A chat with CBC about all things beer
Just ahead of the fourth installment of the Capital Craft beer festival, we spoke to CBC brewmaster Wolfgang Koedel about what to expect from this year's festival.
The Pretoria botanical gardens will play host to the fourth annual Capital Craft Beer Festival on 11 June.
This beer festival combines the age-old tradition of drinking beer, offering exciting musical acts and introducing a variety of local micro manufactured brews to the public.
Microbreweries have fast become a tasty and trendy alternative to commercially brewed beers.
The painstaking efforts taken to brew and mature these specialist beers can be tasted in each and every sip.
At the Capital Craft Beer Festival, you will be able to sample beers by over 30 different microbrewers from all over the country.
Rekord spoke to Wolfgang Koedel, brewmaster at CBC, to find out more about the festival and what it takes to be a craft brewer.
The local craft beer scene has exploded in the past ten years. A lot of brewers have come and gone. What do you do to stay relevant in this, now highly-competitive business?
We invest by choosing high quality ingredients for our products. All CBC beers are brewed according to the German Purity Law, consistency of the whole product range, reassurance by competing at craft beer competitions for international awards.
With the surge in interest in craft beer – Do you think there is still a place for any new brewers, or has the industry settled and become a jostle for survival between those who are left?
We think that there is always space for new brewers and great beers. To compete with already existing brands and established types of high quality makes it a necessity to be up to scratch with the product developments and quality standards of the beers
How important are craft beer festivals like Capital Craft in keeping the industry alive?
As the brewmaster of CBC I don’t think that the craft beer movement would have had accelerated as it did without all festival activities in SA. Festivals are also instruments to see how newly developed beers or new styles find acceptance with our fellow beer lovers and consumers.
What do you look forward to as a brewer at a craft beer festival? Also, Do you like teaching newbies about craft beer, or do you like interacting with the more knowledgeable patrons?
Festivals are always exciting. With all the new beers, creativity from brewers, new beer styles, new hops with completely new flavour profiles, there is a lot to learn. The vibe beer drinkers created in the last 15 years makes me proud to be part of it.
What can we look forward to seeing from you at the festival?
We will be present with our whole product range as long it is not sold out already. It is just about great beer, friendship and loyalty of our fans and enjoying a pint with them.
Where do you see the craft beer industry in 5 years? Will it become even bigger?
The craft beer market has still plenty of space with craft only occupying less than 1 % of the beer market in SA. Plenty of room for creativity, brewing and sales skills from existing and new brewers. Yes, there will still be a proud craft beer industry in 50 years in our South Africa .
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
- We have exciting news! We’re offering a free alert to help you always be in the loop. Send an email with the word ‘Subscribe’ to breakingnews@rekord.co.za to receive your free daily breaking news update.
