On Tap

On Tap is South Africa's and Africa's first and only beer publication - a quarterly magazine aimed at brewers, craft brewers, homebrewers, beer fanatics and those just beginning to dip their proverbial toe into the mash tan.

Letter from the Co-Editor

CONTRIBUTORS

On Tap

LETTER FROM THE CEO

A CHEER TO GROWING TOURISM TOGETHER

LOW-COHOL IS LEKKER • NEW TRENDS IN BEER DRINKING OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BREWERS

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR THE ANNUAL INTERVARSITYBREW IN OCTOBER 2023

ESTABLISHING BEER AS A TRUE CULINARY COMPANION

THE NEW HEINEKEN beverages

WHY ENTER THE WORLD BEER CUP? A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES • WITH A PLETHORA OF BEER COMPETITIONS TO CHOOSE FROM WHICH ONES SHOULD BREWERS ENTER AND WHY. LOTTE PEPLOW, BREWERS ASSOCIATION AMERICAN CRAFT BEER AMBASSADOR FOR EUROPE TAKES A DEEP DIVE INTO THE LATEST WORLD BEER CUP®.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HOPS? • LATE IN THE 1800S HOP GROWING IN THE UK WAS SO WIDESPREAD THAT THERE WERE 72,000 ACRES OF HOPS GROWN, THIS ONCE THRIVING INDUSTRY HAS DWINDLED SO NOW THERE ARE ONLY 1,600 ACRES. WHY? THE TRUTH IS THAT BRITISH HOPS IS NOW A VERY SMALL CROP SECTOR GROWING SPECIALIST NICHE VARIETIES. BREWING, AND BEER CONSUMPTION TO QUENCH THE SIZEABLE THIRSTS OF LARGE INDUSTRIAL TOWNS IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS INVOLVED AS WILL ROGERS EXPLAINS.

THE MEANING OF BEER? • With several homebrew and commercial competitions around, Craig Claassen sat down with Jeff Alworth about beer styles and their origins.

BEST OF BRITISH

MY FIVE FAVOURITE PUB FOODS

PUB CRICKET

TEN YEARS OF THE CAPITAL CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL • Trevor Gerntholtz, founder of the Fools and Fans Beer Festival in Greyton, takes a look at the iconic Capital Craft Beer Festival and its history.

THE BIGGEST LITTLE BEER SHOP & THEIR BIGGEST LITTLE SECRET • Craig Claassen sits down with Nicolas Burger, one half of The Biggest Little Beer Shop, a beer store that has become a must-visit for rare and fresh craft beers in the Western Cape.

GROWING TREND HAPPENING IN SA CASK BEER • THERE IS A LOVELY CASK ALE INTEREST DEVELOPING IN SOUTH AFRICA, WE ASKED ANDREW DELL TO GIVE US A RUNDOWN OF ONE OF THESE FESTIVALS.

HOW NOT TO START A DAMN BREWERY THE BOOK & PODCAST • Kelly KfM Meyer is an author and host of the How Not to Start a Damn Brewery podcast.

12 BEER STYLES & THEIR ROOTS • All beer styles have a birthplace, but some are more definable and are still intrinsically tied to the style. Rob Cass takes us through twelve beer styles and the places which defined them – the great beer pilgrimages.

AMERICAN AMBER • In this edition Chris Roth, the African BJCP representative, looks at one of his favourite styles, the often-forgotten American Amber.

SMOOTH HOP-ERATOR • Nick Smith, the mastermind behind Soul Barrel Brewing in Simondium and winner of best beer in Africa 2022, gives us a crash course in how to brew “hoppy” beers with a smoother finish.

MEET A HOMEBREWER • IT Infrastructure Manager by day, Homebrewer by night; we talk to Emile Fouche, one of the lock-down-converted homebrewers from Durban, about his journey from beginner to competition winning brewer.

SOUTH AFRICA'S BEER ROUTES • In this edition, Craig Claassen showcases the beer routes available in two of South Africa's most famous holiday spots.

FOOD PAIRING BILTONG AND BEER, THE PERFECT PAIRING: • In this addition Anél De Preez and Nicolas Burger pairs a variety of biltong with some new and regular craft beers. With Heritage Day approaching and South Africa (hopefully) in the full gloriousness of Spring, it is the perfect time to try this pairing.

THE INTERVARSITYBREW 2023 • With Intervarsitybrew rapidly...