It’s perhaps no surprise that the foodie capital of the country also fired the first shots in the craft beer revolution. Today there are dozens of craft breweries across Cape Town, pouring distinctive brews that are a far cry from bland mass-produced tipples. Richard Holmes girded his loins and set off in search of five top taprooms.
Attention to detail is everything for this wildly successful craft brewery, which has grown from humble beginnings in a suburban garage to filling a stylish industrial-chic brewhouse in gentrified Salt River. The brewery’s limited range of eye-catching bottled beers — particularly the King’s Blockhouse IPA — has developed something of a cult following, but a visit to the hipster-friendly Devil’s Peak Taproom is well worth a visit.
Most importantly you’ll get the chance to sample the “Explorer” releases where the Devil’s Peak brewers are let loose on new styles. Pick of the bunch are the Imperial and Black IPA: both are heavily-hopped, and the latter is made with toasted barley.
The Taproom is no one-trick pony though: the kitchen dishes out some fine beer-friendly dude-food, from a damn-fine beef burger to the legendary pulled pork sandwich. Not sure what to order? The taster platter pairs five beers with bite-sized portions from the menu.
Perhaps the only downside is that the Taproom is loud — shout-across-the-table loud — so if you’re after a quiet night out it’s best to visit midweek.
95 Durham Avenue, Salt River
021-200-5818
www.devilspeakbrewing.co.za
Boston was one of the first craft brewers to hit the market and has become a firm Mother City favourite thanks to its wide range of brews. The Whale Tale Ale and Boston Lager make for great everyday tipples, while fans of a light summery lager can’t go wrong with the Naked Mexican. Feeling adventurous? Try the excellent Johnny Gold Weiss, Black River Coffee Stout or unusual Van Hunk’s Pumpkin Ale.
Boston’s sizeable Paarden Eiland brewery is unfortunately off-limits to visitors, but the dedicated tasting facility at La Bottega Restaurant in the up-and-coming suburb of Woodstock offers the full Boston range on tap, with tapas platters to share.
160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock
021-461-9731
www.bostonbreweries.co.za
Brewing beer on a wine farm may sound unusual, but then Brewmaster Wolfgang Koedel has never been one for playing it safe. As the man who all but introduced craft brewing to Cape Town with the Paulaner Brauhaus at the V&A Waterfront, Koedel is as close as it gets to beer royalty in the Mother City.
Since 2012 he’s set up shop at the Cape Brewing Company on Spice Route Estate near Paarl and is turning out the finest beer in the, um, winelands. A mountain spring feeds crystal-clear water to the brewery, with top-drawer malted barley and hops bought in from across the world.
CBC’s Pilsner, Lager and Weiss beers are perennial crowd-pleasers, but it’s the Mandarina Bavaria IPA and Imperial IPA where things get interesting. Seasonal beers add more to the repertoire, and the annual Octoberfest brew is best enjoyed at the ever-popular festival held outside the brewery. If you can’t make it in October, the tasting room offers tastings daily, with plenty of space for large groups. The beers are also on tap at the Barley & Biltong restaurant a few steps away.
Spice Route Estate, Suid-Agter Paarl Road, Paarl
021-863-2270
www.capebrewing.co.za
It takes a little effort to find Triggerfish, hidden in the old “dynamite factory” outside Somerset West, but it’s well worth the drive to discover the wide variety of brews from owner Eric van Heerden. There are seven beers available on-tap year-round, with over a dozen “occasional” beers on the boil as and when the mood takes him.
The flagship beer is the Ocean Potion, a classic American Pale Ale with well-balanced hops and fruity aromas, but you could also get adventurous with the Hammerhead IPA or the Bonito blonde ale, brewed with a hint of fragrant local buchu.
“I like to expose the drinking public to a range of beers they perhaps aren’t familiar with,” explains van Heerden, whose love for scuba diving inspired the beer names.
The brewery has expanded to include the popular Taproom next door, where you’ll find 12 beers on tap and a well-priced menu of beer-friendly pub-grub. Think cheesy croquettes, BBQ wings, sausage and Sauerkraut, and good sticky ribs.
Unit 9, Paardevlei, Corner R44/De Beers Ave, Somerset West
021-851-5861
www.triggerfishbrewing.co.za
Set in Cape Town’s hipster-heartland, where you can’t take five steps without tripping over a vintage clothing shop or upcycling boutique, Woodstock Brewery offers a compact range of brews that are turning (bearded) heads. The selection is suitably globetrotting, with an American IPA dubbed Californicator alongside the Pot Belge Amber Ale and Rhythm Stick English Pale Ale. For sunny summer afternoons, the German Pilsner and Hazy Days Wit Beer will do nicely.
If that isn’t reason enough to pay a visit, Woodstock Brewery is one of the few offering brewery tours (by appointment), which can be followed by a tasting of all five brews upstairs at The Local Grill, one of the top steak restaurants in the city.
252 Albert Road, Woodstock
021-447-0953
www.woodstockbrewery.co.za
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Bottle Conditioning: Carbonating (adding bubbles) beer by allowing fermentation inside the bottle.
Hops: The perennial climbing vine Humulus lupulus. The female plant produces soft-leaved cone-like flowers that, when ripe, are used for flavouring and bittering beer.
IBU: International Bitterness Units measure the bitterness of the beer. Lagers will be around 5-10 IBU while India Pale Ales clock in with an IBU rating between 50 and 70.
IPA: India Pale Ale, an increasingly popular style of beer known for using plenty of hops.
Malt: Barley used in the brewing process that has been steeped in water to spark germination, then dried.
