OnTap Magazine

From The Editor E arlier this year I was lucky enough to judge in the Brazilian Beer Contest. e whole experience was, as you can imagine, pretty damn special, but no moment more so than the awards ceremony. ere is something marvellous about seeing people’s shared joy in someone else’s success – the roars, the applause, the backslapping and the giant grins. And this becomes even more special when you know a lot of the people winning those awards. e inaugural African Beer Cup gave just that opportunity and better still, I got to announce the winners and see all the joy – the smiles, the whoops and in more than one case, the tears. It was a magni cent evening and you can check out all 56 medal winners on page 17. One of the things that really struck me about the competition was that craft beer is at last beginning to catch on across the continent. Medals were awarded to eight di erent countries with four craft breweries outside South Africa scooping awards. I think if you’d told me a couple of years back that I’d be announcing a silver medal to a Kenyan mango IPA or dishing out a bronze to a co ee-infused sorghum imperial stout from Nigeria, I would have thought you insane. e awards were held in conjunction with the annual Craft Brewers Powwow, which continues to grow and mature each year. is year’s star speaker was one of the world’s foremost experts on beer, Garrett Oliver, and each time he took to the podium every brewer, supplier, exhibitor and beer lover was hanging on his every word. We took a few minutes to chat to him about beer on our continent – check out what he had to say on page 10. e On Tap team wants to congratulate all who won medals at the African Beer Cup and to send out big beer love to everyone that’s working hard to get craft beer started across the continent. Building a brewpub in Tanzania or selling the rst NEIPA in Nigeria is no easy task and we all raise our glasses to you for your passion, dedication and tireless love of this beautiful beverage we call beer. This time for Africa Cheers! Lucy Corne EDITOR @LucyCorne ontapmag.co.za | Winter 2019 | 1