The Best Places To Buy South African Beer

South African beer is widely available to purchase online and in-store. Online retailers such as Bar Keeper, Liquor City, Mothercity Liquor, and Norman Goodfellows offer a range of South African beers, including craft beers, lagers, and ales. These websites provide delivery services, with some offering complimentary delivery and on-demand delivery options. It is important to note that these websites have age restrictions and require customers to be 18 or older to purchase alcohol.

Online beer retailers in South Africa

If you're looking to buy South African beer online, there are several retailers that can help you out. Here are some options to explore:

Bar Keeper

Bar Keeper offers a wide range of beer brands, including local favourites like Castle, Black Label, and Heineken. They stock various types of beer, from lagers and ales to light beers and even ginger beer. You can order online and enjoy hassle-free, speedy delivery right to your door. Bar Keeper services Cape Town and its surrounding areas, with different delivery fees depending on the delivery location.

Best Craft Beer

Best Craft Beer is a brewer-run online store that stocks an excellent range of beer and cider from independent producers, both large and small, across South Africa. They offer free delivery and free gifts with certain orders.

The Beer Merchant

The Beer Merchant stands out by offering the option to buy six-packs instead of full cases, allowing you to explore different breweries without committing to a large quantity.

Liquor City Claremont

Liquor City Claremont provides a vast range of beer, wine, and spirits. You can purchase online and then book a slot to collect your order. They also offer on-demand delivery in selected stores.

Other Options

There are numerous other online beer retailers in South Africa, each with its unique offerings and promotions. Here are a few more to consider:

• Drakensberg Brewery
• Devil's Peak
• Cape Brewing Co.
• Saggy Stone
• Jack Black
• Darling Brew
• Mountain Brewing Co.
• Shackleton Brewing Company
• Buchanan's Brewery

South African beer brands

South Africa has a long history of beer, dating back to its first white settlers over 300 years ago. Today, South African Breweries (SAB) controls the majority of the South African beer market, producing all the major brands in the country except for some imported ones. Some of the most popular South African beer brands include:

• Carling Black Label: One of the most awarded beers in the world, this lager is known for its strong, clean, and refreshing taste with spicy hoppiness and subtle fruity notes.
• Castle Lite: An innovative brand known for its Extra Cold Refreshment, offering a revitalising dash of lime.
• Castle Milk Stout: A full-flavoured brew with hints of toffee, butterscotch, and coffee, balanced by a rich, sweet taste. They also have a limited-edition chocolate-infused stout.
• Flying Fish: A premium flavoured beer brand that combines the refreshment of beer with fresh flavours like lemon, green apple, and orange.
• Castle Lager: A well-balanced lager with local ingredients and no added sweetness.
• Castle Free: A non-alcoholic version of Castle Lager, brewed with the same local ingredients while staying true to the "mother brand's" real beer credentials.
• Windhoek Lager: A beer from Namibia made according to the Reinheitsgebot.
• Tafel Lager: Another Namibian import.

In addition to these well-known brands, South Africa has seen an increase in craft breweries and microbreweries in recent years, with the Western Cape province accounting for half of the beer microbreweries in the country. Some notable craft beer brands include:

• Ukhamba Utywala Sorghum Saison: The first South African craft beer to use sorghum, blending the fruity flavours of a Belgian saison with traditional brewing heritage.
• Soul Barrel x Tolokazi Wild African Soul: A uniquely African beer that blends traditional umqombothi with a farmhouse ale, resulting in a refreshing, slightly acidic beer with a distinct flavour profile.
• Tolokazi Sorghum Pilsner: A thirst-quenching summer beer made with South African hops, sorghum malt, and barley malt from Caledon.
• Afro Caribbean Brewing Co. Brew Now Hop Later: A Cape Town brewery known for their American-style IPAs, this hazy pale ale uses local hops from the George region to give fruity aromas and flavours.
• Charlie's Garage Thunderdust: A play on a German pilsner, using 100% South African malt and hops as part of the SA Pilsner Project to promote the use of local ingredients.
• Triggerfish Brewing Bonito: A refreshing blonde ale that uses the endemic South African plant buchu to lend a subtle mintiness and touch of blackcurrant.
• Doctrine Brewing Will-o’-the-Wisp: A German-style pilsner base with the addition of local hops and a tincture of African wormwood for a unique herbal note.
• SMACK! Republic Hillbrow Honey: Brewed in Johannesburg with local hops, Overberg barley, a dash of fynbos honey, and rooibos for a truly South African flavour.

