Woodstock Brewery
252 Albert Road
Woodstock, Cape Town
South Africa
Opening hours:
Monday-Saturday 11:30-11:00
Closed Sunday
Woodstock Brewery is one of the big players on the craft beer scene in South Africa but remains very much family run business still more concerned with making beer for their local base than expanding beyond what can be reasonably be done by a local outfit. That said, it is quite an enterprise with a large open space but sectioned dining area plus ample outside seating on both the ground level and upstairs.
Woodstock Brewery: stylish inside and out
As chance would have it, my wife had met a young girl from Bulgaria when she was a teenager and they’d kept in touch. This young woman had married a South African man and they had bought an old warehouse and converted into the Woodstock Brewery! Talk about luck on my part. So, our visit was a chance for them to catch up so forgive my lack of food and beer photos, I didn’t want to appear like too much of a beer geek to people I didn’t even know.
old friends reunited & more interior photos
We had some amazing food, starting with flame-grilled calamari tubes, a mozzarella salad and beef bitterballen (a South African/Dutch specialty). While tucking into the appetizers, I had a tasting flight. I generally shy away from them but our hosts insisted I try as many beers as I could and who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth. Hazy Daze was a tasty citrusy Witbier, Pot Belge a malty amber, Mr. Brownstone a lovely hazelnut brown and Rhythm Stick a fine balanced Pale Ale. I also had both the filtered and unfiltered versions of the Happy Pils. All were well done but it was time for dinner and I had a great filet steak. I washed it down with both the filtered and unfiltered versions of their much heralded IPA: Californicator. I had a full pour of the unfiltered one and found it much softer and drier but it remained a well-balanced rounded IPA with a firm bitter finish.
the unfiltered Californicator, the brewing equipment & assorted Woodstock bottles
After lunch, we got a tour of the brewery and I finally got to take some photos. Again, sorry for not getting some shots of the lovely food and assorted tasters. Guess we’ll just have to go back!
my wife & Mira posing outside, hopefully we’ll meet up again soon
Just before we left, Mira got the bartender to get me a bottle of their collaboration with Fuller’s of London, African Pride India Porter to take with me. It was a rival with the Californicator as best Woodstock beer and quite possibly our favorite dark beer of the trip.
Regular beers: Californicator, Happy Pils, Rhythm Stick, Pot Belge, Hazy Daze
Seasonal beers: Mr. Brownstone, Acid Queen, Afternoon Delight, Lady of the Night
Specialty beers: this is a brewery always looking to make something new and if their collaboration with Fuller’s (African Pride India Porter) is any indication, some of their best brews
