Explore the craft breweries in and around Gauteng. (UK)

WWhen a Castle or a Windhoek isn't enough to satisfy your beer cravings, we are lucky enough to have access to a growing craft beer industry that will make you spoilt for choice - if you find yourself in a province with a healthy brewing scene that is.

Gauteng has been hot on the heels of Western Cape's dominance in the craft beer scene, and you'd be hard-pressed to go to any bar in Pretoria and Johannesburg without some craft beer offering.

Many travel to the Cape winelands specifically to taste their way through their vineyards, so why wouldn't you travel to hop your way through Gauteng's independent brew scene?

Pretoria

Zeppelin Brewery
In the east of Pretoria, Zeppelin Craft Brewery is themed after an underground bunker from WWII and you can taste their range while sitting under trees. Their range includes a blonde, red Irish ale, IPA and stout.

Hazeldean Brewing Co
Based on a farm just outside of Pretoria, Hazeldean Brewing Company is busy renovating their old barn and milking parlour, but until then you can taste them at the Cowhouse Market every Saturday and Sunday. Their beers include their award-winning Vienna Lager, Premium Pilsner, Radler Shandy, Hazeldeen Amber Weissbeer and the Hazeldean Milk Stout.

Drayman's Brewery and Distillery
This brewery has been around since 1997 in Silverton, and besides beer they also distil single malt whisky and the Hakkiesdraad mampoer. They sell the beer bottles in 1-litre bottles, which include their Altstadt Weissbier, Düssel Altbier, Emperor IPA, Jolly Monk ruby beer and Berghof pilsner ale.

Did You Know?

JJohannesburg has a long and interesting mining history. First, Johannesburg was a tented camp. Then it was a town of tin shanties. Next it was a town filled with four-storey Edwardian brick buildings and finally, it became a city of modern skyscrapers.

Johannesburg

Soweto Brewing Company
Born in the township of Orlando West in Soweto, just a stone's throw away from Vilakazi Street, the Soweto Brewing Company honours the icons of Soweto with pride. Their most well-known beer is the Soweto Gold lager, alongside their Orlando Stout, Master's Brew lager, Cherry Ale and Gogo's Ginger, named after a 1950s shebeen queen in Sophia Town.

Mad Giant
Set in an industrial precinct in Jozi, Mad Giant brew only malt-beers and offers tours with a beer in hand that you can pair with Asian street food. Their range includes an Urban Legend IPA, Absolute Trouper pilsner, Mad Giant Lager, Clock Punch porter and an Electric Light Weiss.

Two Okes Brewery
Out in Roodepoort, two okes got together to create this line up of hoppy freshness. You can visit their abode to taste their year-round beers which include their Yellowood Blonde, Republican South African Pale Ale or Lekker Lager, or time it well for their seasonal beers like the Pioneer Hefeweizen or Merlin's Ale, and at festivals you can try out their Pepper Blonde or Got Tha Blues Blueberry IPA.

Who to contact?

Who to contact?

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Road tripping for the hops: Craft breweries of Gauteng

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