By STAFF REPORTER
It’s South African (SAN) Beer Day on Saturday, 5 February, and Makhanda’s only craft beer brewery, Featherstone Brewery and Entrepid Brewing, will be saying cheers to this national beer appreciation day with a new Xhosa-inspired craft beer, iBhiya.
In partnership with Makana Tourism, Featherstone Brewery and Entrepid Brewing will host a craft beer crawl featuring stops at four restaurants and pubs. You can expect complimentary craft beer tastings with Featherstone owner William Yell sharing just what makes this local brewery such a gem.
Yell said iBhiya is an African umqombothi/sorghum wheat beer using 20% Authentic African umqombothi sour mash added to African sorghum/wheat beer, finished with South African Hops and Honey then fermented with beer yeast. The Ingredients are all South African.
The name came about when Yell started matching isiXhosa translations for beer terminology. The only word for beer was iBhiya which represented the concept of this innovative blend quite well.
He explained that this modern brew is produced similarly to the craft brewing process he typically follows. Still, the additional step of making the umqombothi mash and its uniquely exquisite taste is what makes it different.
“The sorghum, maize meal and flaked maize are mixed in warm water and sours overnight. The next day, the strained umqombothi is then added to the beer brew and ‘cooked’ before fermenting,” he said, adding that the fermentation is a bit faster than usual as the alcohol is lower than standard beers – about 3.5% only slightly more than umqombothi on its own.
“It’s a blend of modern beer somewhat hazy and slightly sour with the earthy taste of sorghum,” Yell added.
“Sour beers have been gaining in popularity in the craft industry, so my idea was to merge these two concepts and create something local by fusion of modern beer brewing and traditional methods,” he said.
Event details:
Date: Saturday, 05 February 2022
Time: 6pm
Cost: R100
Meeting point: Church Square, Makhanda
Your Craft Beer Tour Guide: William Yell of Featherstone Brewery and Entrepid Brewing.
Ticket Bookings details:
You can get your tickets from Makana Tourism (cash payments).
For your enquiries, contact:
Tel. 046 622 3241 (Makana Tourism: 63 High Street, Makhanda)
Cell. 082 990 0318 (William Yell)
Email: tourism@grahamstown.co.za
Space is limited, don’t delay making your bookings.
Read more about Featherstone Brewery and Entrepid Brewing’s new Xhosa-inspired craft beer, iBhiya, here.
You can also explore Featherstone Brewery and Entrepid Brewing using Eastern Cape Tourism’s Eastern Cape Craft Brewing, Distilling and Wine Route. Read more here.
