OnTap Magazine

30 | Spring 2019 | ontapmag.co.za ON THE HOP We brewed a 50-litre batch in the one-pot brewhouse, just enough to fit in our keg- fermenter. We like to think that the sun going down helped with the cooling, but truth be told, nothing cools quickly out here, so “borrowing” some ice-water from the beer chiller did help. Pitching the yeast was long after sunset, and we put our new baby to sleep for the night - only to have to chase the shade for the next few days to keep her cool. As for the spent grain, well in Darling it gets used for beer chips, but out here it seems the jackals are partial to it. All we found the next day was a half-full bag, dragged to the bushes. On further inspection we discovered the jackals had claimed permanent ownership and marked it accordingly – and let me tell you, no soap invented by man or beast can get rid of that smell. THE SOUNDS OF AFRICA With the brew done, it was time to chill. So we did what people do in Africa and dug out a fire-pit, cracked open a few cold ones, sat back and listened to the wind, the barking geckos, the laughing hyenas, and the crackling fire. These are the real sounds of Africa, until a few beers later when we were all “blessing the rains” with a chorus of jackals. We thought they were joining in, but in hindsight, they may have been complaining about Greg’s singing. The next morning around 5am, the sounds got really real, really fast. If you haven’t experienced a lion roar less than a half-a-kay away, it’s one hell of an alarm clock. It’s pure magic that will humble you, and remind you that out there under the African sky, you’re not top of the food chain. As the sun came up, we could see the two black-maned brothers at the camp watering hole. This was once-in-a-lifetime stuff. They walked closer and closer, until there was nothing but 50 metres and a small wire fence separating us. Hearing that beast roar that close will shrink a fence faster than you can say “Mufasa.” You quickly remind yourself that you don’t need to out-run the lion, you just need to out-run the tasty tourist next to you with the half-ton camera and the sock-and-slop combo. No problem, we’ll get a head start. TOASTING AFRICA The next few days were spent in a blur of brunch-time beers, hammock chill sessions, night swimming under impossible stars, bushveld bonfires and epic braai-chow thanks to a collection of recipes that we’ve managed to compile into our book - Beer. Food. Fire. At first light on our last morning in the Kalahari, we hit the dirt with a little drive South, before taking a sharp right to Namibia. Once we hit the 50km of dunes, we suddenly understood why Kevin had told us to bring sea-sick tablets - up and down, and up, and down across an endless ocean of red sand. It’s called Dune Sickness, and it’s a real thing. Soon after, we crossed the border into Namibia for a few days of ice-cold beers, big-sky sunsets, braais, bonfires, and the best gemsbok steak any of us has ever had. It all went by pretty fast, and before we knew it we were heading back down the Weskus to Darling. We did stop at a red container in the middle of nowhere, perched against a rusty farm fence with a “Biltong” sign. Still to date, the best droewors we have ever tasted. Rolling into Darling at sunset, we realised how lucky we were to have been on such an epic adventure, with good mates, great beer and the best this place we call home has to offer. Here’s to you Africa! This Darling Brew x Beer Country collab will be launching at the Cape Town Festival of Beer - as if you needed another excuse to be there. Come taste a Blood Moon, and keep an eye out on social media for news, content, competitions and video. SIP A BLOOD MOON The impossible stars of the Kalahari Solving the world’s problems, one beer at a time Bone-marrow venison burgers on dark-malt roosterkoek