Crafters graft at beer fest

Glorious sunshine beat down the Pirates Rugby Club on a day where revelers turned out in their numbers clad in shorts, slops, sunglasses, with a steely determination to have a good time. The Springboks set the tone with a resounding victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane, and this contributed to the outcome of the festival in a major way because the South African team were not expected to emerge victorious in this encounter.

The rest of the day evolved into a game of beer pong. Throwing soccer balls into giant beer cups looked easy to accomplish, but once involved, the task proved difficult, as many players found out the hard way.

The game went on for a bit in the sun and the contenders’ aim got worse as the day progressed. The winner of the beer pong was scheduled to take home five cases of beer, which was the main reason why many stayed out in the sun instead of seeking refuge in one of the tents.

Overall, a convivial atmosphere prevailed as Joburg’s citizens turned out to enjoy selections of the finest craft beers from local and international micro and macro brewers. Beers from local giant SAB were also on offer, but most people in attendance were only interested in the lesser known craft beers, which was refreshing to see. Those who did not particularly have a taste for beer headed over to the wine counter.

The venue was thoroughly packed on Saturday afternoon, with hardly any room to sit down on the grass. Steph Weiss and Beast From The Deep seemed popular craft beer choices on the day with many people settling on that pair after tasting the range of beers on offer. Tastes varied, with some beers being very sweet and others very rich in flavour – a stark departure from the popular brands that line club bars and bottle store shelves.

The market for craft beer in South Africa is growing rapidly and events like these play a major part in their popularity. Craft beers are, however, not on the cheap side with some retailing at R40 each, so for now, they will not have the beer giants losing any sleep.