OnTap Magazine

IS HOMEBREW AN OLD MAN’S GAME? Anesu Mukuwane shares her journey from university brewer to joining the growing homebrew community in South Africa. vividly remember my first homebrewers meeting; I arrived early to grab a beer and ease my nerves. Fortunately, all the anxiety eased as I met men akin to my father in both age and personality. Unfortunately, I have only met a few homebrewers that are my age which begs the question: Is homebrewing a dying hobby? South Africa has a rich history and culture surrounding beer from Apartheid-era prohibitions laws to the significance of beer in traditional ceremonies. It comes as no surprise that there has been a growing interest in craft beer and homebrewing. However, with the ever-growing range of craft beers on the shelves is it still necessary to “Brew your own?” The internet is filled with conflicting information about the fate of homebrewing; a decline in memberships for the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) and small homebrewing supply stores closing have left online forums and comment sections in a panic. But is homebrewing dying or taking on a new form? I have witnessed with my own eyes that most homebrewing clubs are mostly comprised of the older male generation, and many fear that as they age, that the hobby will die. The rise of homebrewing is said to grow parallel to the rise of the craft beer industry, but as international data shows, young people are drinking less beer and opting for hard seltzers, CBD drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. This year Nice Cafe in Cape Town introduced a 7 AM ‘coffee rave’ which suggests the younger generation could be shifting towards health and wellness. While some homebrewers started out because there weren’t enough craft beers on the market, and others started because of the alcohol ban during the COVID lockdown, repositioning homebrewing as a wellness hobby for Gen Z might make them join. Reddit user “Boy Meets Wort” says, “Young people come into our store every single day, and ask how to make their own beer, mead (very often, mead) wine, cider, kombucha. Keep commenting on your fixation that the thing you used to love is ‘dead’, we will keep bringing the next generation into the fold.” There are various influencers online who make alcohol from ingredients such asMountain Dew so there might be other avenues for younger homebrewers to come into the mix. Many homebrewers started out only brewing beers, but soon branched out to distilling, cider making, fruit wines and the reverse can certainly be true for the next batch of homebrewers. While my generation’s alcohol consumption currently seems to be on I OPINION 48 | Spring 2025 | ontapmag.co.za