OnTap Magazine

Send it to lucy@ontapmag.co.za and you might just see your name in print. If your story is chosen for publication, you’ll get a year’s subscription to On Tap on us! BYRON “THEBEERBRUH” LOMBARD A s far back as I can remember, beer has always been somewhat a part of my life. Growing up with a gregarious family that believed every occasion was a celebration, beer was ever-present. Lion Lager and Castle Lager were the only two brands I can recall right now. I tasted beer and hated it, not knowing how it would become such a fascination/passion to me many years later. Fast-forward a few years and I started to frequent the Paulaner Brauhaus at the Waterfront in Cape Town and my appreciation for beer changed for the better, largely thanks to their Weissbier. ose mammoth one-litre steins of Weiss with my nearest and dearest friends are memories I treasure to this day. e trigger was pulled as to what other beers might be out there in the world. I was fortunate to travel up the east coast of Africa to Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, ending up on the island of Réunion. I tasted my rst foreign beer in Mozambique, namely, the Mac-Mahon 2M and I loved it! But when I got back from that trip, I ended up on my balcony with a case of Black Label quarts as I missed the tastes from home more than anything. Since then, I’ve been blessed to have married my partner-in- crime and I’m pretty sure she is the reason my evolution to beer blogging began. She signed me up to the League of Beers back in 2017 and a few days later, I started my Instagram account. I now go by @thebeerbruh but I had some other handle when I rst started, while navigating my way around social media. Since then, I have gained over a thousand followers and tasted an unimaginable amount of beers while also visiting many amazing beer related places. Let me not forget to mention the incredible relationships I’ve made through something so simple… water, hops, yeast and barley. Drinking beer to me is a celebration of life where all pretenses should be put behind us. I now live in the a ectionately known Deep South on the Cape Peninsula. e local breweries are simply amazing and there are so many within a stone’s throw. I just wish that more locals supported local breweries as I find they know what the people of that area would appreciate. From the time of me growing up and only knowing two kinds of beer, to where we now, with a vast selection to suit every palate and pocket, our beer journey has been amazing. I admit that I am by no means an expert in the art of beer brewing, nor do have any inclination to attempt to brew at home. I think that I would be way too critical of myself and the pressure of brewing would only see me ending up in foetal position whilst sucking my thumb, calling for something made by the professionals. Drinking beer to me is a celebration of life GOT A BEERY TALE TO SHARE? WIN GROWN… OH, HOW WE’VE 10 | Winter 2020 | ontapmag.co.za