OnTap Magazine

And why craft beer? Most prominently it’s because whether you’ve flung yourself down the mountain tread-first or face-first you just want to enjoy a really good beer. You’ve worked damn hard and you deserve a good beer. And picking up well-hopped IPA, a layered, malt-driven dark lager, or just a perfectly executed blonde ale, you kind of feel like the brewer has put the same amount of effort into producing the beer as you have in earning it. And at that moment, with the rest of your spandex-clad pals you really appreciate their efforts. The craft beer community is not unfamiliar with the pairing of bikes and beer. In fact JC Steyn (Devil’s Peak), Brendan Watcham (Copper Lake), Rob Heyns (League of Beers) and Murray Slater (Beerhouse) to name a few have all been known to don the spandex and spend some time in the mountains before coming up with a very mediocre reason to call the ride short and go for a beer. And, as much as riding brings people together, beer only solidifies those relationships. So, mountain biking and craft beer: it’s perhaps the greatest pairing of all Even if you’re limping home from the intimate time your mountain bike spent with a tree, the two (maybe three) Amber Weiss you reward yourself with afterwards will do wonders to help numb the pain and make the day worthwhile. Give it a go, and if you need someone to ride with, drop me a message. We’ll call the ride short and go for a beer. WHAT MAKES BEER AND BIKES THE PERFECT PAIRING? PAUL DE BEER | HOMEBREWER | CAPE TOWN Favourite place to ride? Tygerberg trails, in particular Hoogekraal and Contermanskloof. What’s your go-to post-ride beer? As there are few beer outlets in the area, for late afternoon rides I fill a 2L growler from one of my beer taps at home and we all stand around the car and enjoy.  For long weekend morning rides, we enjoy my homebrew always on tap at home, even if it’s only 11am. What is it about a post-ride beer that is just so good? Never given it a lot of thought, but I guess an ice cold IPA or craft lager quenches thirst like nothing else.   Academic studies have shown that post-exercise beer up to 1.3 L per person does not contribute to dehydration or negatively impact post exercise recovery in any way.  WE ASKED A FEW ON TAP READERS THEIR THOUGHTS. WORLD CLASS CANNING & BOTTLING SYSTEMS Patented seaming & filling technology Intuitive touchscreen HMI Reliable volumetric flowmeters Controlled counter-pressure filling Easy pre-fill sanitation Versatile label application Sales@WildGoose-Meheen.com +1 720.406.7442 www.WildGoose-Meheen.com • Canning & bottling solutions for premium cra beverages • Shortest manufacturing lead time in class • Compact & custom built for virtually any can or bottle size • Over 1,900 systems installed worldwide Partner for Wild Goose – Meheen