Beer events happening around South Africa this weekend
It's a big weekend for beer. Thursday (5 August) is IPA Day, Friday is, somewhat inconveniently considering the usual IPA-induced hangover, International Beer Day and then you have a couple of rest days before Women's Day on Monday. All of this coincides with the...
Battle of the milk stouts: Castle vs Striped Horse
If you've been drinking beer in South Africa for a while, you'll likely be familiar with Striped Horse. The contract brand launched in 2014 with a lager and a pilsner, at the time both brewed at Cape Brewing Company (CBC). Packaged in unique long-neck bottles, the...
Beer Review: OC Brewery The Dictator IPA
I've often heard brewers and drinkers in South Africa talking about how a beer "doesn't travel well". I mean sure, beer doesn't have the shelf life of wine or whiskey and some styles are certainly best drunk as fresh as possible. But on numerous occasions I have...
Beer review: Afro Caribbean Hablando Español
Afro Caribbean Brewing Co. is fairly well known for its quirky beer names. Many of them, like Hubba Bubba Habba Nero, Dragonberry Kaleidoscope and Disco Hop Party are simply the everyday output of ACBC owner Greg Casey's overactive brain. Others, like Quick Hands...
Beer review: Agar’s Brewery Red Ale
I first met Mike and Don Agar circa 2012 at the Solstice Festival, SA's first craft beer fest which at that point was in its fifth or sixth year. Back then the Agars were avid homebrewers, their beers available only at a couple of festivals. Since turning pro in...
Beer Review: Friar’s Habit Extra Stout
With the alcohol ban reinstated for a fourth time, my beloved industry is again struggling to survive and needs every morsel of help it can get. So this week I'm going to post a series of reviews with info on how to pre-order the beers and keep craft brewer cash...
10 good news stories from the South African craft beer scene
As we find ourselves once again in the midst of a total ban on the sale of alcohol (ban no. 4 in case you've lost count) it is easy to feel a little despondent. The situation in South Africa's beer industry isn't quite as bleak as predicted last year, but since the...
The winners of the 2021 African Beer Cup
The winners of the 2021 African Beer Cup were announced at a ceremony held at Ukhamba Beerworx on June 5. This year's competition received 210 entries from 12 African countries. Beers are judged to the BJCP guidelines with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded in...
BrewDog announces plan to open brewery in Cape Town
Yesterday (March 25), while road-tripping around the Northern Cape, I stopped at a farm stall and checked my phone. I had received the same photograph nine times via different platforms and my phone was going wild. BrewDog co-founder James Watt had taken to social...
