Microbreweries in South Africa

Microbreweries or Craft Breweries as they are also known, appeared on the scene in the 1980’s with Mitchell’s Brewery in Knysna being the most successful. Lex Mitchell, the master brewer and founder of Mitchell’s Brewery, has become a legend in brewing circles.

Not much more happened in the ‘90s and early 2000’s but from then onwards growth in microbreweries has been exponential. At the time of publishing this article there are well over 200 commercial craft breweries in South Africa.

Breaking the hold of SAB

South African Breweries dominated the beer industry for many years and South Africans were clueless about the range and variety of beers available elsewhere in the world.

Lagers and Pilsners where pretty much all that the average South African drank. Ales, porters, stouts, IPAs and the rest were unknown.

The biggest problem for a microbrewery starting out in the 90’s and 2000’s was to get South Africans to appreciate anything with a complex taste.

As a student in the 80’s and 90’s my knowledge of beer was limited to the SAB offering. My mates and I would argue at length about whether Castle or Lion Larger was best.

Hansa Pilsner was drunk when you wanted to be different and you were labeled as pretentious if you drank Amstel Lager because it was supposed to be a superior beer. SAB’s marketing was so powerful and our ignorance so bad that we believed that drinking Carling Black Label was very risqué for a white South African in the apartheid years because, according to SAB, it was drunk by hardworking black laborers only.

In 1993 I travelled to the UK for the first time and my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I walked into a London pub and saw the variety of beers and ales on tap.

I had always wanted to taste Guinness, one of the few international beers that I knew, and so ordered a pint. Well I very nearly spat out my first mouthful. I expected all beers to taste like a larger and was not prepared for anything else.

I was not alone in my ignorance. Initially craft beers were a curiosity for most South Africans and from time to time we would sample and ale or an IPA. Over the past two decades we have learnt that just as we would drink a different wine for a different meal or occasion we should enjoy a craft beer that best suites our mood, location, activity or event.

Today I enjoy discerning the palate of a newly discovered brew just as much as I would a good bottle of wine.

The variety and complexity of beer is just as great as that of wine

Despite most beers being produced from just four ingredients; water, hops, a cereal and yeast, the variety of brews is limitless. The cereals are usually barley or wheat but how they are fermented can make a massive difference to the taste.

The hops industry around the world has become fascinatingly varied. The opportunity of adding three or four different hops, in different quantities, to a single recipe allows for an unlimited number of tastes.

When you include beer sours – beer with fermenting fruit added to the cask, or even seltzers then the taste possibilities become mind boggling.

What makes microbrewers so special is that they are driven by passion. Experimentation is in their blood. Profitability, although important, is often sacrificed when a new brew is produced and marketed.

Can you image the courage it must have taken a brewer to produce a porter or a black lager for a market that had never heard of either and was prejudiced against anything that was not a golden colour and somewhat bitter but never sweet?

Craft Beer Industry in South Africa

The supporting industry for craft brewers has also expanded rapidly. In 2017 the Craft Brewers Association of South Africa (CBASA) came into being to unify, represent and grow the craft beer community.

There are a number of top quality manufacturers of brewing equipment and companies that source and distribute hops.

One of the major advantages of the craft brewing industry in South Africa is that they have become a major employer and contribute significantly to the country’s GDP.

Micro and Craft Brewers in South Africa

Below is a list of craft brewers with whom Thirsty Traveler has worked or whose wares we have sampled. We can’t wait to grow this list!

Click on the name of the brewery to visit their website or on the article below their name to read our experience with the brewer and their brews.

African Beer Cup