After the last post I wrote, I thought it was about time for some good news. There is plenty of beery good news out there, and this is some of the best, I reckon. Three South African microbreweries have won medals at the 2017 International Beer Challenge (IBC), based in London. More than 700 beers from 30 different countries were entered and of the 46 gold medals that were awarded, one went to a beer that is very South African indeed.

Never been to Anvil Ale House? Go. Go and drink some medal-winning beer.

Huge congratulations to Theo de Beer and the team from Anvil Ale House, who took home a gold medal for Bookoo. I can’t help thinking that this is the first time a beer flavoured with buchu has been entered in the competition and I’d like to think there were a few judges quietly Googling what the hell buchu is, and what it tastes like. As well as the gold medal, Anvil won silvers for Mjölnir IPA and White Anvil. Uncle Theo, as I like to call him, is no stranger to medals. Mjölnir won golds in last year’s IBC and the South African National Beer Trophy (SANBT).

Devil’s Peak brought home silver medals for Juicy Lucy and Vannie Hout, plus a bronze for Blockhouse, while CBC won a silver for Cape of Good Hops and bronze medals for the pilsner and amber weiss.

Chairman of the judges, Jeff Evans, said: “Our brilliant judges, who come from right across the brewing industry, always make sure that any medal is hard won and fully deserved – there are no handouts in this competition – and so I congratulate all the medallists and particularly the 46 gold medallists who really shone.” Evans, along with an illustrious panel, will reconvene in September to retaste the gold medal winners and award trophies for champion beers in each style group. Anvil’s Bookoo will go up against the likes of Thornbridge’s Days of Creation and Birrificio del Ducato Frambozschella. It’s a tough challenge, but just imagine if a tiny brewery from the Mpumalanga Highlands could win best in category with a beer whose special ingredient is a plant that only grows within South Africa’s borders. For a full list of the IBC 2017 winners, head here.

And if you’re looking for some more good news, follow along on Twitter this Wednesday evening to find out who will be taking home the medals in this year’s South African National Beer Trophy. Or if Twitter isn’t really your thing, I’ll have a post with all the winning beers up on the blog this Thursday. Subscribe now so you don’t miss out! And don’t miss your chance to vote in the SANBT People’s Choice competition – both you and your fave brewery could win courtesy of Beerhouse.