OnTap Magazine

Send it to lucy@ontapmag.co.za and you might just see your name in print. If your story is chosen for publication, you’ll get a year’s subscription to On Tap on us! APIWE NXUSANI MAWELA G rowing up in the rural village of Mgomanzi in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, brewing and drinking umqombothi has long been a very common thing for me. Both my parents are somewhat traditionalist, so we brewed umqombothi for almost all occasions and ceremonies – especially anything that involved the ancestors. To be honest, I don’t actually remember my rst encounter with the product or process as it was something that was always there. One of my earliest memories is of my mother and aunts waking up in the early hours of the morning during brew days to start a big re outside for ukuphekwa kwezidudu (cooking of porridge). As kids we would be woken up to some delicious sour porridge, but what happened thereafter never really bothered me (i.e. the fermentation and ltration processes). During the actual ceremony we would then be called into the kraal or the ekoyini (“brew room”) to take a sip of the brew as the elders spoke over it. My cousins and I would all try to dodge this part and often run away from the elders because obviously for us the fermented product was not as nice as the porridge. I was always amazed how the village men and women would come out in numbers to drink and enjoy the brew, which was always accompanied by a big feast. e very rst time I took notice and interest in the brewing process was after I had just got my rst job and bought my rst car. I remember my father calling me and asking (well, more telling than asking) me to come home and do umsebenzi to thank the ancestors for all the good fortune. at meant I had to brew, slaughter a sheep and invite the whole village for lunch and drinks. Since I was the one thanking the ancestors, I had to be physically there and get involved from the beginning of the brewing process. Normally, one would maybe just add the grain or bring water or anything small to show they are part of the process. Since I had already started my brewing traineeship, I was now really interested in the actual brewing process. As I watched my mother and aunts go through their brew routine, I remember comparing it to the brewing theory and principles I had learnt and kept explaining what they were doing in scienti c terminologies. I was in awe of the fact that what I had spent lots of time and money studying, my mother and grandmother already knew. From that moment, I told myself I needed to understand and master the traditional brewing process, just as I was doing for clear beer. Over the years, I have improved on my knowledge and skill of both brewing processes. Interestingly at home they now check my availability before they plan any ancestral ceremonies. We brewed umqombothi for almost all occasions and ceremonies – especially anything that involved the ancestors GOT A BEERY TALE TO SHARE? WIN BREWSTER BECOMING A 12 | Spring 2019 | ontapmag.co.za