OnTap Magazine

BREW While the alcohol ban obviously seriously harmed beer sales, one growth category throughout the lockdown period was non-alcoholic beer. “We have seen a weekly average increase of sales to retailers by over 400% for Heineken 0.0,” says Jason Cox, Sales Director for Heineken South Africa. “This is even more impressive as this excludes bottle stores and other liquor retailers.” Devil’s Peak also reported increased sales of their Hero brand (previously Zero to Hero). “We started the Hero brand more than two years ago and always had high aspirations for it, but we could not have anticipated what it would do for us during the lockdown,” says Devil’s Peak’s Elizanne Rauch. “We sold more Hero on some days during lockdown, than our normal Hero sales in a month.” South Africa’s first and only sizable independent malting company has closed down. Cape Town based Walts Malting announced its closure in early May, citing the Covid-19 lockdown and accompanying ban on the sale of alcohol as contributing factors. In a letter to its customers, the company said that it had been “battling financially…and unable to reach the required sales volumes to cover overhead costs.” The effect the alcohol ban is likely to have on the craft beer industry led company directors to take the decision to close the business. WALTS MALTING Although in-person gatherings are still forbidden, the Woodstock Winter Beer Fest team is forging ahead with this year’s event, albeit in a virtual format. Details are still to be confirmed, but the festival will take place on August 1. Tickets will get you a mixed case of 12 beers from breweries that normally participate in the festival, along with a WWBF beer mug and an agenda of online live acts for the day. Follow Woodstock Winter Beer Fest on Facebook for updates. In response to government restrictions on alcohol sales, and to promote social distancing, SAB and Heineken have both released platforms that allow consumers to buy alcohol from taverns via their cell phones. SAB’s platform, Firsti, does not require a smartphone or internet access. Cell phone users dial *120*464# and follow the prompts to find a local tavern or liquor store, place their order then select a collection time. Heineken’s site, Hola Club Click & Collect, also allows the public to purchase directly from taverns without have to queue in-store. Consumers and tavern owners can register at www.holaclub.co.za. SAB, HEINEKEN CREATE SALES CEASES OPERATIONS PLATFORMS FOR TAVERNS 12 | Winter 2020 | ontapmag.co.za