OnTap Magazine

CELEBRITY BREWS AND OTHER BOOZE We’ve already seen a few popular celebrity beers overseas. If you’re a fan of classic music (or just a hippie at heart), you might enjoy Dogfish Head’s American Beauty, an imperial pale ale inspired by The Grateful Dead. Or if you fashion yourself a bit of a rocker instead, how about Trooper, a beer by legendary British metal greats Iron Maiden – brewed by Robinsons Brewery and not the only beer of the Iron Maiden brand. When it comes to rock, it seems bespoke beers are the perfect pairing. There’s A Tout Le Monde by Megadeth, Faithful Ale by Pearl Jam, Australian Hard Rock by AC/DC, Destroyer by Kiss, Rolling Hop by the Rolling Stones and Communion Ale by Opeth – hell, there’s even Bohemian Rhapsody Lager from Queen, released as a limited run in 2015. And if you’re looking for something with a little less street cred, remember teenybopper band Hanson? Well in 2012 they released Mmmhops, a pale ale with a name as annoyingly catchy as their sole hit back in the 90s. There have been beers from wrestlers (Steve Austin), actors (Wil Wheaton), TV shows (Game of Thrones) and even cartoons – The Simpson's Duff beer was so sought after it eventually became a real thing, exclusively available at Universal Studios in Florida. And it’s not just beer that celebs want in on – they’re also branching out into other forms of booze: Marilyn Manson famously released a brand of absinthe called Mansinthe, and SA-born musician Dave Matthews has his own wine, The Dreaming Tree, while legendary Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd is the brains behind Crystal Skull vodka, as well as a wine label based in Niagara. Our very own minor celeb at On Tap has his own brand of beer. Dave Levinsohn , a craft beer fanatic and ex graphic designer turned comedian, established ‘Davebrew’ back in 2014, calling it the world's first comedy flavoured beer. His slogan says ‘This beer tastes funny’, a tongue in cheek reference to his first craft beer experience. "We used to get payment in beer when we first started doing comedy," says Dave, "so one of the beers is called ‘Open Mic’ (Blonde Ale) because you never forget your first stand up comedy set. The other is a zesty Pilsner called ‘Punchline’ for obvious reasons." The beers are contract brewed and overseen by brewer Eben Roux at TSB and are available to buy on www.davebrew.co.za Fokof Lager isn’t the only brew to be thought up by a local celebrity. Last year, Jack Parow teamed up with Polisiekar to create a collab brew they dubbed Cape Cobra, a limited edition stout, infused with Parow’s own label brandy – and it was so limited edition that only a few kegs were released. But it’s not all about musicians - SA golf champion Louis Oosthuizen recently launched Green Tractor Louis 57 Lager brewed by Wild Clover Breweries in Stellenbosch. And surf enthusiasts have long been able to sip a pint of Bing’s Bru, produced at Woodstock Brewery for local surf legend Deon Bing . SA’S GOT BREWING TALENT A Tout Le Monde by Megadeth Crystal Skull Vodka by Dan Aykroyd Rolling Hop by the Rolling Stones Communion Ale by Opeth Trooper by Iron Maiden Australian Hard Rock by AC/DC Broken Skull IPA by Steve Austin The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews FEATURE COMEDY FLAVOURED BEER 34 | Winter 2018 | ontapmag.co.za