(By Chesney Bradshaw)
Over the past year, I’ve been exploring non-alcoholic beers. Two that really impressed me are Darling Breweries’ non-alcoholic beer from the Western Cape and Castle Free, which many people say tastes just like a regular beer. I’ve also sampled others — imported and local — but another standout came from a small operation tucked behind Long Beach Mall: the Long Beach Brewery, whose non-alcoholic craft beer is both refreshing and full of character.
Craft brewing has given entrepreneurs a foothold in what was once the territory of the big brewers. There’s a whole culture now — craft beer tours, festivals, and tasting events — all celebrating the art of small-batch beer making.
Yet even the big names are joining the movement. Recently, I came across a Pale Blonde from Newlands Spring Brewery — purely out of curiosity. It turned out to be excellent: crisp, balanced, and full-bodied. Later, I discovered that Newlands Spring is part of South African Breweries (SAB), itself owned by AB InBev, the international brewing giant. Their beer, by the way, is made with water drawn from the Newlands spring and a second spring in Kommetjie — details you can find on their site: newlandsbrewery.co.za/behind-our-beers/.
I enjoy both non-alcoholic and traditional beers. I’m not an abstainer — far from it. I still appreciate the familiar taste of Castle Lager, Lion Lager, Carling Black Label, Windhoek Lager, and Amstel.
So yes, even the majors are going craft. And that’s fine — it gives beer drinkers even more choice, from a hand-poured IPA at a microbrewery to a chilled Castle Free on a hot afternoon.
One beer I still miss, though, is Tuborg. The last time I had one — more than one, in fact — was in a pub in Zurich years ago. A fantastic beer, long gone from our shelves, but never forgotten.
