There is no doubt many a man in the world, adamant that if he had brewed his beer himself it would taste a damn sight better than the store/pub bought kind…
My father is one such man, bored with pottering around in his workshop, has now decided he’d like to brew his own beer and ferment his own wine from wild marulas growing in his back yard in Zimbabwe.
Of course this would involve sending me (his loving and helpful daughter) to a little shop in Emmarentia for his ‘supplies’.
Tucked away in a corner in Komatie Road I found ‘Ye Olde Home Brew Shoppe’ (as the proprietor proudly calls it). Upon entering one’s eyes gaze up at ceiling-high shelves filled with anything and everything one would need to make beer, wine and homemade cheeses. It reminded me a little of an old fashioned ‘general dealer’ type store where you handed over your list and everything was given to you from behind the counter… by a kindly old man in a white apron.
I greeted Alex (a kindly young man, no apron) and nervously handed over my (dad’s) looooong list. In no time I had a shoebox filled with bits and bobs and wine corks, and Alex stating that my dad had ordered so much stock that he could probably open up his own saloon, selling moonshine!
While waiting for my box to be filled I observed many customers coming in to the shop, some regulars, some newbies.
“Beer... a high and mighty liquor." - Julius Caesar
Two gentlemen were purchasing a beer brewing kit for their friend for his 30th birthday, which was quite thoughtful of them I thought. Included in their purchase were step-by-step instructions on how to go about brewing beer and/or ale, but Alex strongly recommends that the future ‘brew master’ visit him in the shop for a one-on-one walk through of the brewing process. These kits can be purchased from anything between R1000 to R1300 and includes everything from ingredients to bottle-capper.
"I could just fancy some cheese, Gromit. What do you say? Cheddar?" - Wallace & Gromit
As Alex continued packing my box, a lady entered the shop, enquiring about making her own cheese. Alex produced a handy step-by-step recipe book from one of his shelves, which was written by his parents over 20 years ago, when they ran the shop themselves. This guide can be purchased from ‘Ye Olde Home Brew Shoppe’ as well the equipment required to get started. The Cheese making starter kit costs between R450 and R500, and the recipe book/guide around R85. Being a Dutch ‘Kaas-kop’ myself I do believe I’ll be getting myself one of these in the near future… perhaps to go with some homemade wine?
“Life’s too short to drink bad wine” - Simon Hoggart
The winemaking starter kit (makes a 25 litre batch) ranges in price from R1000 to R1200, depending on the bottling option chosen.
Now that it has been made so easy to become a ‘master brewsman’, imagine the pride and satisfaction that can be felt sipping one’s own glass of merlot at the dinner table, or sharing your ale with mates around the braai.
I know that I’m looking forward to tasting my dad’s first batch of Marula wine, on a houseboat on Lake Kariba at Sunset.
For more info visit www.thehomebrewshop.co.za or call Alex on 011 646 9022 / 9173
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