Cape Town – Craft beer. It’s not just for hipsters.
We popped in at the Woodstock Brewery the other day to sample its offerings.
While you can do a tasting at either venue, tours of the brewery are done by appointment only, during which you will meet the brewers and learn all the steps of the brewing process.
We were guided through our tasting by assistant brewer Murray Stephenson, who happens to have a degree in zoology and plays drums for the band Red Huxley. He started off doing a bit of home brewing before landing the job at Woodstock Brewery when it took its first baby steps.
I adore the names of the beers, which are based on the principle of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. The first one was called Happy Pills, a German-style pilsner. “It has straw notes to it and is slightly more bitter than general lagers, but still quite smooth,” said Stephenson, who talks a lot about malts and hops.
It was followed by a little Afternoon Delight, a golden ale, a light summery beer which lives up to its name. Then came the Belgian-style witbier Hazy Daze, similar to a weiss beer but more spicy.
Stephenson said weiss beer is a wheat beer, and a witbier is like its hot cousin. The fourth beer was Californicator, an American IPA, which is higher in alcohol than the previous ones, which speaks to the history of beer which once had to travel long distances without going off.
We had a bonus taster of an EPA, or English Pale Ale (IPA is Indian Pale Ale), which went by the name Rhythm Stick, and according my notes was delicious, and full of peachy aromas.
* To book a tour, call 021 447 0953 or e-mail [email protected].
Tastings are R25 for four variants, and the brewery is open Monday to Friday from 8am till 5pm. Find it at 252 Albert Road, Woodstock (there is on-site parking), or go to www.woodstockbrewery.co.za for more information, and the other outlets where you can find these beers on tap. Some will soon be in bottle as well.
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