OnTap Magazine

Cheers! Joya Taft-Dick EDITOR I n conversationwithOlga de Smidt, Competition Director of Intervarsitybrew, she spoke about how this unique event cultivates a “passion for beer culture,” a process she di erentiates from simply teaching students how to brew beer. I agree with the importance of this distinction; I also think that this kind of passion is evolving what we understand “beer culture” to be. As it expands, the beer sphere continues to demonstrate its capacity to be so much more than a beverage. Tothatpoint:welaunchedtheBeerinCommunity column to explore the ways in which beer gives back to, engages with, and fosters community. A perfect iteration for this issue presented itself in the form of Colorado-based Lady Justice Brewing, where three friends not only established one of the rst non- pro t breweries back in 2014, but also developed a successful business model that underscores the need for craft beer to innovate and tell a compelling story. Right here in South Africa, we have craft beer brands embarking on a similar philanthropic path, and you can both read about and learn ways to support them in these pages as well. On the theme of storytelling, we will hear about how the rst craft brewery in Nigeria went from brewpub to cultural hub, using authentic local textures and experiences to do so. Both in Nigeria and Colorado, emphasis is placed on the importance of a brewery providing more than just a place to have a beer, but also a space to uncover connection and comradery. I observed those exact phenomena in spades at the annual Intervarsitybrew. What could have been a raucous weekend of university students aunting mediocre beer most de nitively was not. I found myself, honestly, blown away – and not just by the excellent quality of the beer, or the professionalismof the students – but also by the innovation, creativity, and pride of place on display. I looked around that atrium of clever chemistry, engineering, physics (and so on) students (evenly split male-female!) looking to enter the beer industry and thought: if this is the future of beer, we’re in great hands. On a lighter note, I defy any homebrewer out there not to laugh as much as I did while reading Marcel Harper’s countdown diary to a homebrew competition. Or perhaps, also like me, you’ll be reminded of your a ection for a proper pour of Guinness as you read rst-time contributor Rueben Walter’s nostalgic search for the “black stu ” here at home. Lastly, you may notice a slightly expanded Mash Out – with a few recognizable faces from the sports world (!!). We decided we’d have a little fun exploring the overlap between beer and tness, a topic you may see further teased out in issues to come – stay tuned! As always, there’s much to be excited about and inspired by in the beer landscape, and I know that’s what I will be re ecting on as we head into end-of- year festivities. So, with that, from all of us here at On Tap, we wish you a wonderful summer and a very happy new year! Letter from the Editor ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2024 | 1