One sip of The Bird will take you on an artistic tour through edgy Durban, leaving you refreshed and wanting more.
This new craft beer, described as a lifestyle in a bottle, is made by the recently launched Poison City Brewing and is the brain child of restaurateur Andre Schubert and Umdloti’s Graeme Bird.
The surfers and self proclaimed punks say that although there are many craft beers on the market, this one is different.
“Craft beer’s popularity is growing by over 50% per annum in SA. So far all craft beers that are successfully established as national brands in South Africa, are produced in the Cape. Therefore the opportunity is ripe for a beer from Durban to challenge these brands, and to create a homegrown brand that locals can associate with,” said Bird.
He said Durban is like the ugly sister, as she is smaller than Johannesburg and less beautiful than Cape Town.
“With our craft beer, we are showing that this gritty, industrial city is unique and is the keeper among the sisters.”
Bird said Poison City Brewing is not just about making great beer.
“It is a dream of establishing something that embodies freedom of expression and progressive thinking in our city. We want to use this platform as a catalyst for the support and promotion of our area’s creative people.”
Back to beer, Bird and Schubert brewed their first lager in May 2014 at a mate’s house on the South Coast and it went down smoothly.
This initial success got them thinking, but it was only after a beer tasting trip to California that the craft beer bug bit for good.
“We were exposed to the cutting edge of the craft beer movement and fully realised what a fantastic environment the craft beer business is, and how incredible the taste and quality of beer could really be.”
Bird said craft beer brewers use only natural products in the production of the golden liquid, adding fruit, vegetables and herbs for additional flavour.
“The Bird is easy as sun, surf and seagulls, with a twist of screw you,” said Bird with a chuckle.
He said the thirst quenching lager has fruity, earthy notes and a light bitter finish that pays tribute to the light lagers popular in craft breweries in Germany.
So, hop to Umdloti Spar to test the local bird. Check out their website at poison.city
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
