Jack Black brewery opens in Cape Town

Jack Black's new tap room in Cape Town (image by Laura McCullagh)

Jack Black had a pre-opening event for friends, family and beer industry folk. First person to spot The Brewmistress wins a half pint of Jack Black on me. (Image by Laura McCullagh)

I was working through a selection of ‘trying to be clever’ intros to this post. Something about the South African beer scene coming of age…or there was a dreadful labour/giving birth analogy that would have had you unsubscribing from the blog in minutes. So I decided to stop trying to be clever and to get to the point: Jack Black Brewing Company has opened their own brewery at long last.

Why is this such momentous news? Well, if you’re new to the SA craft beer thing, Jack Black was one of the instigators of South Africa’s beer boom. The brand launched in 2007 and over the years have installed tap after tap, poured pint after pint and made quite a name, becoming one of the best-known craft beers in South Africa. What you might not have known (though most of you probably did since you’re such a well-informed bunch) was that from its inception until just a couple of months ago, Jack Black was contract brewed – first at Birkenhead, the Boston and most recently at CBC. But now they’ve got their own premises, their own brewhouse and their own team of brewers.

Beer geeks are happy that Jack Black has found a home!

Beer geeks are happy that Jack Black has found a home! (Image by Laura McCullagh)

“We’re so excited to finally have a place to call home!” says Jack Black’s co-founder Ross McCulloch. I’m pretty excited too, since the brewery and tap room is a mere 15 minutes’ walk from my house. It might seem a slightly odd location but perhaps this Diep River industrial park could potentially become the next Woodstock. There is already another microbrewery close by (Harfield) and I know of a third with the licence currently in progress. “We’re really looking forward to welcoming people to our new space in Diep River,” says Meghan – the other half of the Jack Black founding team. “It’s an amazing feeling to have something you’ve poured your heart into come to fruition. As a family business, this is a project we’ve been working on for years, and we’re grateful to have this opportunity to showcase what Jack Black Brewing Company is all about.”

So what is the tap room all about? Well it is of course about the beer (it’s even written on the wall, to remind you) but it’s also about keeping things local, about bringing something fabulous to an area with not much to do in the food and beverage department.

Ross and Meghan share a smile and a beer at the pre-launch party

Ross and Meghan share a smile and a beer at the pre-launch party

The design and feel of the new brewery and bar fits well with the surrounds – I like to call it industrial chic. The furniture is fashioned from the packaging materials used to transport the brewhouse from Germany, a local artist has sprayed some awesome street art onto the wall and there are tons of shiny taps waiting to dispense your first cold beer (the current range includes pilsner, pale ale, amber ale, IPA and weiss alongside the flagship lager that we all know and love. Stay tuned for the release of their brand new pale ale, coming out of the tanks soon). Taster trays will be on offer (from R45 per flight) and once the tap room is fully up and running there will be good food, good coffee, free Wi-Fi and perhaps later on a place for kids to play.

The tasting room hours will increase as word spreads – look out for special weekend events from mid July, including the inaugural Food Truck Friday on July 15th. The tap room opens July 1st – I hope to see you there to raise a toast to two people who played an essential role in the South African craft beer scene.

 

Jack Black Brewing Co, 10 Brigid Road, Diep River, Cape Town. Tel: 021 286 1220. Email: tastingroom@jackblackbeer.com

Tasting room open Wednesday-Friday 3pm-7pm. Off sales Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Brewery tours Wednesday-Friday – bookings essential.

 

12 Comments

  1. Pete

    Is that the top of your head bottom left waiting for your pint?
    Can’t wait to visit the premises, a lot closer to home for me after a brewery tour.

    Reply
    • Lucy Corne

      You are correct sir! Top of my head seems to be in lots of the pics. Must be because I’m so tall… 😉

      I owe you a beer – let me know when you’re popping in. I’m probably going to be there a lot. Am planning on having a reserved seat and my own glass behind the bar…

      Reply
      • Pete

        whoot, free beer for the win!

        I will organise my next work drinks to be had there, proving all those nay-sayers wrong that I can indeed organise one of those in a brewery.

        Reply
  2. Atron Seige

    You are bottom left, only your hair is visible, standing by the bar.

    Reply
    • Lucy Corne

      Correct! But you were pipped to the pint by Pete (four minutes faster!!)

      But if you’re ever down this way, I’ll buy you a beer anyway.

      Reply
      • Atron Seige

        Yay! for begin correct. More Yay! for a beer.

        Reply
  3. Johnathan

    If only they got the recipes from cbc when they left because there beers went from a 9 to a 5 out of 10. Used to be a huge fan of there beer now I’m really disappointed. Also where did there brewer train or qualify there Pilsner is def not a Pilsner had one at slug and lettuce. They need to rethink there beers and there execution.

    Reply
    • Tbone

      Oh Johnathan, this made me LOL. I think the brewer is a former professional fisherman who is trying his hand at brewing. These guys hey! Giving the job to just about anyone. What next!

      Reply
    • Maxi

      Jack Black has become a much tastier craft beer since going on their own and I give praise to them for achieving what they have in the last year!! It can’t be easy building a brewery and the standards and quality are high! Before downing the Brewer maybe you should also think how many hours and late nights must have gone into getting their beer just right again and I know for a fact that there are much more positive people out their that would agree with me! Please next time you have something negative to say about this brand think carefully of how negative you are being towards the people who are just doing what they love best! That’s brewing beer that people enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Johnathan

    Tbone you connoisseur LOL. Such a shame though because there equipment so beautiful. It’s like putting my gran in a formula one car.

    Reply
  5. Ben

    Johnathan, you should make a turn past the tasting room. I’m from the States and have had my fair share of craft beer, and this is the best I’ve tasted in SA – and an awesome space! Meghan and Ross are giving a highly qualified young brewer a chance to showcase his talent – and he’s got plenty of it from what I can tell!

    Reply
    • Johnathan

      Of course you can only comment after drinking at a brewery own taproom agreed! I’ve been to the states and the craft scene is not all it’s cracked up to be. More people get it wrong than right there as well. You should def visit more taprooms if you think jack black is the best, personal choice obviously but they are not even in my top 20. As talented as the brewer is that you say there is a clear MASSIVE difference btw there beers now Jack black lager and the beer that CBC brewed for them. It’s day and night which clearly shows me that if they brewing the same recipe from the last few years with the same equipment as cbc used, then what is the problem??? Maybe you could politely point it out for us? As I said I used to love there beer and was a massive fan it’s so sad that the recipe or quality or whatever has happened has changed. Surely I am not the only person to notice this. Butchers block and the lager is def not the same as 1 year ago.

      Reply

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  1. Jack Black celebrates 15 years - and relaunches Mad Giant collab - The Brewmistress - […] in 2007, brewing first at Birkenhead, then Boston and later at CBC in Paarl. In 2016, Jack Black opened…

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