OnTap Magazine

BREW NEWS Byron Damonze, Hoghouse Brewing Co., Cape Town “Some of the talks that stuck with me were those that put an emphasis on us- ing local grains and hops. The importance of creating a brewing identity that is unique to South Africa re- ally resonates with me. As a young brewer I feel that gaining knowledge and inspiration is crucial to my development as a brewer, so the opportunity to talk to suppliers, network with fellow brewers and draw knowledge from some of the best in the busi- ness is invaluable. Also, there’s beer! “ Olaf Morgenroth, Franschhoek Beer Co., Franschhoek “The lecture that stood out was where John Mallet talk- ed about the beginnings of Bell’s Brewery. We look at these world-class brew- eries in the States and we don’t always think about how much has gone into building them. We just see the excellent beers they are now producing. It was humbling to see that it took them 33 years to get where they are today. I think it showed us that we need to be patient and that it takes time to build a successful brand. If we just keep producing great beer, there’s no reason we can’t be where they are one day, and hopefully in a shorter time as we can learn from craft beer movements around the world.” Langa Ntloko, Drifter Brewing Co., Cape Town “I personally enjoyed Friday’s presentation on quality beyond the obvi- ous which hopefully shone some light on what quali- ty looks like and what we need to be aware of when it comes to making beer. I also loved John’s presen- tation on the Oarsman and the history of Schlitz - it kind of showed me that as a mi- crobrewer you will make bad batch now and then (it’s only a matter of time if you haven’t!) but how you respond to that and what steps you take to correct it are important and can have a lasting impression on your brand; for good or for bad.” Lionel McCauley, River Brewing Co., Victoria Falls “My single favourite aspect of the Powwow was getting to be with other brewers. We operate entirely in iso- lation, so to stand around the fire with pints and tell beer war stories was quite fulfilling.  I also massively appreciated realistic por- traits of the industry as it currently stands in South Africa.  Alan Melville broke apart craft versus macro sales, as well as trends in brewing that I found very informative. I would highly recommend the event to others, as it is a quite cool community and Mike and I were made to feel a part of it rather than the back- woods beer cooks that we actually are!” Marius Deetlefs, Brewhaha, Jeffreys Bay “I can’t imagine why any se- rious craft brewer in South Africa wouldn’t scramble at the opportunity to get inspired and become part of this brewing commu- nity. My fellow brewers were eager to share their knowledge. They helped me solve a few nagging problems, and encouraged me to keep on keeping on. Highlights were the senso- ry training, where for the first time ever I could smell the off flavours and not just imagine them after reading their online description. It really added that extra di- mension for me to  be able to spot an off flavour with confidence and boldness... not that my beer has any of course… The week- end energized me in my quest as a brewer and an- swered questions I didn’t even know to ask!” The third annual Craft Brewers Powwow took place in Cape Town in May. Speakers, exhibitors and presenters from around the world joined to share knowledge, network and sip on local brews. We asked a few attendees what they took away from the conference. LESSONS FROM THE 2018 CRAFT BREWERS POWWOW 18 | Winter 2018 | ontapmag.co.za