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Beach Brewery, run by Charlie Murray. “Charlie is like the cowboy of craft beer,” Tinus tells me with a grin. Aside from the three or four standard beers he has on offer, “every day he brews something new.” “Oftentimes, he doesn't even know what he is gonna do that day, but he figures it out really quickly when he gets there.” Tinus goes on: “I learned a lot while I was there, [including how to do] stuff unconventionally. Being novel. Fearless.” It was during his time with the Craft Cowboy that Tinus received a job offer from a brewery in Germany. Sadly, the Germans don’t recognize the English brewing education system, which is what Tinus had been following. As a result, he was denied a work visa by German immigration. Fortuitously, just as his contract was winding down with Charlie, he applied for and was subsequently offered a job at Darling Brew as a “Shift Lead.” This role was a larger responsibility than he’d had to date: it meant working in a factory setting with a 3,000 square metre brew house, being in charge of a team of four brewers, often a kegger and two other cleaners. You are, as the title implies, running the shift, day or night. How to make a consistent beer At Darling, Tinus learned how to make a consistent beer. “Maybe to some that sounds boring, but it’s actually really, really hard…And Darling does it really well. Their methods and procedures are world class.” Turned out, consistency wasn’t the only challenge. Working 12-hour, often night time shifts, in addition to continuing his studies, all the while living in a very small town–much like the one he chose to leave as a teenager–proved to be more than he and his partner were willing to take on. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BREWERS Timing was once again in Tinus’ favour. As he was handing in his resignation at Darling, he heard that the head brewer at Woodstock Brewery had just left. While attending a blues festival there, he found himself pulled into an impromptu interview with Woodstock’s owner, Andre Viljoen. Two days later, they had a more extensive interview, which now included the production manager. The role itself, Head Brewer, was a natural progression, although it was still not something Tinus had ever done before. This did give some involved in the hiring process pause, but in the end, Woodstock offered Tinus the job. It has now been six months. From Tinus’ perspective, it’s a “great fit.” He brews three times a week and finds the creative freedom immensely inspiring and fulfilling. “It’s what drew me into craft beer in the first place.” He describes brewing as a “multidimensional” form of creative expression. In this way, working at Woodstock is providing Tinus the opportunity to both experiment, and to perfect certain recipes. While Tinus is experimental, he also maintains a more serious, almost spiritual understanding of his role as ‘brewer.’ “We are creating this thing that alters the consciousness of another person. That’s a big responsibility.” Yes, alcohol consumption can be dangerous, he elaborates, but it can also inspire. LOOKING AHEAD When I ask him what is exciting on the horizon, his initial response surprises me. “I am excited about the movement to perfect low-to-no alcohol beers. Even the big guys are working at it, from yeast companies to commercial breweries. It seems like the ‘holy grail’ right now, the goal being to make a non-alcoholic beer taste just as good as an alcoholic one.” His second answer surprises me much less: “To do what no one else has done here.” This brings to mind the mushroom beer he once made while still at the Coop, as well as an herbal white IPA, and more recently, a cherry cola sour. Looking ahead, Tinus tells me his vision is still, in the short term, some geographical flexibility. “When I was with the band, it was a job that allowed me to travel,” he explains. As a brewer, that itinerant lifestyle is harder tomanage. That being said, Tinus mentions Japan as a place where craft beer is blooming, drawing his attention. And that offer at the German brewery still stands; should he acquire the necessary visa, it would be another option. He hopes that once established, much like the band, beer could be a way to see the world. The long term vision, however, involves one day setting up his own spot, right here in South Africa. In the meantime, he wants folks to come visit him at Woodstock. “Come to Small Batch Thursdays, even if just to tell me how bad the beer is.” Beer as a way to see the world Tinus on the drums in the Jack Rolling Dandy's Tinus at Woodstock Brewery, holding a Coastal Cult can from RHBC 3 | Spring 2018 | o ntapmag.co.za 52 | W ter 2023 | ontapmag.co.za