SUIP!

Woodmill Lifestyle Market Boutique Beer Festival

Vredenburg Road, Stellenbosch

Friday 3 February 2012, 1730-2200

Wine country gets a beer festival this weekend when the Boutique Beer Festival kicks off tomorrow night at Woodmill Lifestyle Market in Stellenbosch. A recent (and still relatively little-known) addition to Stellies’ upper crust, the Woodmill is a comfy indoor market held every Friday night from 5:30 ‘til 10, usually populated by gourmet stands, wine merchants and other ‘top-end niche products’, which I suppose might be stuff like goats cheese and macaroni picture frames.

Entrance on Friday night is R30, which naturally includes a branded glass (as is in vogue with local festivals) and five tasters. KeeZee and her Oompah band will be providing entertainment and excuses to crash beer glasses together with a semi-drunken “Prost!”.

Breweries in attendance will include Triggerfish, Darling, Paulaner and Boston, as well as Kommetjie newcomers Valley Brewery. With a lineup like that, there’s every possibility Stellenbosch might take a few more steps towards becoming beer country - even if they insist on using words like “boutique” to describe beer.