One big addition to the picnic lawns at Klein Joostenberg that we spotted on our visit there the other day is the hard to miss home of The Stellenbosch Brewing Company, the craft brewery behind the ‘Stellies’ beer label.
Known as “The Taproom on Klein Joostenberg”, this light lunch/pub venture is a collaboration between Joostenberg Picnics and The Stellenbosch Brewing Co (who actually brew from that very building).
Essentially it is billed as a family friendly space where the whole family can relax and children can run and play, all while one enjoys an al fresco meal, a chilled glass of organic Joostenberg wine, an ice-cold Stellies craft beer and the laid back farm setting.
Sounds good to me.
As I mentioned, the 2013 established craft brewery actually brews the beer on site and tastings and tours are offered. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to sit down and try some of their beer, so that just means I’ll need to head back that way the first chance that I get! ;)
Founder brewer Bruce Collins and Taproom manager Karen Collins list five different Stellies beers currently on offer: (source)
- Bosch Weiss: a lightly hopped traditional Bavarian style wheat beer specifically fermented with a unique yeast strain lending notes of banana, clove and coriander. ABV 4.5% & IBU 11
- The Avenue Lager: A bohemian style Czech pilsner brewed with Saaz hops and cold fermented for a minimum of 6 weeks. Full of flavor and balanced by a crisp, dry finish. ABV 5.0% & IBU 15
- Born Free Pale Ale: An assertive American style Pale Ale with a unique blend of hops giving litchi, gooseberry and citrus notes. It’s perfect balance of malt & hops guarantees smooth drinkability. ABV 5.5% & IBU 37.
- Hoenderhok Bock: First brewed in our original location in a humble chicken hok, this German style dark lager has a roasted malt backbone and pillowy white head. It boasts a rich ruby colour and is a full bodied and rewarding beer. ABV 6.5% & IBU 26
- Eike Stout: A medium bodied stout with a balanced, malty sweetness. Vanilla beans added during maturation lend a delicious layer of complexity to the caramel notes and enhance the velvety finish. ABV 6.0% & IBU 25
Also, one can’t talk about Stellies beers without mentioning their gorgeous, award winning bottle labels either:
Seeing as I didn’t actually make an effort in sitting down and enjoying a Taproom experience (the girls and I were far too busy running about and enjoying our weekend play time on the day), I grabbed some photos off the Quiver Tree website to give you a better look inside:
So there you have it. If you enjoy craft beer and are looking for a properly family friendly picnic venue with a polished finish, then a visit to the Stellenbosch Brewing Company’s Taproom should definitely be on your Spring to do list!
Related Link: Stellenbosch Brewing Company