Cape Town - Drinking beer is becoming an art form.
The organisers of the Cape Town Festival of Beer say this year’s drinking event is going to be one of the best ever.
Martin Tucker is one of the founders of the event and says drinking beer is not just about getting drunk.
“Beer is so misunderstood,” he explains.
“As people analyse and appreciate wine, beer is exactly the same.”
Martin uses a step-by-step process to savour the taste of beer.
He says it’s all about appearance, aroma, taste and finish.
The first thing to do is to hold up your glass of beer and look at it closely.
“What colour is the beer, is it a white beer, a golden beer?” asks Martin.
“Next, check the aroma, sniff the beer and take in the aroma.
“What are you picking up? Is there a fruity undertone or a sharpness?”
Martin says there’s also a special way to drink the beer.
“Your first taste, make sure you savour the flavours and when you swallow, throw the beer to the back of your throat so that you get a good sense of all the tastes,” he advises.
The last step is what Martin calls the “mouth-feel” or the finish of the beer.
Aftertaste
“Is there any aftertaste? And can you explain it? Does the beer leave a distinct flavour on your tastebuds?” he asks.
Martin says this year, the Cape Town Festival of Beer will have 150 beer brands and over 40 brewers on show.
It’s the largest beer festival in the southern hemisphere, serving local and international brews.
Martin says beer often gets a bad rap.
“This is not just a piss-up and a chance to get blind drunk. We care about the product and making sure it’s a great experience for the whole family,” he tells the Daily Voice.
“There will be a kiddies area and lots of live entertainment the entire weekend.
“People will soon realise there’s more to beer than the lagers they drink every weekend, there’s many different beers out there.”
Exhibitors will allow punters to sample their beer, so you get to taste brew from all over the world.
* The festival takes place at the Hamilton’s Rugby Club in Green Point on Friday (noon-11pm), Saturday (noon-midnight) and Sunday (10am-8pm). Tickets: R100 to R120. - Daily Voice