South African beer prices

South African beer is widely available from online stores, with some offering same-day delivery services. Prices vary depending on the brand, quantity, and retailer. Here is an overview of the pricing for some popular South African beer brands:

Castle Lager

• A 6-pack of 330ml cans is commonly available.
• A 6-pack of 500ml cans can also be purchased.
• A case of 330ml cans or bottles is offered by some retailers.
• Prices are not explicitly stated but may vary based on pack size and retailer.

Castle Lite

• Available in 330ml and 500ml cans or bottles.
• Typically sold in 6-packs or cases.
• Pricing varies by pack size and retailer but can be found at various online stores.

Black Label

• Sold in 330ml and 500ml cans or bottles.
• Commonly offered in 6-packs, but cases are also available.
• Prices differ across retailers but can be found in several online stores.

Hansa Pilsner

• Typically comes in 330ml cans or bottles.
• Sold in 6-packs.
• Prices are not explicitly listed but can be compared across retailers.

Flying Fish

• Available in 330ml bottles with lemon or apple flavours.
• Sold in 6-packs or cases.
• Pricing varies by retailer but can be purchased from several online stores.

Brutal Fruit

• Offers the Ruby Apple Spritzer in a 6-pack of 275ml servings.
• Prices are not explicitly provided but can be compared across online retailers.

Additional Options

Online stores also offer a diverse range of other South African beers, including Corona, Carling, and Windhoek, with prices depending on the brand, quantity, and retailer. Some stores provide delivery services, with fees based on the delivery location and order size.

South African beer delivery options

If you're looking to buy South African beer, there are several online retailers that offer delivery services. Here are some options for South African beer delivery:

Bar Keeper

Bar Keeper is a liquor store that offers a wide range of beer brands, including Castle, Black Label, Heineken, and Hansa. They provide delivery services within a 6km radius of Cape Town CBD for a fee of R40, with delivery within an hour. For deliveries outside this area but within a 30km radius, including the Northern and Southern Suburbs, the fee is R70, and delivery takes 1-2 working days. They also offer national delivery for R130, which can take up to 5 working days. However, it's important to note that they do not courier beers for national orders due to weight restrictions.

The Brewmistress

The Brewmistress is a great resource for finding craft beer from independent producers in South Africa. They provide a list of breweries and online stores that offer delivery options. For example, The Beer Merchant allows you to order six-packs without having to buy by the case. Richmond Hill offers discounted shipping for bulk purchases and free delivery for three or more cases. Other breweries like Drakensberg Brewery and Devil's Peak provide free delivery nationwide.

Liquor City

Liquor City is an online liquor store that offers on-demand delivery and click-and-collect options in selected stores. They stock a range of alcoholic beverages, including beer, but specific delivery details and availability may vary depending on your location.

Other Options

In addition to the above, there are several other breweries and online stores that offer South African beer delivery. For instance, Jack Black provides free delivery within the Cape Town area for orders over R350, and nationwide deliveries are handled by Best Craft Beer. Stellenbosch Brewing Company also ships nationally via courier service.

South African beer styles

South African beer has been influenced by two main factors: the knowledge and techniques brought by European settlers and the indigenous knowledge of local breweries operated by the black population. The country's beer market is dominated by South African Breweries (SAB), which owns and produces all the major local brands and some international ones, including Miller's Genuine Draft and Carling Black Label.

The traditional beer of Africa is sorghum beer, often referred to as opaque beer due to its cloudy appearance. Sorghum malt and grain have been the primary ingredients for centuries, with maize (corn), millet, and cassava root later being used as adjuncts to create different flavours. Traditional sorghum beer is often cloudy and yeasty, with a sour aftertaste, a brownish-pink colour, and an alcohol content ranging from 1% to 8% ABV, although most are lower, at 3% to 4% ABV.

Umqombothi is a traditional South African beer made from maize, maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast, and water. It has a distinctive sour aroma, an opaque tan colour, and a thick, gritty consistency from the maize. It is often consumed within a day or two of production and is considered fresher when it has more foam.

Some popular South African beer styles include stouts, IPAs, saisons, and ales. RateBeer.com has a list of the highest-rated beers from South Africa, including:

• Bierwerk Aardwolf R Stout - Imperial Flavored / Pastry
• Woodstock Mr Brownstone
• Devil's Peak / Mikkeller Capenhagen
• Dog and Fig Stewige Stout - Milk / Sweet
• Devil's Peak Vannie Hout - Saison / Farmhouse / Grisette
• Devil's Peak King's Blockhouse IPA
• Aegir Project Giant IPA
• Devil's Peak Grapefruit Express
• Jack Black Fresh Hop IPA
• Mad Giant Urban Legend
• Devil's Peak / Jason Bakery Peanut Butter Chock-Chip Marshmallow Doughssant - Stout - Flavored / Pastry

Frequently asked questions