OnTap Magazine

OT: Who else from South Africa was there? And were there representatives from any other African countries? AN: For the first time in an international beer judging event we had four judges representing South Africa. It was myself, Lucy Corne, Anton Erasmus (from SAB) and Olaf Morgenroth (ex Franschoek Brewery, now with Fermentis Academy in France). And no, it was just the four of us from South Africa. OT: Why did you choose to attend and what was your experience like? AN: I have been attending international beer-judging events since last year (2022). It really is an amazing career advancement opportunity as a brewer, where you get to taste various beer styles at source and as they were meant to be. This has also been a great opportunity to network with other beer experts from around the world, and more importantly, to continue talking up the South African craft beer industry. I was really impressed with the level of industry knowledge and experience from all the judges. Making new friends in the industry from other parts of the world was really a highlight for me, as well as the opportunities those connections may bring in the future. OT: You mentioned in a post on social media that it was an honour to represent South Africa; can you say more about that, and perhaps what role you hope to see the South African beer industry play on the global stage in the future? AN: When introducing myself, I found that many people were really interested to know more about what we are currently doing in South Africa and across the continent on beer. They are interested in learning about our beer culture, the local beer scene, what beer styles do we brew, and what makes our industry unique. I think the world is curious enough about what we are up to and it’s time for us to take our beer stories to the world. I believe it’s time for Africa to take up her space within the global brewing community and I feel very honoured to be one of the people that gets to go out there and fly the South African flag. OT: Why is it important that judges from countries like South Africa attend events such as these? AN: I think it’s important for beer judges to attend international beer competitions because it helps improve one’s judging ability. Also, one gets exposed to various beer styles and gets to taste great examples of those styles. OT: Any other final thoughts? AN: The beer community really is an amazingone, whether here inSouthAfricaor anywhere in the world. I would however still want to see more representation of women and people of colour at these events. Things are getting better, even though slow. European Beer Star Judges 30 | Summer 2023 | ontapmag.co.za