4 cool spots to grab a craft beer in Pretoria

There’s no shortage of exciting craft beer venues in Pretoria, where you can experience a variety of the best-tasting brews

1. WHISK WINE BAR

As you enter Whisk Wine Bar off Nellmapius Drive, you’re greeted by the sight of a red British phone booth. Choose from more than 60 beers while perusing the other quirky memorabilia, such as tennis racquets, maps and boxing gloves, that adorn the walls of this establishment. For a beer that packs a full-flavoured punch, try Hammer of Thor Robson’s old pale ale. Slightly cloudy with a dark golden colour, its high alcohol content will slow down your chugging to appreciate the strong flavours of citrus, litchi and “smoky meatiness” that this beer delivers. Call 012-667-2883.

2. BARAĆAS

Against the backdrop of sports fields, Baraćas in Groenkloof is all about recreation and reigning in young professionals, sports fanatics and those wanting to enjoy a drink with mom or dad. At this bar, you can try Cape Brewing Company’s Amber Weiss, a German-style beer, for breakfast. (In Germany, weiss beers are considered a typical breakfast drink.) This cloudy beer with a reddish tint is moderately sweet and spiced with notes of banana, bubblegum, citrus, coriander and cloves. Catch one of Baraćas’s live music evenings, watch the latest sports match on the big screens, or take in a lazy Sunday brunch on the deck while tasting authentic beers. Call 012-460-5291.

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3. CAPITAL CRAFT

Capital Craft Beer Academy in Menlo Park is dedicated to supporting and promoting beer through education. Here you can appreciate the effort taken to brew and mature the Devil’s Peak First Light golden ale to produce the tropical flavours evident in every sip of this light, golden-coloured beer. It is the perfect introduction to the craft beer experience and is easy drinking, with fruity, floral aromas balanced against medium bitterness. With more than 145 beers available at this restaurant, you’re spoilt for choice. Call 012-424-8601.

4. LUCKY RODRIGO

Lucky Rodrigo restaurant and bar in Lynnwood provides a friendly and relaxed setting in which to enjoy a few beers with friends after work. You’ll automatically feel at home as you enter this hipster-style corner restaurant, where you can choose to sit at a table on the streetside, inside or in the small alleyway with its plant-decorated walls. Order Jack Black’s Original Brewers Lager if you feel like enjoying a crisp and refreshing citrus malt. This full-bodied lager does a delicate balancing act between the hop’s bitterness and the malt’s sweetness, and will help you take a load off from work in the bar’s easy-going atmosphere. Call 072-853-4468.

This article was originally published in Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Pretoria. Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za, like YourNeighbourhoodZA on Facebook and follow YourHoodZA on Twitter.