On Friday my Uncle and Aunt made a surprise visit to Jo'Burg. My weekend adventure was awesome. I really got to know city and I got the most out of my trip.
Bright and early on Saturday morning, we headed out to see a very interesting and famous site- the SAB World of Beer. Unfortunately beer was not flowing from waterfalls, but we did get a lot of freebies (including beer) all for only R55.
Up until this visit, I was unaware that such a museum existed. Again, I was excited to see what it's about.
We joined a 10:30 am tour group which had about 10 people. Our tour guide was a chirpy, middle-age man with detailed knowledge of the process of making beer as well as its history. The tour was about 90 minutes.
The World of Beer is a museum that shows the history of beer by way of videos, demonstrations, models and information from our guide. It includes the traditional and modern ways of making beer as well as specific focus on the South African Brewery (SAB). Beer is of course a staple in the alcohol-consuming world so this is a major tourist destination in the city and the country as a whole. Of course you have to be interested in history and how beer is made, otherwise you'll be extremely bored.
To celebrate the SAB's long brewing tradition and its 100th anniversary, SAB established the SAB World of Beer in 1995 in the heart of Johannnesburg.
The tour starts with an introductory welcome from Charles Glass the brewmaster who brought us Castle Lager, and the man who laid the foundations of SAB as it is known today. He's projected on 6 large independent screens.
We then take a look at beer's earliest origins in Babylonia, Mesopotamia.
After a long and detailed tour of the origins of beer we moved on to the actual process of beer brewing. We started off with the actual planting, harvesting and curing of barley, hops and malt. You are taken on a detailed journey through the beer making hall also known as the Green Fields Greenhouse where you will be up close and personal with the natural ingredients used to brew SAB beers. The room is flooded with a natural light and you are greeted with the pungent smell of barley as you enter.
Beer first arrived in South Africa through the harbours of Cape Town, the main stopover between Europe and the East Indians. South Africa's first brewery was first established in 1696 in Newlands. Over the next 200 years Newlands became the center of brewing activity in South Africa.
A quick stop is made at a bar complete with draft beer and a free glass. The glass comes with beer (if you're a beer drinker). If you're not a drinker you can just give your beer to someone else or spill it down the drain, but remember to keep your free beer glass!
We also stopped at a traditional South African beer house called a shebeen. This is a replica of a Sowetan shebeen. Shebeens are most often located in black townships as alternative to pubs and bars, where under apartheid and the Rhodesian era black people could not enter a pub or bar reserved for whites. Originally shebeens were operated illegally selling home brewed and home-distilled alcohol providing people with a place to meet and discuss political and social issues. Shebeens also provided music and dancing. Today, they still form an important part of the social scene.
The Sowetan shebeen concludes the historic journey through the world of beer. Thereafter we're taken to the barley tasting room which is the first step in the beer making process - the malting process. The doors of the brewing chambers swing open and you're greeted by large replicas of the brewing vats used in the SAB beer making process. After the malting process the malt rests and moves on to the other steps in the process. It's a rather long and boring process.
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| Barley and hops growing. |
The tour starts with an introductory welcome from Charles Glass the brewmaster who brought us Castle Lager, and the man who laid the foundations of SAB as it is known today. He's projected on 6 large independent screens.
We then take a look at beer's earliest origins in Babylonia, Mesopotamia.
After a long and detailed tour of the origins of beer we moved on to the actual process of beer brewing. We started off with the actual planting, harvesting and curing of barley, hops and malt. You are taken on a detailed journey through the beer making hall also known as the Green Fields Greenhouse where you will be up close and personal with the natural ingredients used to brew SAB beers. The room is flooded with a natural light and you are greeted with the pungent smell of barley as you enter.
Beer first arrived in South Africa through the harbours of Cape Town, the main stopover between Europe and the East Indians. South Africa's first brewery was first established in 1696 in Newlands. Over the next 200 years Newlands became the center of brewing activity in South Africa.
A quick stop is made at a bar complete with draft beer and a free glass. The glass comes with beer (if you're a beer drinker). If you're not a drinker you can just give your beer to someone else or spill it down the drain, but remember to keep your free beer glass!
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| A mock shebeen. |
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| Still in the shebeen. |
The Sowetan shebeen concludes the historic journey through the world of beer. Thereafter we're taken to the barley tasting room which is the first step in the beer making process - the malting process. The doors of the brewing chambers swing open and you're greeted by large replicas of the brewing vats used in the SAB beer making process. After the malting process the malt rests and moves on to the other steps in the process. It's a rather long and boring process.
The final section of the tour leads us to the Celebration Hall. A panoramic film is screened showing the celebration of beer. It shows us the final stages of the beer being delivered to the people for enjoyment. From there we are led to the Tap Room to cash in our drinks vouchers. You can take a seat on the balcony and enjoy Newtown or you can just stay inside while you sip on a selection of SAB's finest products. The two vouchers are included in the price of the ticket.
Overall I really enjoyed the tour. You have to be really patient and remember that all the good stuff comes at the end. Great for photos and great for increasing ones knowledge of beer.
Overall I really enjoyed the tour. You have to be really patient and remember that all the good stuff comes at the end. Great for photos and great for increasing ones knowledge of beer.
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