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It was a rainy afternoon in what was supposed to be early summer end of spring. We visited some family close by and on our way home, we saw the sign of a local brewery. I was pleasantly surprised, as I was not too familiar with the brewery.

But the winery on which the brewery brews its beer, Simonsvlei wines, is a place I do know. Or not really the winery itself but its wines. Many nights, I have drunk a Simonsvlei wine in the past. It is a pretty good wine, especially when you are BBQing or Braai-ing some meat with good music and family in the mix.

Luckily I had my "Beer Passport" with me, as this entitled me to a beer of my choice and it provided me with enough reason to turn in and have a pint or two!

So, come with me on this virtual journey to the Karoo Craft Breweries.

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The Setting

The winery is located on one of the "back roads", perfect for a late afternoon road trip if you want some beer or wine. Especially on the gloomy day, it was a perfect late afternoon adventure.

We made it just in time, as they were already beginning to close. Unfortunately, we missed the kitchen, as we were fancying some of the delicious food that they served. We only have ourselves to blame.

Nonetheless, I grabbed a beer or two, and we just enjoyed the rustic setting of the brewery itself.

Before I talk more about the brewery itself, the surrounding area is beautiful and between the valleys. From this side of the mountain, you can also see the the Taal Monument in Paarl, which my fiance wrote about a while ago (see the photograph below). Because of the bad weather, one cannot really appreciate the beauty, but one can see the outlines of all of the vineyards running through the area.

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The Brewery and Taproom

The brewery itself is quite big, as we were the only ones there with many open tables. This was good for us, as we could converse about anything (especially after the second beer). I can only imagine how loud it can get with big crowds.

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The brewery had a nice rustic "vibe" and feeling to it. I love this type of decor at breweries, and even though so many of them are doing it, they each have their own unique spin to it.

The tables had their logos pointed on only one side, and this really looked interesting and I liked it. I can imagine with some heavy blues playing in the background, things can get quite loud here!

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Also like so many other breweries, they brew and ferment the beers in the pub. The aesthetic is minimalist and it really works for them. This is also linked to their designs on the beer, minimalist and effortless! (See photographs of the beers below.)

Having a Pint or Three

They had so many nice beers on tap and I could only take so much before the time ran out. I grabbed the first beer that they offered me, which was their Rhino Lager. It went down too smoothly, and soon I found myself ordering a beer they only have on keg (not in bottles), their NEIPA. It was fruity, and just a beautiful beer. Unfortunately, it was heavily filtered. I am still searching for more breweries in South Africa that brew cloudy IPAs, but my search is still ongoing!

The beers alongside the beautiful setting and the rain still in the air, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I am just looking for another excuse to drive past there to drink another two or three of their beers!

Taking Beer Home

I could not miss the opportunity to take home some of their beers. I love their designs for their simplicity. Unfortunately, they did not have any beers in cans, as I have had some of their IPAs in the can, which aesthetically is so much better for me. But below, I share with you some of their designs. In the future, I will post some of my drinking notes of each beer, keep an eye out for that.

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Postscriptum, or Until the Next Visit

The next time round, I will be on time, taking my time, and enjoying some of their food as well. Life is short, and we need to drink the beers we enjoy, and they surely brewed a good NEIPA which is not often the case in South Africa. Or, it is truly hard to find this beer style.

Alas, all journeys come to an end, and like all of the others, this one needed to end as well.

But this gives me the opportunity to go back there, and try some of their other beers on tap as well!

For now, happy travels, happy drinking, and keep well.