This page is something new for my site. From time to time (and not enough) I have posted about cool things to see and do, from riding Segway at Spier to driving the awesome Blokarts on the beach. So tonight this page starts and hopefully in time it acts as a useful resource to those looking for cool stuff to do, and as a reminder to me of the things I have done and wish to do. Got cool stuff to do, share it. Have a different view on something written, share that too.

Onto Beer

Over the years whenever I have been in the UK I have really enjoyed their beer.  Not the bottled stuff available in the franchised bars, but the hand pumped “Real Ale” in the privately owned public house – Bitter beer. Thank’s to my mate Steve for the introduction.

The closest I have come to finding it in South Africa is “Kilkenny” available at most pubs that serve Guinness. It is a poor second cousin to some of the better English bitters but I still drink and enjoy it. I even had the privilege of drinking the “real” Kilkenny at a pub near the brewery in Ireland.  So now let us begin the quest to document “real” beer in South Africa. To visit, taste and enjoy as many of these local beers from the small guys as we can.

 

 

I have created a twitter account @FindBeer. It has been set up to be an auto-retweet account so start your tweets with @FindBeer to send them to all the followers.

 

 

In Durban

Places to go and things to do

Beers to try

• Nottingham Road Brewery
  • Pickled Pig Porter
  • Pye Eyed Possum Pilsener
  • Tiddly Toad Münchener Lager
  • Whistling Weasel Pale Ale
• Robson’s Beer at Shongweni Brewery
• East Coast Ale
• West Coast Ale
• Wheat beer
• Fruit beer
• Durban Pale Ale
• Firkin Hophouse (Pavilion – Westville) (brewery closed, is just a pub now)
• Popped into Firkin last night to try and re-acquaint myself with some of their beers (8/7/2011) only to find out that they no longer brew their own beer, and haven’t for quite some time. What a pity. The pub still has a lot of the old brewing tanks and the like as decor but they don’t make any more beer. Cross this one off the list. 
• Bishops Bitter (no longer available)
• Oscars Hophouse Lager (no longer available)
• Pale Ale (no longer available)
• St. Patricks Porter (no longer available)
• Wartburger Brauhaus(Wartburg)
  • Helles
  • Marzen
• Farmers Brauhaus (Hattingspruit)
  • Farmers Draught
  • Schwarzbier
• National Sorghum Breweries (Dundee)
  • iNdlovu
  • Joburg Beer
  • Victor Beer
• The Luyt Brewery(Ballito)
  • Luyt Lager
• Zululand Brewing Company
  • Blonde Ale
  • Zulu Porter
  • Zulu Blonde
• Porcupine Quill Brewery from Durban
• Ivans Brewery from Richards Bay
• Muller Brau from Richards Bay

 

I have tried two of the above, having been to Firkin a few times, though have to admit to not normally drinking their local brews. Must try it again. Over the years I have been to Nottingham Road Brewery (Rawdons) a few times, and thoroughly enjoying a great pub lunch with a mix of the local brews each time. Definitely worth another visit.

In Cape Town

Places to go and things to do

• Sundowners / evening picnic on Table Mountain Cable car is half price after 6:30pm (summer special) and in Summer it is still light. You get to enjoy a couple of hours up top. Take a picnic basket, some wine, and watch the sun go down over the sea before heading down on the last cable car around 8:30pm. Great way to spend an evening. More details here.
• Ocean cruises from V&A Waterfront : In the last 8 months I have been on 2 different sunset cruises. On the right evening you get stunning views of the setting sun slowly disappearing over the horizon while sipping champagne. One of the cruises was on a sailing yacht. Once out the harbour the engine is cut, the sails raised and you cruise along in near silence. Ever so peaceful. Try it.
• Breakfast at The Kliphuis Melkbosstrand (West coast just up from Blouberg). Great spot, excellent service and good food at a reasonable price. Wonderful view out onto the ocean (with Koeberg just across the bay). Wonderful way to have spent a Sunday morning.
• Segway at Spier : I had read lots about Segways but never seen them. Spier have an “offroad” Segway adventure tour through the wine estate. It is really great. Read my post and see the pics here then go visit their site here.

