In loving memory of Julian Pienaar

by Lucy Corne | 04/02/2026 | Blog | 2 Comments

It was with deep, deep sadness that South Africa's beer industry learnt about the sudden passing of Julian Pienaar last week. Julian - or Jules to family and friends - was a much-loved figure who will be remembered for his perpetual smile, spectacular hugs and...

Charlie’s Garage launches South Africa’s first Ukrainian Golden Ale

by Lucy Corne | 15/01/2026 | Blog | 2 Comments

One of my favourite things about the craft beer industry is its collaborative spirit. Brewers frequently put their heads together to launch creative, unique and sometimes just downright outlandish beers under a shared brand. They swap brewing tips and ingredients and...

Winners of the 2025 Brewmistress South African Beer Awards

by Lucy Corne | 17/12/2025 | Blog | 2 Comments

Voting is now closed with almost 800 people choosing their favourites in the 2025 Brewmistress South African Beer Awards - a record number of voters! In some categories it was a very tight race, with just a few votes separating the winner from the runners up. Just...

The Brewmistress South African Beer Awards: Final Round

by Lucy Corne | 08/12/2025 | Blog | 21 Comments

First round nominations have been cast and the shortlist has been drawn up. Dozens of breweries, bars, bottle stores, homebrew shops and festivals were nominated and now it's up to you to pick your favourites. You don't have to vote in every category - just find your...

Ten epic gifts to buy for beer lovers this Christmas

by Lucy Corne | 02/12/2025 | Blog | 0 Comments

December is upon us, and you might find yourself looking for a cool Christmas gift your the beer lover in your life. Luckily there are plenty of exciting new releases heading our way, as well as some special edition festive box sets. And if you're not shopping for a...

Vote in the 2025 Brewmistress South African Beer Awards

by Lucy Corne | 24/11/2025 | Blog | 1 Comment

It's been a tricky few years for craft beer in South Africa. There have been multiple closures of breweries, bars and even festivals. Finding shelf space is tricky and making money more so. And yet, the quality of beer, and the innovation in craft beer just keep on...

Four beers to drink while watching the Springboks

by Lucy Corne | 11/09/2025 | Blog | 0 Comments

Rugby and beer - it is a pairing that no-one can argue with, so I have quickly rounded up a quartet of local beers to seek out and sip while you watch the fourth round of the Rugby Championship this weekend. Take your pick, from an old classic, a brand new beer...

Homebrewing is booming in South Africa – here’s how to get involved

by Lucy Corne | 29/08/2025 | Blog | 7 Comments

Three years ago I was lucky enough to attend Homebrew Con in the States. Homebrew Con is (or at least was) a three-day expo and conference that's attended not just by homebrewers from across the US, but also from around the world. Major suppliers like Fermentis,...

Beer review: Crafty Dee’s Wheat Beer (Tanzania)

by Lucy Corne | 18/08/2025 | Beer Reviews, Blog | 2 Comments

One of the most difficult aspects of brewing is consistency. It is something that's not entirely expected of a winery. A winemaker produces their wares once a year and variation from one vintage to the next is not only allowable, it is largely expected due...

Celebrating the women of South African beer

by Lucy Corne | 05/08/2025 | Blog | 1 Comment

It's Women's Month in South Africa, and after a quick look through my blog I realise I have never actually written a post celebrating the women that work in the South African beer industry. So I'm here to remedy that. I have written elsewhere about some of our beer...

Is craft beer in decline in South Africa?

by Lucy Corne | 30/07/2025 | Blog | 4 Comments

Last week I was updating my database of craft breweries across South Africa. I've been maintaining this list since 2011 and have sections for physical breweries, contract brands, up-and-coming breweries and those that have closed down. Now, for the first time since I...

A sad day for South African craft beer as Mad Giant announces closure

by Lucy Corne | 22/04/2025 | Blog | 6 Comments

Mad Giant, undoubtedly one of Gauteng's finest craft breweries, has closed. The Johannesburg-based brewery made the announcement via social media late last night. "It is time to say goodbye," the post began. "For just over ten years, we embarked on a mission fueled by...

Around Africa Series: Craft Beer in Namibia

by Lucy Corne | 22/07/2024 | Blog, Travel | 0 Comments

There is something about Namibia that just says thirsty. There is not a patch of green to be spotted from the plane window as we fly from Cape Town to Windhoek, and the river beds are all dry. Inside the cabin though, I'm anything but thirsty. The drinks service is...

Beer Review: Darling Break Free Gluten-Free Lager

by Lucy Corne | 02/07/2024 | Beer Reviews, Blog | 0 Comments

I am having one of those weeks where I strike things off my to do list. Specifically my February to do list. Why, just yesterday I replied to not one, but three emails that have been sitting in my inbox for four months. I am feeling very proud of myself and am...

