RAISE your glass . . .
Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay boast some of the top craft beers in the country - if not the best.
Leading the way with their unique craft beers, Brewhaha JBay won top awards at the recent 2018 South African National Beer Trophy (SANBT) awards: gold for their brew Stormy Seas (IPA) and silver for Moonlit Beach (American Wheat Beer) and Endless Summer (Blonde Ale).
The Kromme River Witbier, brewed by St Francis Brewing Co, was named the best wheat beer.
The SANBT is South Africa’s premier beer competition and it is the driving force behind the rise in beer quality and consistency.
Beers are judged out of 50 according to the BJCP guide, which outlines every beer style in great detail.
In order to win a silver medal, the pass mark is 39/50, and for gold it is 41/50. Judging took place over several weeks by 25 judges, including BJCP judges, wine sommeliers, celebrity chefs and Cicerones (another beer judge certification programme).
The prize-giving took place at Cape Town’s Beerhouse on Long and brewers from around the country attended.
“We are delighted with the outcome of the awards,” says Brewhaha co-owner and brewmaster Marius Deetlefs. “The achievements are great industry benchmarks, especially since this is the first year we’ve entered, and stand testimony to our products’ fast-growing appeal.
“This also helps us see what we are doing right and where we can improve.”
A bonus: bragging rights. The winning beers each have a winning status sticker.
According to Deetlefs, he is currently working on a new rye IPA, as well as a new craft beer containing a local ingredient - however, this ingredient is a trade secret.
Deetlefs believes that creating exceptional beer is a refined art, and he vows to continue to push the envelope in order to create some delicious creative new offerings.