OnTap Magazine

BREW “Distribution is the primary driver behind this partnership,” said Jack Black co-founder Ross McCulloch. “It’s so great to have a partner that can focus on distribution. It’s the biggest problem with our business and to be honest, it’s pretty much all I think about.” Co-owner Meghan McCulloch echoed the sentiment and explained why it’s an exciting step for Jack Black following their 10th birthday last year. “Instead of focusing on how to get the beer to market, we can now focus entirely on the beer itself,” she said, adding that there are plans to release a number of R&D brews in 2018. “Heineken has a minority stake in Jack Black,” Ross continued. “We control the messaging, the branding, the liquid in the bottle.” The core beer range will remain the same and all brewing will continue to take place at the Diep River facility. A new brewer arrives later this year following the departure of Jonas Krebs, who left in February to join a brewery in Taiwan. The replacement brewer hails from Germany and is not currently working for Heineken. The finer details of the deal have not been released but discussions and negotiations have been in progress for more than a year, beginning when Ross called Heineken SA to ‘discuss the state of the industry’. “Heineken have only invested in a small number of craft breweries around the world,” added Ross, “and we are very proud to be a part of this stable.” HEINEKEN BUYS A STAKE IN JACK BLACK In their third foray into South African craft beer in the past year, Heineken has bought a minority stake in Jack Black. This follows on from the buyouts of Stellenbrau and Soweto Gold in 2017. NEW BREWS Darling Spirited Flight (2.6%) The first in a series of “beer-mix drinks”, Spirted Flight is a lemon radler sweetened with fructose. Darling/Riot Pearl Rose (5%) A grapefruit-infused pale ale brewed for Valentine’s Day – grab it from select stockists in Cape Town and Gauteng while stocks last. Drifter Water Restriction Gose (4.5%) Brewed with a small portion of ocean water, the tart and salty gose is available at select Cape Town bottle stores and through League of Beers. Little Wolf/Fierce Beer Citronella Double IPA (9%) A collaborative double IPA infused with Pelargonium citronellum , a locally found flower with a distinct lemony aroma. Keep your eye on social media for release date and venues. Little Wolf Passiflora (5.5%) This barrel-aged sour, laced with passion fruit, was a hit at the 2017 Cape Town Festival of Beer. Seek out one of the limited edition bottles this autumn. Stimela Last Numba (4.5%) The latest beer to be added to the Stimela range is a pale lager. Find it on tap and in bottles at select Gauteng retailers. Two Okes Merlin’s Ale (4.5%) The Jo’burg brewery produced this herb-laden ale for International Gruit Day – if you’re lucky there will still be some left after the Clarens Craft Beer Festival. See page 30 for more on the Two Okes gruit. 10 / On Tap / Autumn 2018