OnTap Magazine

BREW Remember at the start of lockdown, when you told yourself you’d read more or exercise more or start to learn a language? Well, while most people’s promises of self-betterment were quietly forgotten, one man put us all to shame. UK beer writer and somewhat regular visitor to South Africa, Pete Brown, researched, wrote, edited and published an entire book in the time the rest of us managed to finish reading a book. The loftily titled Craft: An Argument - Why the term 'Craft Beer' is completely undefinable, hopelessly misunderstood and absolutely essential , grew out of Pete’s popular talk on the same topic, which he gave at the 2019 Beer Boot Camp in Johannesburg. The self- published e-book delves into the oft-posed question “What is craft beer?” and comes up with a host of ways to define craft, before quashing each definition. Whether you agree with him or not – and you often won’t – it’s a great read, peppered with Pete’s signature wit and ability to seek out some truly random information. The book is available on Amazon. Industry experts interested in speaking at the 2021 food & drink technology Africa summit are invited to submit abstracts. The event is set to take place from 13-15 July 2021 at Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Interested parties should submit a brief synopsis of their presentation along with a biography and photo of the speaker. Abstracts can be emailed to Katy Van der Walt at katy. vanderwalt@mm-sa.com , by Wednesday 30 October 2020. Check out www.fdt-africa.com for further info. The ban on alcohol pushed many brewers to become increasingly resourceful, with some launching non-alcoholic products to sell in lieu of beer. Brauhaus Afrika has released Hop Lemon Hop Water: a fizzy drink made with water, yeast, hops and homemade lemon juice, and sweetened with stevia. Darling has released a whole range of non-alcoholic beverages, including a traditional ginger beer, two hop- infused zero-alcohol seltzers and Malt Cross, a toffee-flavoured shake that can be drunk warm or cold. Check out our reviews of the latest non- alcoholic beer releases on page 52. EXPAND THEIR LOCAL BREWERIES NON-ALC OFFERING CALL FOR PAPERS: FOOD & DRINK TECHNOLOGY AFRICA PETE BROWN LAUNCHES NEW E-BOOK If you’ve always wanted to witness the US hop harvest, this year you’ll get a chance to join in, if only from a distance. Hop supplier Yakima Chief is operating a virtual harvest for the whole of September, with a range of live sessions including farm tours, interviews with hop farmers, panel discussions and informative talks on topics such as sensory analysis and hop breeding. All sessions are free – you just need to register at hopandbrewschool.com . THEYAKIMA HOP HARVEST GOES VIRTUAL 12 | Spring 2020 | ontapmag.co.za