OnTap Magazine

24 | Spring 2021 | ontapmag.co.za IN BRIEF The Famous Brew and Still in Bloemfontein has moved to new premises on General Dan Pienaar Drive in Westdene. The new brewpub has 20 taps pouring beers and spirits from the onsite brewery and distillery, as well as a couple of guest taps for other craft brewers. Members of the local homebrewing club will also see their beers on tap, with competition winners getting the chance to brew a batch at the Brew and Still. Despite some obvious negative name associations, Corona has retained the title of the world’s most valuable beer brand over the past year. Unsurprisingly, the 2020 to 2021 was not a great year for beer. According to Brand Finance , the total value of the world’s top 50 most valuable beer brands declined by 16%, from US$94.9 billion in 2020 to US$80.2 billion in 2021 thanks largely to the intermittent closures in the hospitality industry. Entries to the Brussels Beer Challenge, one of the world’s most prestigious beer competitions, are now open. This year marks the 10th birthday of the Belgium-based competition, which is open to commercial breweries around the globe. The contest attracts some of the world’s most qualified and experienced judges and garners entries from renowned breweries on every continent. Entries are €175 per beer and close on 4 October. For more info see brusselsbeerchallenge.com . The Simondium Guild, home to Soul Barrel Brewing Co., will officially launch in mid- September. The complex, based in a century-old wine cellar, will include Papi’s Restaurant, Painted Wolf Winery and Stillman Cocktail Bar, alongside the already well-established brewery. As well as the food and drink offerings, the Guild is home to Fanglasstic, an art studio and glass shop where kids (and grown ups) can paint their own glassware. South African Breweries has added a third beer to the Castle range. Castle Double Malt joins the 126-year-old Castle Lager and its lighter counterpart, Castle Lite, which launched in 1994. Unlike Castle Lager and Castle Lite, Double Malt is an all malt beer, not utilising adjuncts in the brewing process. The “double malt” in the beer’s name refers to the malts sourced from two separate SAB maltings plants: Alrode in Johannesburg and Caledon in the Overberg. Available in 340ml bottles and slim-line 410ml cans, the new beer has been quietly rolled out nationwide.