When we first arrived in Cape Town in 2005 after four years in the Cayman Islands, I was on a serious mission to visit as many wine estates as possible. After all, hubby and I were both from Port Elizabeth and there weren’t any wineries around. As gorgeous as Grand Cayman was, it was all about the beach – sun, sand and sea had been a way of life for us (I know, tough life!). If I wanted wine, I could get it at liquor stores, restaurants and bars.
Much to my delight (not so sure about hubby!), we would set out on most weekends and visit a few estates in either Stellenbosch, Paarl or Franschhoek. The stunning landscapes alone were worth the drive, never mind the exquisite wines I was discovering. I am first and foremost a wine lover and drinker, but hubby is not. He’s a beer man, always has been and always will be. So while I was having the best time tasting wines from some of the finest estates in the Western Cape, there wasn’t a beer to be found. Anywhere. He was lucky if he could order a Coke. But my, how things have changed!
Most wine estates now cater for beer lovers too, and not just regular SAB brands. The craft beer revolution, also called artisanal beer, is booming in a big way. Microbreweries have existed in South Africa since the 80’s, but it was in late 2007, when South African-Canadian couple Ross and Meghan McCulloch set up Jack Black’s Brewing Co. in Cape Town, that the craft beer scene began to emerge. When CraftBru first published the South African craft breweries list at the start of 2013, it numbered in the 30’s. So far, the 2017 list features 216 artisanal beer breweries, cider houses and contract-brewed brands.
You may be asking where am I going with all this craft beer talk since I’m such a wine lover. Ever heard of the Thousand Sensations Craft Beer, Spirits & Food Festival? Well, neither had I until I was invited by Discover Cape Town & Western Cape (DiscoverCTWC) to attend this Festival in the beautiful Garden Route village of Wilderness. This included an overnight stay at the historic Wilderness Hotel Resort & Spa where the Festival was being held. All I could think of was ROAD TRIP, one of the things I love to do most! But I also enjoy new experiences and this was definitely going to be a new one for me. I’m not a total craft beer virgin – I have tasted some and actually quite like the taste of a sweeter Blonde or Weiss. But attending a craft beer fest would be a first for me.
A small group of us set off on a cool September morning and headed on to the N2 highway towards Wilderness. Now what is a road trip without stops along the way? Our first impromptu stop was at the quirky roadside padstal (farm stall) called Dassiesfontein.
For those of you that have been there, you’ll know that you can pretty much buy anything here, including the kitchen sink! It’s kitsch and cool at the same time and would take you most of the day to fully explore. We had a bit of a wander before hopping back in the bus.
Passing by the vibrant Overberg canola fields in full bloom (and stopping to take some photos), it was time for a lunch break in the quiet hamlet of Heidelberg, the second oldest town in the Hessequa region.
Delish Deli is the perfect place for a relaxed lunch where you can stretch your legs before enjoying the shady outdoor deck while you sip your coffee; or cosy up inside beside the fireplace. As they say, they don’t do fast food, but they do good food as fast as they can.
Feast on homemade goods such as wood-fired artisanal bread and a variety of heartwarming pies, jams and sauces. The menu is vast with something for everyone. I wasn’t too hungry so I opted for two starters – Crumbed mushrooms with herb mayo and Pan fried Calamari tubes with lemon and herbs. Both were equally yummy.
The thin crust pizzas looked utterly delicious and I was assured they tasted really good. Check out their daily lunch specials for more tempting choices. Remember to stock up on some beer and wine from their cellar before you leave. I’d highly recommend a stop here on your travels for some great homemade food and friendly service.
Passing by the towns of Albertinia and Mossel Bay, we soon found ourselves in Wilderness just as it began to rain. We received a warm welcome at Reception and were soon checked in to our rooms at the Wilderness Hotel Resort Hotel & Spa.
Established in 1928, the hotel has a grand tradition as a family hotel, honeymoon haven, tourist and business destination. It really does cater for everyone. You can see and feel the warm, colonial-style charm throughout the hotel, but it also has modern touches with all the facilities you need. My room was clean and comfortable with an en-suite shower and toilet, as well as a small balcony with a partial river and ocean view.
Now in it’s fourth year, we were introduced to the man that created the very popular Thousand Sensations Festival, Mr. Alewijn Dippenaar, along with Mimi Finestone, Director of Goji PR. This is his story about how the festival began and how it has grown since.
