OnTap Magazine

12 | Summer 2020 | ontapmag.co.za BREW Ever heard of the town of Hotazel in the far north of the Northern Cape? Well its name isn’t some curious coincidence – it can get pretty warm up there. And to celebrate the arrival of summer, Castle Lite has launched a fun giveaway. Every time the mercury tops 35 degrees in Hotazel, those who have signed up on the website stand a chance of winning a six-pack. The brand has also deployed an oversized cooler at Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg displaying the Hotazel temperature. When On Tap went to press, more than 40,000 giveaway codes had been dished out. To sign up, head to unlocklite.beer. The competition runs until the end of December. South African National Beer Day marks its fifth anniversary in 2021. The celebration of all things beer takes place each year on the first Saturday in February. Events will be added to the map at beerday.co.za, where packs will also be available for people to download and celebrate at home. The event has grown considerably over the years, from 50 events in 2017 to almost 200 events held across the country in 2020. Most events are announced in January, although a few have already been confirmed including a beer festival at Barrington’s in Plettenberg Bay. The fest will feature breweries from the Garden Route and Eastern Cape. Tickets are R150, which includes a beer glass and 10 tasters. Entrance is free for kids and there’s a range of activities on offer to keep them occupied. Check out barringtonsplett.co.za for more info. FREE CASTLE LITE WHENEVER IT GETS HOTAZEL SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BEER DAY RETURNS ON FEBRUARY 6 NEW CONTRACT BRAND SEEKS TO BRING TOURISM TO TEMBISA Although the 2020 alcohol ban wasn’t the ideal backdrop for launching a new beer business, it did at least give Sibusiso Skosana chance to strategise and finalise the concept of his new craft brand. Brewed under contract at Brewsters Craft in Johannesburg, 1632 Crafts currently features a pale lager and a cider in the portfolio. Named for the postal code of Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, 1632 Crafts has a strong sense of place and a strong pride in that place. “We saw there was a need for tourism in Tembisa,” says Sibusiso, who grew up in the area. “We decided to start by building a brand of craft beer and cider so that when the tourists come, they can sip on a local product.” Sibusiso had previously been working in IT but had long had a passion for entrepreneurship. In 2018 he met Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela of Brewsters Craft and the plan to launch a beer for Tembisa was put into place. The beer was unveiled after the first lockdown, with tastings in Mamelodi, Soweto, Atteridgeville, Benoni, Rustenburg and of course in Tembisa, where the official launch will take place towards the end of the year. However, craft beer is just a small portion of Sibusiso’s vision. “The bigger picture is tourism,” he says. “We are opening a restaurant in Tembisa where the beer and cider will be available. We are also looking at building our own brewery in Tembisa within the next couple of years, where we can employ young people from the local area.” The project is currently entirely self-funded by Sibusiso and his fellow director, Thabo Ndlovu, and the team is looking for outside investment. The beer and cider will be followed by a bottled gin and tonic in 2021, with the range available at select liquor stores, restaurants and via the Thuma Mina app. Check them out at facebook.com/TembisaLocalBeer or on Twitter and Instagram @1632Crafts.