Cape Town bar gets crafty with booze-friendly food (think beer floats!)

03 April 2017 - 10:36 By Richard Holmes
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Looking for an after-work drink and a beer-friendly bite to eat? Motherland Brewers has brought the world of craft beer to St George’s Mall in Cape Town.

This pedestrianised avenue running from the St George’s Cathedral to the Foreshore is one of the more charming corners of the city centre, and in the golden light of the late afternoon the Motherland tables spilling out onto the brick walkway are a fine place to taste your way through some of Cape Town’s leading craft brewers.

With six beers on tap at any one time, and another dozen or so by bottle, the beer menu at Motherland Brewers is geared towards experimentation.

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“We try and offer beers that you won’t often find on tap at other bars,” explains owner Alistair Kernick. “We usually change out one keg at a time so there’s always something new on the taps.”

Depending on when you visit that could mean a Steam Lager from Noordhoek-based Aegir, or delicious The Skallywag India Pale Ale from Woodstock’s Drifter Brewing Company. There’s usually a craft cider on offer too, for those who prefer their apples to their hops. Motherland also contracts out its own brews, and the fruity Saison is a fine choice in the waning heat of summer.

Can’t decide where to start? The tasting trays of all six on-tap beers will help you choose your favourite.

There’s a compact menu of beer-friendly food to keep the hunger pangs at bay too. Cheese and charcuterie boards are great for a sundowner snack, but if you’re ordering a second or third pint you’ll want to look at the Burgers, Dogs and Tacos on offer.

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The traditional dog pairs a meaty frankfurter-style sausage with perfectly piquant sauerkraut, while the Vietnamese Dog adds mint, coriander and caramelised onion into the mix.

The pair of burgers (Old School or Avo) are generous and well-cooked to medium-rare. All hot dogs and burgers come with fries and aioli, and are reasonably priced.

To finish, consider Motherland’s offbeat Beer Float. A boozy version of the childhood classic, here Aegir Porter tops up a glass half-full of creamy salted caramel ice cream. The dark caramel notes of the Porter are a fair stand-in for cola, but this float is certainly something of an acquired taste. But then, playing around with craft beer is what Motherland Brewers is all about. Worth a visit.

 

This was originally published in one of the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guides. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za, like YourNeighbourhoodZA on Facebook and follow YourHoodZA on Twitter.

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