Cheers
Beer is serious business in KwaZulu-Natal. If the Western Cape worships the culture of the vine, then Natal bows down to the good old keg, a draft pump and a head of froth. Beer lovers from all over the country have the opportunity to don a pair of beer goggles and breathe in the heady aroma of barley and hops on KZN’s very own Beer Route.
The Big Guns
There isn’t a beer drinker in this country who doesn’t have the granddaddy of South African beer – South African Breweries (SAB Ltd.) – to thank for much of their beer-drinking pleasure, and so it seems fitting to start one’s tour at the SAB Prospecton Brewery in Durban. Founded in 1895, SAB Ltd. is the historical birthplace of SABMiller plc. – one of the world’s largest brewers.
The Prospecton Brewery (one of seven SAB breweries dotted around the country) was opened in 1974, but is now one of the most modern breweries in the southern hemisphere, producing more than 400 million litres of such favourites as Castle Lager, Hansa Pilsner and Carling Black Label every year. The brewery runs two tours daily from Tuesdays to Fridays, which includes a video on the beer making process and a tour around the brewing and packaging sections of the brewery, with an ice cold beer or two waiting for you to enjoy at the end.
For the Connoisseurs
Travelling inland, the coast rises up to meet the Valley of a Thousand Hills, home to the Shongweni Brewery that – with its picturesque surrounds of rippling green sugar cane fields and a full sea view in the distance – promises visitors “Beer with a View”.
A relative newcomer to the SA beer industry, Shongweni’s range of Robson’s beers is already drawing accolades and critical acclaim from beer connoisseurs both locally and abroad. Owners and brewers Sherene and Stuart Robson believe this is because their brewing process is completely unlike anything else currently available in South Africa. Not only is their beer made of only natural ingredients, but it is also unfiltered, unpasteurised and has no artificial carbonation. In fact, Robson’s is made more like a champagne than a traditional beer in that a small amount of brewer’s yeast is bottled with the beer, allowing for a secondary fermentation in the bottle. As a result, Robson’s beer matures with age – just like your favourite wine – allowing for a more complex variety of flavours and making it ideal for pairing with different foods.
Sherene and Stuart brew a range of five different types of beer – inspired by great brewing styles from around the world. The East Coast Ale is a South African-inspired lager of the pilsner style; the Durban Pale Ale is a stronger, full-bodied beer, and the West Coast Ale is made in the Californian style. They also make a Wheat Beer in the German Weissbier tradition, as well as a variety of seasonal fruit beers (strawberry, mango and pineapple) inspired by Belgian brewers.
The brewery offers tours on Saturday afternoons (booking essential) and has beer available for purchase from its shop from 12h00 to 15h00 every day. It’s worth the drive out here to revel in the view and hear the delicious fizz as you crack open a bottle of Robson’s.
Petite but Popular
When the mist rolls down from the Drakensberg, blanketing the Natal Midlands and setting the evening temperatures plummeting, roaring fires, quaint thatched buildings and welcoming laughter-filled pubs ensure that beer drinking is a favourite activity here. And nowhere more so than at the Nottingham Road Brewery. Part of the Rawdons Estate, this popular micro brewery greets its visitors with the enticing aroma of hops and the glint of the shiny copper vats that are used for brewing their range of naturally brewed ales and lagers.
From the full Pickled Pig Porter, to the Pye-Eyed Possum Pilsner with its rich bitter flavour, the light Tiddly Toad Lager and the invigorating Whistling Weasel Pale Ale, there is a beer here to suit most tastes. The beer labels, with their comical animal characters, are also a favourite of this brewery, and fun branded gifts (t-shirts, caps, aprons and stuffed toys) are available from the shop. They serve as a wonderful reminder of your trip to the land where breweries dot the landscape, the beer list is always more important than the wine list and where the amber liquid always flows free and fast. Cheers!
Brewery Contact Details
- SAB, Prospecton: Contact +27 31 910 1111 for more information on brewery tours.
- Shongweni Brewery: Call +27 31 769 2061, email realbeer@shongwenibrewery.com, or visit www.robsonsbeer.com for more information.
- Nottingham Road Brewery: Phone +27 33 266 6728, email breweries@rawdons.co.za or visit www.rawdons.co.za for more information.
- The Zululand Brewery Co: Located at The George Hotel in Eshowe, this is the smallest brewery on the KZN Beer Route, but the owners’ enthusiasm and love of beer easily make up for its size. Phone +27 82 775 9998 or email richard@eshowe.com for more information.
- The Congella Brewery: Based in Durban, this brewery lays claim to the title of the world’s largest sorghum brewery with a production of seven to nine million litres annually. Guided tours of the brewery are available. Phone +27 31 205 5311 for more information.
Story by Nicky Furniss
