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KZN Brew Route

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Tourist Routes

Author: Graham Chennells

Publishing date: 07.06.2004 08:07

The province of KwaZulu-Natal, fondly known as the Zulu Kingdom, has recently launched The KZN Brew Route, similar in many ways to the wine routes of the Western Cape. This route provides a showcase for a number of breweries, both tiny and large, where traditional beers and Zulu beers are produced in the province.

The Brewmasters

The Breweries on The KZN Brew Route include United National Breweries in Durban, South African Breweries , in Prospecton, Firkin Hophouse Micro Brewery & Pub at the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Westville, Durban, The Nottingham Road Brewery at Rawdons Hotel in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Wartburger Brauhaus, in Wartburg The Farmers Brauhaus, at Hattingspruit near Dundee, Zululand Brewing Company in Eshowe and Zulu Beer at Thothotho Brewery at Samungu near EShowe where you can taste some Zulu Beer.

A Route, in tourism-speak, is far more than just the distance between point A and point B. It is more of an Escher-esque meander through a whole gamut of probabilities related to a single theme which might leave you ending up in another dimension from where you began. (And if you could make sense of that last sentence, then you obviously haven’t yet been on the Beer Route!) All sorts of treasures, both of mind and wallet, can be uncovered on these routes. So let’s venture forth, me hearties, on some of the Routes of this province…

The Beer Route.

Graham in Brewery

The Zululand Brewing Company is known, as the smallest family owned brewery of the Kwazulu-Natal beer route. Owner, Graham Chennells acquired the plant from Rawdons, were the Nottingham Brewing Company first brewed their tasty beer. The plant is found in the garden of the Zululand Hotel directly next to the pool. Graham has studied the Zulu culture and is actively involved in numerous upliftment projects.He specialises in taking people to Zulu ceremonies which take place every weekend in the rural areas.

Nkosi's Wedding

In the beginning 2-3 different types of beer will be brewed and would soon like to start and experiment with speciality beers to coincide special events and mark past historical occasions.As this is a new brewery our plans and direction will change but the focus will be to brew interesting and good beer. Beer will be available from the tap of the pub in the George Hotel.

Write up on Brew Route

This is a rather extraordinary write-up. And it was prompted by the extraordinary response to my request for information on the KZN Beer Route – to the extent that it is clear that the information I received is in the public interest….

To fill you in: recently I put out an appeal to anyone who knew anything about a Beer Route in KZN. I received dozens of responses.Most of these pleas then went on to reminisce about “Lovely Little Pubs I Have Known and Lovely Little Brews I Have Drunk” and then ended abruptly as the authors, clearly overcome with strong emotion, went in search of some amber refreshment.

Obviously we have touched a nerve here. The idea of a KZN Beer Route has got people foaming at the mouth. So here is the information I have uncovered:

The Beer Route - KZN now has six B’s – beach, bush, buzz, berg, battlefields and beer - was, unsurprisingly, the brain-child of the German office of TKZN, Tour Link Africa. It was a way of attracting tourists to certain parts of the country that other routes don’t reach (first prize to the person who gets the beer-ad in-joke). Birgit and her colleagues from Tour Link Africa quaffed their way along a join-the-breweries route that made its unsteady way across most of KZN. What they could remember of that trip has been fashioned into a proper Beer Route which was launched in October (BierFest month, by sheer coincidence) to the whole world, in conjunction with TKZN.

KZN Brew Route.

Durban
Tour of Durban, then off to the Firkin Hophouse Brewery and Pub. So far so good.

Next day, the National Sorghum Brewers in Durban, the largest sorghum brewery in the southern hemisphere. Here the traditional African wheat/maize beer (Utshwala) is brewed and distributed throughout the city. Weave back out to the tour bus and your teetotal driver.

