Something's brewing: new booze route puts Eastern Cape tipples on top

The Eastern Cape is famously charming. Being a native myself, I am allowed to acknowledge that it’s not without it quirks. The province is famous for its perfect surfing waves, spectacular coastline, contrarian but deeply endearing people and suboptimal service delivery.

I find it is the perfect foil for the pristine (and undeniably uptight) Western Cape. I think of it as the fun, slightly dishevelled but charming uncle of SA’s provinces, which makes it easier to enjoy its charms and manage its shortfalls. It’s a place shot through with a spirit of adventure, but you might have an awfully long wait for lunch.

Thus it was with hope and trepidation that I set out to experience the recently launched Eastern Cape Craft Brewing, Distilling and Wine Route. Unwieldy though the name might be, it’s the sort of project the province needs. It’s peppered with wonderful products and artisanal producers, but to find them has historically required having a knowledgeable guide.

The opening of the route is the Eastern Cape’s attempt to shine some light on its precious, unique products and grant them a wider audience. It links 13 producers of craft beer, wine and liquor and stretches along the coast from Storms River to Chintsa, before sweeping inland to Makhanda and Hogsback, covering around 700km.

Pumlani Tyali from the Eastern Cape Liquor Board says the aim of the route is to “protect small producers from being swallowed up by larger producers” and to celebrate the “gem of our own craft brewers, something the rest of the country is not aware of, but which could rival the Western Cape’s wine route”.

Our trip began in Gqeberha, a city I’ve always thought of as too windy, too metropolitan, with not enough of the joys of the Eastern Cape — its wide open spaces and empty beaches. Spending a few days there on this trip has shown me the error of my thinking. This place is a low-key hero; lush, loved and thriving with lovely things to eat, well-appointed places to stay and a cutting-edge craft-beer scene. In my mind, along with its official renaming, it could be colloquially rebranded from Windy City to Beer Capital.

The epicentre of the province’s brewing revolution is in the Baakens Valley. The pretty river is lined by banks of nasturtiums, the lush valley setting juxtaposed against the industrial buildings in which this revolution is taking place. There is a cluster of producers housed in this area, with warehouses transformed in an urban renewal project that is a lesson in both substance and style. In one square kilometre, you can get yourself truly educated on what the province has to offer from a libation standpoint.

The standout brewery here is the Richmond Hill Brewing Company. Led by master brewer Niall Cook, it specialises in “session beer”, beer with a relatively low alcohol content that is suitable for drinking over an extended period of time. Their flagship, Car Park John, is brewed with crystal malt and American hops. But the seasonal offerings are worth travelling for. As the tasting progresses I go from delighted to truly astonished.

There's is a French-style farmers beer, Saison, which has been infused with chamomile and tastes like the love child of a beer and a glass of champagne. Then there's a Whit Beer, enriched with cherries that rivals the beer I drank in Belgium. I’m infused with a feeling I've not experienced before — disappointed that I don’t live nearby.

I want to bring my people here and enjoy the glory of being the one who found The New Nicest Place. 

Brewhaha: J’Bays own American-inspired brewery and restaurant. Try the sourdough pizza and keep an eye out for charming Brewski, the brewer’s dog. See https://brewhaha.co.za.

Jeffery Bay Craft Brewery: Beers brewed by surfers, for surfers. This spot also has an in-house green cafe offering raw juices, health snacks and sandwiches. See http://jbaycraftbrewery.co.za.

Theescombe Wine Estate: Gqerberha’s only wine farm, the one and a half hectare property packs in the varietals, and the Futter family is charming. See facebook.com/pe.winefarm.

Featherstone Brewery: Heading inland to Makhanda is Featherstone — the craft brewery bringing a Xhosa-inspired beer, iBhiya, to the market. A fusion between sour beers and uMqombothi, it’s the first time this type of beer has been commercially available. See featherstonebrewery.co.za

The Little Brewery on the River: Nestled on the riverside in the oldest building in Port Alfred. This unpretentious and charming brewery shines with Eastern Cape spirit. See facebook.com/The-Little-Brewery-on-the-River-276760669148355/

Hogsback Brewing Company: High up in the Amatole mountains is the magical Hogsback with its winding roads, sweeping hiking trails and ethereal gardens. One of SA’s most mystical locations and, look, they have beer too. See hogsback.beer

Table 58 Brewing: East London’s German Beerhouse, with its brewing done in strict adherence to the German Purity Law, uses only wayer hops, malt and yeast. See http://table58brewing.co.za/

Emerald Vale Brewery: Situated in one of the most picturesque parts of the Eastern Cape, Emerald Vale lies between the Chintsa and Chefani rivers on a lush farm. The quality of the water results in very pure beers. If you look closely, you might spot a fairy, Ina, in the garden. See emeraldvale.co.za/the-brewery/

• The Eastern Cape Craft Brewing, Distilling and Wine Route is now open. Brodie was a guest of the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency.