschalk under his DJ pseudonym: T-Bag!

4. The compulsory 7km Saturday morning run

Every year there is an entirely optional, completely compulsory run to kick the first hangover of the weekend. It takes place at 7am and this year, to mark the seventh anniversary of the fest, it will be a 7km route. I vow to join the run every year, and with one exception, I fail every time because I am too hungover. So I’ll probably see you there at 7am on Saturday… Apparently there will be beer afterwards.

5. The OnlyFools Wors Competition

Run by Greg and Carl from Beer Kountry, this year’s cooking competition focuses on the humble sausage. Well, Grabouw boerewors to be accurate. Eleven teams representing homebrew clubs, breweries, drinks journalists and my immediate family, will battle it out to make the most innovative and tasty boerie roll. I’m excited for this because I’ve been invited to join the judging panel which means I will actually remember to eat something unlike at every other beer festival I have ever attended.

6. A town full of beer people for the weekend

I so look forward to getting together with my wider beer family for the fest, but it’s not just about being in the festival grounds. I love walking into a bar in the evening and finding a bunch of friends already propping up the bar. Or popping into a cafe for breakfast and having to rearrange the furniture three times to accommodate all the familiar faces that also wander in. Just as with Clarens, the fact that the whole town is taken over by beer folks is perhaps my favourite thing of all about Fools & Fans.

7. The best South African beer industry cover band in Cape Town is playing!

Shameless self-promotion alert number two! I am super amped that our beer industry cover band, Mötley Brüe, will be playing live at Fools & Fans this year. We’ve been working on a bunch of new (for us) material, including one song that I suspect will be new for you too. Please come and see us on the Saturday evening from 5.30pm, just after the homebrew and boerie roll competition winners are announced. All five band members – plus our special guest – are even going to make a concerted effort to not get too drunk before taking to the stage.

So there you have it – seven reasons to attend Fools & Fans 7. But there are loads more….the chilled, family-friendly atmosphere, the lack of massive toilet queues, the excuse to spend a day – or a weekend – in Greyton. And of course the chance to celebrate the birthday of festival founder, much-loved beer industry jester/doctor/occasional proctologist Trevor Gerntholtz who launched the festival seven years ago as a way to celebrate his 50th birthday. See you on Saturday for the Best Beer Fest in the West(ern Cape)!

Fools & Fans takes place in Greyton on 5 & 6 April 2024. Friday is the homebrewer session (tickets R200) while Saturday is when the craft brewers will be peddling their wares (tickets R260). You can also grab a weekend pass for R400. Tickets are still available via Quicket.