On a winter road trip to Darling Brew, Oliver Keohane uncovered a story of sustainability, empowerment and community – all brewed into some of the best craft beer in the country.
On an icy Friday, through a fogged windscreen, my mother and I made our way up the N7 to Darling Brew. The hour’s drive from Cape Town is most popular in September when Spring announces itself in a sea of colour, wildflowers washing through the farmland. With no hope of bright yellow fields, it was silos of craft beer, the promise of a great burger and the story of Africa’s first carbon-neutral brewery that pulled us towards the Swartland. Well, it pulled me there, and my mom was kind enough to keep me company and do the non-alcoholic beer tasting, then drive us back.
The story of Darling Brew starts where many good stories do — on a road trip, in an old Land Rover. Inspired by a microbrewery encountered during their travels through Africa, founders Kevin and Phillipa Wood returned to South Africa with the vision of starting their own. In 2010, they released their first beer, Slow Beer, a crisp lager inspired by the critically endangered geometric tortoise.
The Slow Beer birthed a portfolio that now boasts close to 20 options. Darling Brew has become one of South Africa’s most recognisable independent breweries, but it has also developed to be a model of environmental and social sustainability. The brewery continues to pursue an inclusive, community-based enterprise that accounts for genuine lovers of craft beer, seekers of low to no-alcohol alternatives or families in the mood for a meeting point and some good food.
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Arriving at the cosy atmosphere of a restaurant bustling with the wintertime energy of school holidays, we were greeted with equal warmth by Darling Brew Tasteroom manager, Roxie Young, and Brewmaster, Angelique Kieser, who over an hour-long lunch added detail, personality and authenticity to a story easily accessible online. While one can read up on the brewery’s ethos on its website, Roxy and Angelique embody it, their passion evident as they bounce between beer-specific information and stories of the community-driven work culture that allows the beer to be brewed.
‘We’re a brewery first,’ says Roxie, ‘but we want to break the taboo. There’s an all-inclusive family culture, but this means we have to include the whole family. This must be a space where Granny, the children, and everyone is welcome. We offer good food, gluten-free beer, low-alcohol options, and zero-alcohol tastings.’ Innovations like the Break Free gluten-free range and the Just Naked non-alcoholic beers are served alongside more traditional offerings like the flagship Bone Crusher witbier or Arrowhead, a rich imperial stout. There’s also a range of alcohol-free apple, lemon, ginger, and cherry bombs.
My mom worked her way through the tasting board of the various non-alcoholic ‘bombs’ while I enjoyed the Flagship Flight tasting, which includes the Slow Beer Lager, 4×4 Pale Ale, Bone-Crusher witbier and Warlord IPA. The intriguing naming convention sees each brew carry the name or likeness of an endangered species, a push towards conservation awareness. The Bone Crusher inspired by the Spotted Hyena’s powerful jaws, the Warlord and ode to the power of the critically endangered Black Rhino. ‘Our beers highlight lesser-known species,’ says Angelique, the Brewmaster. ‘You don’t often think of a lizard when you talk about endangered animals, but something like the Sun-gazer deserves awareness too. The branding spotlights animals that we don’t really consider or maybe haven’t heard of.’
In an industry driven by scale and efficiency, Darling Brew has remained committed to a more conscious practice, and in 2016, they released Blood Serpent (now The Wanderer), Africa’s first certified carbon-neutral beer – a move that set a precedent in the African craft beer scene and put in motion an extension of the carbon-neutral status across the entire brewery. The Brewery works with sustainability consultants Ecolution to reduce energy usage, water waste, and landfill contributions. From switching to LED lighting and installing high-efficiency boilers to reworking their water-rinsing systems, every process is scrutinised for its environmental impact.
Still, in a resource-heavy industry, offsets are necessary, so Darling Brew partners with verified carbon credit programmes.’ We’ll always have a footprint,’ Angelique admits. ‘Glass and aluminium are carbon-intensive no matter how you recycle them, so you just have to try your best to offset.’
Sustainability at Darling Brew extends beyond conservation efforts and carbon neutrality. The Brewery is a pillar of social sustainability, with a largely local, nearly entirely female workforce.
‘We have a team of about 65 people,’ says Roxy ‘Nearly all are from Darling, and in the restaurant, 90% are women. For me, it’s about empowerment. These women are proud of what they do; they bring home money to their families, and their children are very openly welcome here. I encourage their children to come and see what their parents do. It’s a very inclusive culture across the board.’
In a town where employment can be scarce and male-dominated industries like farming offer limited opportunities for women, Darling Brew is a vital source of economic inclusion. Staff are encouraged to grow within the business, with some moving from waiting tables to brewing beer, and others from bartending to sales. ‘I have two male colleagues because, for me, it’s important to empower the females,’ Roxy continues. ‘I suppose it reframes the narrative in those homes, they wear their skill with beauty and pride.’
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That internal culture of growth extends beyond the brewery. Darling Brew partners with local initiatives like The Darling Trust and Darling Lume to support educational projects, youth sports programs, and skill-building workshops. Some of the brewery’s event tote bags are sewn from recycled malt sacks by community members trained in sewing through the Trust.
It’s easy to forget, within the pages of Darling Brew’s wonderful story, that at the root of this cornerstone to the community is beer. Good beer. Angelique and her team produce a portfolio with the taste to match the colourful names. After doing the flagship tasting, I ordered the Arrowhead Imperial Stout for dessert, which was a bit ambitious so early in the afternoon. Without a doubt, my favourite brew was the Bonecrusher Witbier, a slightly sweeter Belgian take on the more common German Weissbier. I left with eight bottles and highly recommend trying a pint if a more full, unfiltered beer is your preference.
Darling Brew balances two things very well: staying true to its roots of making good beer, but in doing so, defying a stereotype of the brewery as a booze-fuelled, male-dominated space. The wooden decking contrasts the shining silos in an open, warm, welcoming setting, where children run around freely, locals filter through, and foreigners make their home in the busy spring season. The brewery’s message is clear: this is a place for everyone.
