Gilroy brewery

Gilroy ales on tap.

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Gilroy brewery, situated in the Muldersdrift countryside in Gauteng, is ‘120 years behind the times’, says Steve Gilroy, a proud ‘real ale’ evangelist.

As opposed to commercially brewed beer, ‘real ale’  – also known as ‘cask-conditioned beer’, ‘real cask ale’, ‘real beer’ or ‘naturally conditioned beer’ – is brewed from traditional ingredients (malted barley, hops, water and brewer’s yeast), matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.

All Gilroy beers are handcrafted. Steve Gilroy produces four kinds of beer: Gilroy Lager is a European-style lager; Gilroy Favourite, a pale ale, is the ladies’ choice; Gilroy Traditional Ruby Ale is a connoisseur’s beer; and Gilroy Serious is a premium dark ale.

Gilroy's ales and lager are unfiltered, unpasteurised and preservative free. Gilroy uses only imported German and English malt and hop varieties, and is quick to point out real beer's health benefits. Natural tasting, it’s rich in B-vitamins, iron and antioxidants, and develops ever-more complex flavour as it matures.

The length of the beer tour depends on the enthusiasm of the participants, but expect to spend about an hour. Your tour concludes with a tongue-in-cheek ritual known as the Legend of the Gauntlet: the ceremonial raising of the the 'impertinent finger', or middle digit, as a challenge to other brewers to brew a better beer.

The Gilroy pub/restaurant is an added reason to visit this popular country brewery. Patrons consume the good-value pub fare in the dark, wood-panelled, quintessentially British pub, or in the outdoor beer garden, to the sounds of live jazz (Steve Gilroy is also a former jazz guitarist), rock and blues.

Gilroy brewery is situated in the Ngwenya Glass Village in Muldersdrift.