OnTap Magazine

WORLD OF BEER CREATING A CRAFT CULTURE On the day I visit the team isn’t brewing, but there’s still plenty going on. Most notably Olerato is finishing up a batch of millet malt. A nutty aroma fills the air and as he transfers trays of still-warm millet from what was once an industrial bread oven, and is now a micro kiln for millet malt, I can’t resist stealing a handful to taste. It’s not as sweet as barley malt, but has more flavour than I expect: nutty with a slight earthy quality. All of Okavango’s beers contain millet in varying percentages – the core range counts on 20-30% millet in the grain bill, depending on the beer, while some experimental brews exclusively use the locally cultivated millet, with no backup from barley. The millet is malted in-house on a fairly rudimentary system, but plans are underway to expand. The supply of millet is far outstripping what Murray and his crew can malt or brew within a month, so the end goal is to produce millet malt to sell to the African brewing industry. Production at the brewery is increasing steadily though, and when I return the next day for the (re)launch party, it’s clear that Maun has an undeniable thirst for craft beer. Queues form in the brewpub; happy revellers fill the dance floor and burgeoning beer aficionados order taster trays served in mini mokoros. It’s a brewery with a deep sense of provenance, a stellar origin story and of course, a selection of award-winning beers. It is a brewery that makes the 4000km return journey from Cape Town to a dusty town full of donkeys completely worth the trip. A mini mokoro makes for a unique tasting flight Where the magic happens Olerato takes time out from keg cleaning Okavango's taproom proudly displaying the brewery's various awards Okavango's beers take their names from the brewery's surrounds Okavango's beer garden by night Tasting flight at Okavango ontapmag.co.za | Autumn 2023 | 25