OnTap Magazine

DEEP ROOTED TRADITION Waiting for us at Kasi Lyfstyle Tshisanyama is amanwith an equally sizable smile. Maphiko Mncedisi Ncedani is not the owner of Kasi Lyfstyle, but he is surely a fine ambassador for the venue. A well-loved local artist, Maphiko welcomes us and explains the umqombothi brewing process in detail, something he learnt from his mother. “I was raised by a woman who was deeply rooted in her traditions,” he says. “She explained every detail behind the making of the beer tome andwhen she felt it was the right time, she taught me how to make it.” He clearly had a good teacher. The brew is smooth with a great lactic sourness but no barnyard funk, and I find myself going back for a second sip and a third and a fourth. Rather than one large, communal ukhamba to drink from, the iKasi Beer Hop organisers had made mini clay pots and with the help of a couple of friends, I manage to drain one quite quickly, just in time for a plate of shisa nyama. Bellies full and minds alive with information on the lore and customs behind umqombothi, we jump back onto Wellington’sbus for thefinal stopon the tour, the N2 Lounge. A smart place with wood panelled walls and disco balls hanging from the ceiling, N2 is also known for something fairly close to my heart, something that for me, goes with a few beers even better than a game of chess or draughts does. Our encounters with umqombothi are done for the day and we sip on our nightcap of Castle Milk Stout while perusing the karaoke menu. Umqombothi is something of an endangered species, with fewer people learning how to brew it and fewer still drinking it outside of celebratory ceremonies. So it seems only right to raise a toast to the organisers of the Beer Hop for helping introduce it to a wider audience. Beer is cloaked in traditions the world over, and it is our collective responsibility to keep those traditions alive, whether that’s the conservation of an age-old brewing practice, the end-of-night ritual of someone belting out a bit of off-key Bon Jovi, or the time-honoured institution of a friendly table- top game to accompany your pint. The brew is smooth with a great lactic sourness Renowned draughts player Ta Ras enjoys a challenge from Murray Brebner, a participant of the iKasi Beer Hop Sylvia Noyi is known locally for her umqombothi and mogodu (Image courtesy of Nicola Ash) Tsidy Noya welcomes us to the bar his father started BASA's Troye May sips on umqombothi at Kasi Lyfstyle Tshisanyama Simple pleasures at Kasi Lyfstyle Tshisanyama ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2021 | 41