Is it beer clean? How a dirty glass can ruin a great beer

by Lucy Corne | 08/02/2024 | Blog | 0 Comments

Imagine the scene. You’re at a restaurant and your much-deserved dinner arrives. You’re about to cut a slither off the perfectly cooked steak in front of you when, what’s this? There is a blob of something that looks like dried-on curry on your plate – something that...

How to become a qualified beer judge

by Lucy Corne | 15/01/2024 | Blog | 0 Comments

As we're still in January I thought you might still be looking for some kind of goal for 2024. So how about becoming a qualified beer judge? There are various methods and sets of guidelines used in beer competitions around the world, but in South Africa we almost...

Yes it has bubbles and no it’s not served warm: the case for cask ale

by Lucy Corne | 18/07/2023 | Blog | 3 Comments

If I had a rand for every time a South African had described English beer as "flat and warm", I'd probably have enough to buy a pint of English beer in the UK. And with the current exchange rate (and considering the prices in your average British pub), that is a LOT...

Beer for elephants: a visit to Okavango Craft Brewery in Botswana

by Lucy Corne | 14/06/2023 | Blog, Travel | 1 Comment

Maun is known by its residents as ‘Dusty Donkey Town’, and on the day that Okavango Craft Brewery had its unofficial (re)launch party, it quickly became evident why. I’m not quite sure why I felt it necessary or smart to walk the 5km from my hotel to the brewery on a...

Brewery equipment for sale in South Africa

by Lucy Corne | 01/02/2021 | Blog | 14 Comments

I get regular requests asking about used brewery equipment or complete businesses up for sale so I thought it might be useful to post this here and try to keep it updated. For every brewery that closes, hopefully another one recycles its equipment and starts up in its...

Blog

Bavaria releases non-alcoholic IPA in South Africa

I am not a fan of Dry January. Or Dryanuary, or whatever it's called. If it works for you, then of course go for it but I don't observe it for a variety of reasons: it's already a tough month for restaurants, bars and breweries, so I'm kind of against basically...

Lucy Corne | 19 Jan 2022 | 3

Blog Friday Beers

Friday Beers: Stumpnose Brewery in Kloof

I know that I give the Cape a lot of love on my blog (I do live in Cape Town and there are more breweries down here so I think it’s allowed) but I have vowed to spread the love as much as possible this year. So this week’s Friday Beers recommendation is for one of...

Lucy Corne | 14 Jan 2022 | 0

Blog

Help Kennel Brewery open their own taproom

If you spend much time on beer related social media, you have probably heard of The Kennel Brewery. Based in Durbanville, the microbrewery is best known for its one-off beers (29 releases in 2021!), light-hearted videos and fabulous can art (they also have their...

Lucy Corne | 12 Jan 2022 | 0

Blog Friday Beers

Friday Beers: Local Brewery & Co. in Cape Town

Friday beers. It has to be one of my favourite rituals in life. It doesn't matter which country I'm in, or what kind of job I'm doing, the arrival of Friday afternoon has always been synonymous with a round or three of cold, local beers with a bunch of happy folk...

Lucy Corne | 7 Jan 2022 | 4

Blog

Ten years of blogging about beer

It was all a bit of an accident really. When I arrived in South Africa in 2010, I had spent the last few years fulfilling a major life goal and working as a freelance travel writer. But as I'm sure you know, travelling from South Africa is a lot more complicated...

Lucy Corne | 29 Dec 2021 | 3

Blog

Winners of the 2021 Brewmistress South African Beer Awards

The votes have (finally) been tallied and the results are ready to announce. This is the fifth annual installment of the Brewmistress South African Beer Awards and there are four establishments that have made the honour roll for five years in a row - see if you can...

Lucy Corne | 27 Dec 2021 | 0

Blog

Vote in the 2021 South African Beer Awards

It's been such a long time since I posted anything on the blog I'm surprised I can remember how to use WordPress. These last few months have been particularly busy for me. I was studying for the Advanced Cicerone exam, which I took in early November (passed the...

Lucy Corne | 16 Dec 2021 | 1

Beer Reviews Blog

Nitro stouts in South Africa and how (not) to pour them

Hello - remember me? I used to blog regularly on things about beer in South Africa! Well I'm back with a highly informative post that not only reviews two recently released nitro stouts available in South Africa, it also contains a somewhat ridiculous video. In...

Lucy Corne | 21 Oct 2021 | 4

Beer Reviews Blog

Castle Double Malt vs Castle Lager vs Castle Lite

A couple of months ago I received an email from a PR company telling me that SAB were about to launch a new "product variant" and that I'd been selected to receive some of said product and to create hype. I must say I was excited. Not about creating hype so much,...

Lucy Corne | 31 Aug 2021 | 19

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