“The first Festival was born after a visit to Clarens Craft Brewery in the Free State where I came across the book of Lucy Corne (Brewing in Africa) about South African craft beer and breweries. Returning home with the idea of a craft beer festival as a birthday event in May 2014, the first Festival took place on 19 and 20 September on a smallholding 3km outside George with 4 breweries present and the beer of another 5 breweries that I bought directly from the breweries. There were a total of 29 different craft beers, three small food stalls and a few local artists for entertainment; two small tents for additional cover and lots of passion. To have a bit of crowd control, a R10 entrance fee was charged. We expected about 200–300 people, but the final count was 926. After the Birthday Craft Beer Festival, people motivated me to continue and to turn it into a real flagship craft beer festival for the area. That I did and the second festival took place at the Wilderness Hotel in Wilderness on 18 and 19 September. My birthday is on 19 September, therefore the ritual of a craft beer birthday party continued. A total of 22 Breweries participated, followed by 35 in 2016 and 46 in 2017. In 2017, we decided to add craft spirits to the event. I do not brew myself but try to serve and grow the industry of craft beer.”
Alewijn is a consummate storyteller with a dry sense of humour and quick wit. He is very passionate about helping to grow the craft beer industry and this is clearly evident as he showed us around the Festival grounds. Fortunately, the majority of the Festival is indoors in various adjoining conference rooms, with some craft beer, spirits and food stalls undercover on the outdoor deck, as well as a large covered tent with more craft beer stalls and live music. But the continuous rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of all the craft beer lovers.
It was around 6pm when we set off to explore the Festival with our beer coupons in hand. Tip: Be sure to bring cash for your beer and food purchases, as most vendors don’t have SnapScan or credit card facilities. This may change as the Festival continues to grow, but best to have cash available just in case as there is no ATM machine at the hotel.
So where to start? Well, anywhere really. One is spoilt for choice so we decided to start in one room and make our way through to the festive outdoor tent for some live music while sipping on our beer. There were some well-known craft beers that even I’d heard of such as Mitchell’s, Drifter Brewery, Woodstock Brewery and Old Potters Inn, so I decided to seek out the somewhat lesser-known smaller brewers.
First up – The Sedgefield Craft Brewery. Since I’m not into bitter beer, I chose their Blonde Ale and loved it! It’s a simple, light, straw-coloured beer, clean and crisp to the taste with a dry finish and low bitterness level. Refreshing and easy drinking, I found myself heading back there more than once!
Havoc Brew was my next stop and what a surprise it was to find out that they’re based at Hillcrest Estate in the Durbanville Winelands. I tried their Weiss and really enjoyed it as it was fairly sweet. As you can probably tell, I’m not a fan of bitter beer!
My fave discovery of all was in the outdoor tent while listening to some awesome live music. Thanks to Shae Leigh, one of our group members with a great passion for craft beer, I was introduced to Atlantic Storm Craft Beers. Based in Kommetjie, their labels are eye-catching and include the Cape Doctor (Pale Ale) and English Rose (Rosewater Infused IPA) among others. The one I absolutely loved was The Buccaneer, a Spiced Rum Pale Ale and my FAVE of all the beers I tasted. You simply must try this one! They recently won a 2017 South African National Beer Trophy Silver Medal for their Black Tempest Coffee Milk Stout, so I bought a few to take home to hubby.
So was I missing my wine? No, not really. The only time I had some was when we enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner at Pomodoro on Saturday evening. Red wine and pasta just make sense and go together perfectly. Then it was back to the Festival for some more beer tasting (yes, more beer!) before calling it a night.
Sunday morning arrived and the rain eased for a short while. Breakfast was a very lazy affair with various members of our group arriving somewhat sleepily at different times.
The buffet breakfast has everything your hungry tummy desires, from healthy freshly cut fruit, yoghurt and muesli to more decadent options such as flapjacks, waffles and pancakes complete with syrup and cream. Mmmm, that sounds more like dessert then breakfast but who am I to judge?
Before heading back to Cape Town, we had another look around and popped by the outdoor tent where the atmosphere was already quite festive and filling up fast. I’ve always loved festivals. There’s just something about them – chilling while listening to live music, chatting and enjoying a drink or two.
Craft beer is obviously the main attraction, but there are other options if craft beer isn’t your thing. Try some tasty gin cocktails, wine or coffee.
Feeling peckish? Tuck into delicious homemade food with everything from pies, burgers and hotdogs to healthy wraps, hot curries and not-so-healthy cakes and sweet treats!
Just before we left, I had the absolute pleasure of finally meeting Rose aka Travelbug Rose! Selfie time with Robert Peters from Wesgro 🙂
With it’s ever increasing popularity, I won’t be surprised if the Thousand Sensations Festival will need to find a larger venue within the next few years. The proposed dates for 2018 are 21 and 22 September so mark it in your calendar NOW and make sure you don’t miss out! I know my hubby will want to be there next year and I’ll be right there with him.
Have you been to this Festival before? Let me know if you’re planning to go in 2018.
Please note: My transport, one night stay at the Wilderness Hotel Resort & Spa and meals were enjoyed at no cost for review purposes. All views and images are my own. Gavin Oosterwyk from Fairest Cape Meander Tours was our friendly driver and tour guide.