Midlands

Next off to Wartburg, a small farming town about an hour’s drive outside of Durban, heading towards the Drakensberg mountains. The town is named after the famous German castle in Eisenbach, was founded by German settlers, and your hotel for the night is reminiscent of a small piece of Bavaria in Africa. Even the owner and brewer is a German, who takes great pride in his hospitality, cuisine, and of course brew – fully compliant with the strict German Rheinheitsgebot for purity in beers. Fall over on your way to bed – this is the best way to view the lovely Drakensberg in the early dawn light.

By now the tour has reached Sani Pass, the gateway to the Roof of Africa and home to the Basotho people. Thankfully, on the summit, the highest pub in Africa offers cold beers with lunch. Afternoon at leisure enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery, and sampling other local beers, like Windhoek Lager or Hansa Beer from the desert based Namibian breweries. Loud sing-song till the small hours.

Then it’s off to the Midlands Meander, Rawdons Country Inn and the famous English-style Nottingham Road Brewery – home of the Pickled Pig, the Pie-Eyed Possum, the Wall-Flower Warbler and the Horizontal Howler (the first two are beers, the last two are beer-drinkers). Close to the hotel is also a typically Austrian pub, the Bierfassl.

Battlefields

Things might get a bit confusing from here onwards…. There’s a sorghum brewer in Dundee, (detour to the Battlefields) then the Farmer’s Brewery near Hattingspruit, with a Zulu beer master making echte German Beer and an Oompah band. And then on to the Zululand Brewing Company in Eshowe. Lots more pubs and breweries, lots more sight- seeing, let’s hope at this stage your eyes are still opposite the holes….

(Mmmm, the resht of the tour ish taken up with Fig Bive Game Viewing, shome Zulu danshing an cultcha, b-b-bird watshing (look at all thoshe wittle tweetiesh, hic), shisght-sheeing at the luvverly schenery. Whatshat? Ah, a nelephant. Luvverly nelephant, wosh, no, ossifer, I’m ferpectly shober….)
Thothotho Brewery.Zulu Beer

Master Brewer

Started by Mr Bhekumusa Khumalo near Nyembe School who with his family and two sons, Mhloli “Goodman” and Thiza “Emmanuel” are also retailing their beer in Eshowe.Genuine sorghum, Zulu beer is brewed regularly at their rural home 20 kms from town where they also have a shebeen which is frequented by the local zulu’s. The recipe dates back thousands of years.The alcohol level is very low (1%).
Mr Khumalo become famous in his earlier days by becoming a proffessional snuff maker.He was known the breadth of Zululand for the fine product he produced. Snuff is a dark yellowish brown substance made from aloe leaves and tobacco.Snuff is powdered tobacco or medicine taken by sniffing it up one’s nostrils.

Thothotho means “the dizzy spell you get when you sniff the snuff”

How to visit Thothotho Brewery.Zulu Beer

Rural Brewpub

Victor Mdluli who you can locate at Zululand Brewing Co can be your guide to take you on a 20 km journey through the rolling hills of true Zulu country to see Zulu beer being made. Stop en route to enjoy some fabulous scenery and meet locals.Visit Nyembe school and the Nyembe Lutheran Church which was started by Norwegian missionaries many years ago..
When you get there you can wittnes brewing of Zulu beer by the women of the family.Vist the homestead nearby and taste some Zulu Beer in the cool of Zulu hut.
With prior arrangements you can stay overnight with the family in their B&B.

A visit to the brew route includes demonstrations of the art of beer making, beer tasting and the opportunity to purchase gift packs of the beer produced by the breweries of the Zulu Kingdom. The route also provides the tourist with the opportunity to 'get to know' the diverse tourism attractions of this province.

Fermenting Revolution
Beer Route.Drink Beer and save the World

Judging a beer.
3 POINTS FOR APPEARANCE
4 POINTS FOR AROMA
10 POINTS FOR MOUTHFEEL
3 POINTS FOR OVERALL IMPRESSION.

Eshowe Logo

Zululand Brewing Co.
Eshowe. Zululand. KwaZulu Natal. South Africa.
info@eshowe.com
035 4744919.
Brewmasters/ Brewmistress. Graham, Richard and Claire Chennells

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