OnTap Magazine

DARLING BREW SLOWBEER LAGER FIVE LITRE PARTY KEG BEERGUEVARA INSTRUMENT KIT, SET OF 3 Inspired by the Geometric Tortoise, Darling's Slow Beer is a refreshing lager with a perfect malt-hop balance and a crisp, bitter finish. A great thirst quenching beer for those long summer days. Available from takealot.com Indulge in your urge to monitor and micromanage the brewing process with this instrument tool kit, because sticking to the science means better beer, right? The set includes a glass hydrometer to keep an eye on wort and beer gravities to accurately measure alcohol content, and two different thermometers for tracking heat levels during the various brewing stages. Available from yuppiechef.com A Nicholl for your thoughts DAVE A PINT WITH T his issue Dave Levinsohn chats to Dan Nicholl, SuperSport presenter, Cape Town Festival of Beer MC, wine writer and ambassador for the Laureas Sport for Good Foundation. DL: Hey Dan, thanks for agreeing to have a beer with me in your fancy wine cellar. I know you have a wine blog Dan Really Likes Wine , but are you a beer man too? DN: Thanks for the invitation. Surprisingly a man with a wine blog started out as a beer man too. In fact, Striped Horse is the beverage sponsor for the Dan Nicholl show on Supersport. DL: How did your love of wine come about? DN: I used to do a lot of food and wine writing. And before that I used to miss a lot of university classes in Cape Town while out exploring the Winelands. DL: Do you think it’s your duty to educate people’s palates, whether it’s with a new food pairing or a new wine or beer? DN: I love sharing a new beer or wine discovery. A big part of Dan Really Likes Wine is getting people to explore new and different wines. People tend to stick to what they know, and the same applies to beer – you won’t like every new wine or beer you try, but you’ll miss out on a lot if you don’t explore what’s out there. DL: You’ve been dabbling in the South African beer industry for a few years now haven’t you? DN: Yes indeed. I’ve been the MC at the Cape Town Festival of Beer since its inception. I’ve been friends with Martin Tucker, one of the founders of the fest, since my cricket playing days and it’s a pleasure to help out with some MCing on the day. It’s a lovely event and Martin has given the craft beer industry a much-needed platform with it. DL: So I know you travel quite a bit and drink quite a lot as you go. In your opinion has South African beer caught up with overseas brews? What do we have here that’s special? DN: I think we’ve overtaken a lot of other countries. We have extraordinarily talented brewers in South Africa, producing some exceptional beer, and we’re seeing more and more craft beer in bars and restaurants. A few years ago the Festival of Beer was a mixed bag, but now the standard is consistently high. It does make choosing a beer all the more challenging though! We also have this fine magazine in South Africa, On Tap, which tells people about how beautiful beer is, and we have you, so that all the people can laugh at you while they drink it. That’s pretty unique? BEER ontapmag.co.za | Spring 2018 | 69