OnTap Magazine

Letter from the Co-Editor T o be involved in the South African beer industry is a privilege, to say the very least. With that in mind, the front cover is devoted to some of the good guys in the industry, who help grow not only for themselves, but the appreciation of craft beer and the artisanal nature of the process. e beer industry should be called the comeback kids of the South African economy. is is in large part thanks to the general public’s support and the craft breweries themselves who pushed forward during and after a few very tough years. (So please keep supporting your local breweries.) It is also with the tireless work being done behind the scenes by organisations like the Craft Brewers Association of South Africa (CBASA), the Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) and the growing support from the South African tourism bodies, that the industry is starting to grow in numbers. It is thrilling to see. In this edition, the aim was to focus on what is happening not just in South Africa, but also around the world. is is done with the intention of placing our industry in some context, hopefully adding to your excitement the next time you drink a spectacular craft beer. We have entertaining contributions about hops that we should start seeing in our local beers as trends develope over the next few years. e homebrew section o ers some expert tips to help you make easy improvements to your homebrew. We have a fantastic style study and more chats about what beer styles really mean. Learn about competitions and why it matters and how to pair your beer with biltong! We have also redesigned the events calendar for easy reference. It is not merely a polite afterthought for me to thank Rachel Du Plessis (of Prycision and amazingly talented designer), Andrew omas (publisher extraordinaire), Joya Taft-Dick (Co-editor and friend), all the contributors, advertisers, and the continuing support from BASA for putting this edition together. And for you, the beer drinker, the homebrewer, and the Brew Masters: ank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this Spring Edition. Prost! Craig Claassen CO-EDITOR ontapmag.co.za | Spring 2023 | 1