OnTap Magazine

T here is something about Namibia that just says thirsty. There is not a patch of green to be spotted from the plane window as we fly from Cape Town to Windhoek, and the river beds all appear to be dry. Inside the cabin, I feel like the crew are prepping us for this thirsty land. The drinks service is the most generous I’ve seen in a while, with four passes of the beverage trolley on a flight that lasts a little less than two hours. It’s all setting the scene well, for my sole reason for being here is beer. Most trips to Namibia take in game drives, photogenic sand dunes, visits to ghost towns – I have four stops on my four-day itinerary and they all involve a certain malt-based beverage. As I jump into my budget rental car, I realise this is the furthest I’ve ever driven for a pint – a 400km trek across barren lands from the airport to coastal Swakopmund. It’s not the most inspiring drive in Namibia but eventually the trucks start to thin out and the two-lane highways become long, straight, largely empty roads cutting through the desert. I crank the tunes and try to beat the sun as it slowly sinks, casting a purple glow on the dusty surrounds. I arrive in Swakopmund just after dusk, thirsty and hungry and definitely in the right place. If you enjoy beer and travel – literally my two favourite pastimes – then the Strand Hotel is a bucket list destination. It’s right on the seafront in one of Namibia’s top tourist towns, it has a busy restaurant - the Brewer & Butcher - serving great steak, and perhaps most importantly, it has an award-winning microbrewery on site. Swakopmund Brewing Company gives a nod to the country’s colonial routes in its beer styles, for when it comes to beer culture, the German influence is strong in Namibia. I’m too thirsty to bother with a taster tray so I go straight in for a pint of the award-winning Helles. It goes down just as a lager in the desert should, and I order another as I fill my belly with kapana – spiced, braaied beef strips served with pap and salsa. This trip is off to a great start. The next morning, after a misty run along the beach and a marvellous breakfast that replenishes any lost calories and then some, I meet head brewer Thorsten Kolzing and Brewer & Butcher GM Shannon Kilian for the full tour and tasting. Brewing is Thorsten’s life’s work, stemming back to a career talk at school when he was just 16. He worked at Namibia Breweries during school holidays, studied brewing science in Germany and went on to work at the Hansa Brewery in Swakopmund for 11 years. He’s been fine-tuning Swakopmund Brewing Company’s beers for the past year, with his Helles winning a gold medal at the 2023 African Beer Cup. Thorsten taps a mini keg of the Helles on the restaurant’s deck and we kick off a food and beer pairing lunch. The rich and malty Märzen is my top pick for a food pairing, but as the sun fights through the fog and the ocean roars just metres away, it’s really the Helles that is hitting the mark, pairing perfectly with the setting. GERMAN ROOTS Taster trays at Swakopmund Brewing Co come with a side of malt to nibble on The Brewer & Butcher is busy all week Swakop Brewing Co. Food and beer pairing at the Brewer & Butcher 36 | Autumn 2024 | ontapmag.co.za