Organiser and beer writer, Lucy Corne, came up with the idea of hosting a #SANBeerDay a couple of years ago. “We tend to tip our hat to International Beer Day in August, but this was created with the northern hemisphere in mind, and a cold pint in South Africa goes down better in February than August. So I floated the idea of our own day and the brewing community responded with boundless enthusiasm.”
Corne describes South African National Beer Day as “a collection of small scale events, promotions, pairings, specials and mini-festivals” and says that anyone can hold an event.
The inaugural #SANBeerDay in 2017 saw more than 50 events and promotions staged across the country. “In 2018 there were more than 80 events including brewery open days, food pairings, beery games, beer launches and roll-your-sleeves-up-and-muck-in brew days, so it is really gathering momentum and I’m excited to see what 2019 will bring.”
In cyberspace, South African Breweries (SAB) brands like Castle Lite and Castle Lager marked the 2018 day with Twitter posts, getting into a friendly bantering ‘Twitter war’, joined by Dissident Craft Beer.
“From there on, it became hilarious. The gifs were flowing, the public got involved, the SAB brands did their best to bait Heineken and Windhoek. For me, it just embodied what beer is all about – having a laugh and not taking anything too seriously,” Corne says.
Visit www.beerday.co.za to find a venue close to you that is getting involved with the action on Saturday, 2 February.
