Our Guide to Local Craft Beer

We have put together a list of some of the top local craft beer breweries to enjoy no matter the weather. Whether it is beside the pool, at beer tastings or at gatherings with family and friends, let’s support local businesses and enjoy quality craft beer.

FRASER’S FOLLY

Fraser’s Folly Brewing Company is all about crafting unique, small-batch beers with serious personality. All of their ingredients are natural, hand-selected and unprocessed, and they only use fresh, natural spring water as the base of their beer.

Yes, Fraser loves brewing easy-drinking ales, but he and his team have just as much fun getting spunky, innovative and inspired in the brewery. Their innovation has resulted in brews such as their unique Moer Koffie Stout. This brew began with a search for the right coffee, and now offers drinkers a nose of caramel, dark chocolate and bold coffee with smoke. Fraser’s Folly also brews their Pale Ale, Weizen and their Wild Raspberry, a beer blended from barrel-aged and wild-fermented beer, in true Lambic tradition.

Where: Online | Black Oystercatcher, Elim

Website:frasersfolly.co.za | Email: info@frasersfolly.co.za | Tel: 028 482 1618
Facebook: frasersfolly | Instagram: @frasersfolly

JACK BLACK BEER

In 2007, the Jack Black Beer founders, Ross and Meghan McCulloch, set out to change the local craft beer landscape in Cape Town – they wanted to create beers that inspire us. Their focus is on flavour and their philosophy is to innovate, whilst staying true to traditional, hand-crafted methods.

At the Jack Black Taproom, you can sample old favourites, new brews and limited edition beers. It is an environment representative of what Jack Black stands for as a brewery: quality, innovation and a passion to brew some of the best beers coming out of Africa. A simple, but the delicious food menu is also on offer, including their famous Butcher Block Burger.

Jack Black Beer is well-known for their events, including their Food Truck Friday on the last Friday of every month, their 2 for 1 Burger Wednesdays, Beers and Bands and Quiz Nights. They also offer brewery tours and tastings by appointment.

Just 20 minutes outside of the central Cape Town, you can visit them Wednesday to Friday, 10am to 10pm as well as Saturdays, 10am to 4pm.

Where: 10 Brigid Rd, Diep River

SAGGY STONE

Saggy Stone is a genuine craft brewery based in the Nuy Valley near Robertson. They pride themselves in brewing all their beers using fresh spring water from the farm’s nearby mountains. At Saggy Stone, they brew a full range of beers, including small-batch and seasonal brews.

Their genuine craft beers are available direct from the brewery, at their pubs in Cape Town and on their farm near Robertson. Saggy Stone’s Cape Town venues include Villager Football Club, Hamilton Rugby Club and Unfiltered on Kloof. If you are in the Robertson area, pop into their brewery for a tour and lunch on the farm. From their venues, you will receive the freshest genuine craft beer at brewery direct prices.

Saggy Stone loves to support local music at their venues. Visit their Facebook pages to see what’s happening at each venue, and to find out more about their craft beers and latest additions, visit their website.

Where: Amandalia Farm, Agtervinkrivier, Robertson

Website: saggystone.co.za | Email: info@saggystone.co.za | Tel: 083 453 3526
Facebook: SaggyStone | Instagram: saggystone

NOON GUN BREWERY

Noon Gun Brewery is an independent and family powered brewery, producing unique flavour profiles and priding themselves in quality beverages.

Their crispy Smooth Bore Lager offers malt and biscuit notes, whilst the award-winning 18-Pounder Session IPA is dry and light-bodied, richly delivering flavours of five types of hops. The Muzzle Loader Weiss refreshingly presents with tangy and clove-like profiles, offering an invigorating taste perfect for any season.

A Noon Gun Brewery special ‘hybrid beer’; the award-winning Gunslinger Pilsner. With its origins in Cologne, Germany, it brings you one of the first African versions of this fairly young German brewing style. You can expect uplifting, fruity notes with an easy finish touched with a slightly bitter after-tone. Lastly, the refreshingly light Bombardier Light Lager, promising a great tasting low alcohol and low in total energy craft beer, perfect for any time.

Noon Gun Brewery’s long list of stockists includes The Bay – False Bay Rugby Club, Foxcroft Restaurant, Mojo Market and a growing list of local liquor stores. A comprehensive list of the brewery’s stockists, as well as further information, can be found on the Noon Gun Brewery website, and they actively update through social media.

Where: Capricorn Business Park, Muizenberg

Website: noongun.net | Email: info@noongun.net | Tel: 021 709 0290
Facebook: noongunbrewery | Instagram: @noongunbrewery

SHACKLETON BREWING COMPANY

Inspired by the great Sir Ernest Shackleton, Shackleton Brewing Company upholds the values of exploration and innovation to bring you a uniquely crafted beer. Their range includes three core beers as well as seasonal and experimental beers.

Shackleton has had a significant influence on the local community, providing beer to pubs and restaurants, markets and festivals, charity events, weddings, and company functions.

Their first core beer is The Kolsch, their flagship brew. Brewed similar to a pilsner, the Kolsch uses pilsner and wheat malt fermented at lower temperatures. The lagering element of this brew has given this beer a light body, spritz texture, and subtle lingering bitterness. The Shackleton English Red Ale has a beautiful red hue, which is accompanied by earthy aromatic British hops. Their third core beer is a Pale Ale. Far from pale, this beer is inspired by Australian hops and is full of colour, with a vibrant malt character, balanced by the earthy hops.

Meet friends at their taproom in Salt River or book it for a function or event. The Shackleton events and quiz nights can be found on their Facebook page.

Where: 12 Briar St, Salt River, Cape Town

Website: shackletonbc.co.za | Email: info@shackletonbrewingcompany.co.za | Tel: 071 347 4089
Facebook: ShackletonBrewingCompany | Instagram: @shackleton_brewing_company