Durban – From pale ales to dark hues – some of the best brews in the country will feature at our Craft Fest.
The June 16 Craft Fest will bring the cream of the crafting world together for a one-day show of craft drinks, craft foods and handicrafts. The Craft Fest is organised by the Shongweni Farmer’s and Craft Market and The Independent on Saturday.
The Free State's Clarens Brewery will bring some of their best brews.
Natalie Meyer, of Clarens, said they were very excited to be bringing their drinks to this side of the coast. “We will bring our blonde ale, our American-style red amber, hazelnut-infused ale and two ciders, and a few other drinks,” she said.
Their pineapple and apple juice will also feature, with their pineapples sourced directly from KZN.
“Everybody has different tastes, but we’ve found our granadilla cider is a favourite, as is the hazelnut brew, but we’ve got something for everyone,” she said.
The Standeaven Brewery is a family-owned micro craft brewery based on the family farm just outside Hillcrest, where brewmaster Shaun Standeaven works his magic. He launched his craft beers in 2012, and has not stopped since. His brews were voted best craft beer on tap at the SA on Tap festival in 2012, voted one of the top 10 craft beers in the country by SAB World of Beer National Craft Brewer’s Championship in 2013, and won a Gold Award at the 2013 Good Food & Wine for best craft beer.
Trevor Maarschalk, of the 1000 Hills Brewing Company, brings the flavour of the nearby hills to Craft Fest.
“We’ve recently relaunched our brand and people can get a taste of what’s on offer. The nice part of interacting with the visitors will be that the brews will be served from the students of the 1000 Hills Chefs School, who are also taught how to brew. We will bring an India pale ale, American pale ale and a strong dark Belgium ale,” said Maarschalk.
Bringing the KZN South Coast of KZN to the Outer West is Basset Breweries.
Andy Turner, head brewer, quit his job as an electrical engineer to pursue brewing. The brewery is known for Umdoni Gold, Befreckled Red and Pennington Pride, Barking Blonde and a new range called Steam Punk which is made seasonally.
The winter beer, named The Dogfather, was judged a Top 10 finalist in the 2015 South African National Craft Brewers Championships.
One of the newcomers to the brewing scene is Scavengers Brewery, based in Assagay, Durban.
Head brewer Steve Murphy said the name "Scavenger Brewery" came about as he literally “scavenged” for anything he could get his hands on to make his first brewing kit in a little garage in Westville.
“We have a unique way of dispensing our beers to the public. Sticking to our roots, we dispense our beer through hand-pumped beer engines using nothing but air,” said Murphy, adding he was eager to meet those who loved a good brew.
Toti Brewing Company’s Peter Hamilton-Hoskins said he’d bring his finest drinks, including American Lager and a Weiss.
Moritz Kallmeyer, of Drayman’s Brewery, started learning the intricacies of brewing from an early age.
“I will be bringing most of my drinks, and I think in this chilly weather people must look out for my Honigjager (honey whiskey),” he said.
Darling Brewery’s Kevin Wood said he would bring a special drink, apart from his main range, called the Godfather, a limited edition drink they have just launched.
Get there!
Craft Fest takes place on June 16 at the Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market between 10am to 4pm.
Ticket costs (including a tasting glass) are R100 for adults on www.quicket.co.za or R120 at door. Tickets for children between 12 to 17 years cost R50, and under 12 enter for free.
WIN WIN WIN
Three lucky readers will each stand a chance to win four tickets to the Craft Fest on June 16 at Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market. To enter, SMS TIOSCraft followed by your name and number to 33258 by midday on Wednesday May 31. SMSes charged at R1.50. Terms and conditions apply. Winners will be contacted via telephone.