CAPE TOWN – Drifter Brewing Company located in Cape Town has announced that they will be launching another set of limited edition ocean aged beer.
Currently employing fourteen staff members in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the company first did this last year and it was the first brewery in the world to age beer in the sea.
This means that the beer bottles are aged on the ocean floor around Cape Town for one year. The concept originated in 2016 while the owner, Nicholas Bush, was scuba diving in an old shipwreck off of Cape Point.
Bush said: "Due to the darkness and cold temperatures, the ocean here is ideal for this unique fermentation process. It also goes with our tagline of adventure and creativity. I love thinking outside of the box...or under the sea”
Nicholas is from Cape Town originally and studied Mechanical Engineering at UCT.
He was a boat captain after graduating university and then ended up living in Oregon for six months where he learned to brew.
In 2014, He decided he wanted to move back to Cape Town and start the brewery and then Drifter was born in 2015.
The beer is a strong Belgian-style tripel (10% ABV) that comes in a 750ml champagne-sized bottle and will cost R295 a bottle.
Drifter told Business Report that they decided to produce extra bottles this time around due to last years launch being a success.
"Our first round was super successful as we sold all 800 of the bottles we produced. This year we decided because it was so popular to produce more -- around 2000 bottles," said Drifter.
Drifter added that when making beer, the main cost to consider is an excise tax.
"The main cost of all the beers we make is our excise tax actually. Especially on this one because it's a high alcohol percentage beer. Otherwise, for this one, we also spent a great deal of money on the packaging and the actual sinking process (transport, renting scuba kits, etc.). If you are making beer at home then the main costs involved are the equipment and ingredients which really depends on set up to set up," said Drifter told Business Report.
Bottles can be reserved and purchased through Quicket and the launch party will be held on Thursday, December 13 at Two Oceans Aquarium from 7-10 pm.
Customers also have the option to collect from Drifter Brewery in Woodstock for free or to choose door-to-door courier delivery for an extra charge.