Beers to try

• Napier Brewery
• Napier Ale (burnt taste, 4.5% Alc) Bought at Roeland Liquors, Capetown. 500ml glass bottle.
• Boston Breweriers
  • Hazard Ten Ale
  • Johhny Gold Weiss (pale beer, tastes wheaty. 5% Alc.) Bought at Roeland Liquors, Capetown. 550ml glass bottle.
  • Naked Mexican  (a light beer, not quite up to a Corona but was enjoyable enough – at a small mexican restaurant in Seapoint)
  • Premium Lager
  • Whale Tale Ale
• Jack Black Beer (brewed on their behalf by Boston)
  • Jack Black Beer
  • Jack Black Brewers Reserve Classic Lager
• Mitchell’s Brewery (Originally Knysna)
  • Bosuns Best Bitter (a light bitter, not much of a head, slightly honey’d flavour) – Little pub in Blouberg 29/6/2011. On tap as a draught. Also available at the quaint Perseverance Tavern in Buitenkant Street, Cape Town.
    
• Brewers & Union
• Paulaner Bräuhaus
• Darling Brewer (brewed on their behalf by Boston)
  • Darling Bone Crusher  (A stronger 6% more distinct beer. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the Native Ale)  Bought at Roeland Liquors, Capetown. 550ml glass bottle.
  • Darling Brew Native Ale (Well rounded, flavoursome beer) Bought at Roeland Liquors, Capetown. 550ml glass bottle.
  • Darling Brew Slow Beer (Good drinkable beer) Bought at Roeland Liquors, Capetown. 550ml glass bottle.
• Camelthorn Brewing (Windhoek)
• Dieu Donné Vineyards and Brewery, Franschoek
• Birkenhead Brewery(they have a tour, R20 for tour and taste 4 beers, R10 for just the tasting)
  • Birkenhead premium lager.
  • Honey blonde ale.
  • Chocalate malt stout.
  • Birkenhead pride ( bitter )
  • Birkenhead premium lite
  • Birkenhead Red reloaded
• Triggerfish Brewing (Somerset West). Website here and follow them on Facebook here.
• Ocean Potion, pale Ale. A light drinkable beer, really enjoyed this one. 5.4% Alc. 340ml bottle. Roeland Liquors. 
• Sweetlips – Golden/Blonde Ale
• Roman – Red Ale
• Englishman – Mild Brown Ale
• Black Bass – Oatmeal Stout
• Empowered Stout – Sweet Stout
  

 

 

In Johannesburg/Gauteng

• South African Breweries (SAB) World of Beer
• Gilroy Beer (Muldersdrift, Krugersdorp)
• De Garve in Vereeniging
• Tonder Brewery in Broederstroom, North West Province
• Tweedronk Brewery in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
• Perrys Bridge Brewery in Hazyview, Mpumalanga
  • Lowveld Ale
  • Lowveld Lager
  • Lowveld Light
• Hops HollowBrewery in Lydenberg, Mpumalanga
  • Blacksmiths Brew
  • Diggers Draught
  • Mac’s Porter
  • Old Bull Bitter
• Draymans in Silverton, Pretoria
• Agars Brewery from Johannesburg
• Copper Lake Brewery from Lanseria
• Flat Dog Shed from Pretoria
• James Brewery from Johannesburg
• Madship Brewing from Pretoria
• Pilansberg Craft Brewery from Pilansberg
• Tradeger Brewery from Johannesburg
• University of Pretoria (Tuks) Brewery
• The Ale House from Broederstroom (Hartebeespoort)
• Anvil Ale House from Dullstroom, Mpumulanga
• Hops Hollow from Longtom pass, Mpumulanga

 

Elsewhere

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