Grindrod wins inaugural Bankers Beer Tasting Challenge

The participating banks also included First National Bank, ABSA and Nedbank.

Training sessions

Two weeks before the challenge, as part of their preparation, bank participants were provided with a practice beer tasting kit, facts sheets of nine SAB beer brands and the actual beers to sample.

Grindrod claimed the Brewers Cup, a floating trophy and will receive a case of beer per month for each of the winning team members over the next six months. The engraved trophy will be displayed at the SAB World of Beer, one of Johannesburg's premium tourist destinations.

"This was a great idea and we enjoyed it so much. It is so interesting to learn more of the different brands that SAB has and to learn how to identify between the brands," said Grindrod team member, Tamaryn Talbot.

Having judged numerous beer tasting sessions, Erasmus praised participants and the winning team, saying, "Competitions like this are a great way for us to see what consumers really respond to in our brands. Today was no exception. The teams did very well, and I am sure everyone will agree that this is a fun way of exploring our products.

"I was particularly impressed by the participants' enthusiasm and passion - this was a competitive bunch, but I do believe the best team won in the end."

More events to come

SAB communications head Robyn Chalmers said the Bankers Tasting Challenge is the first of a series of similar events hosted by the World of Beer. "We have a unique facility, which plays an important role in highlighting the heritage of beer in our country. The historical beer tour in particular is a great way to learn more about the role of beer in our history and we have a five star conference facility at the venue. We will continue to host beer tasting and other events to help promote the World of Beer amongst the public."