Cape Town - The new Darling Brew Tasteroom & Brewery opened to the public in December, bigger and better than the former location in the centre of Darling.
The premises are on the outskirts of the town, over the railway line. There is plenty of parking and inside upstairs you sit on benches at long wooden tables overlooking the pristine stainless steel tanks in the brewery.
There is additional seating outside, and here’s a tip – if you buy a takeaway bottle and drink it out there it’s R24, as opposed to R30 on tap inside. This price applies to all the beers in the range except the Thunderbird IPA, which is R35 or R28. This one has the highest alcohol at 6.5 percent and is quite robust.
Before you decide which Darling brew is your favourite, you can taste at R10 a glass.
I chose some I haven’t had before – Gypsy Mask native ale, Rogue Pony pale ale and the Sun Gazer light lager (just 2.6 percent).
Darling Brew makes limited edition seasonal beers as well; I loved the subtle sweetness of Be My Valentine, which is pinkish and infused with pomegranate. The label has a blank heart on which you can write your own message.
There’s also the Desert Dragon oat ale, which is a collaboration between Darling’s brew master Felix Magdziarz and Sean Knight, from Sambrook’s Brewery in the UK.
There’s a full menu available now and a ploughman’s platter for two (R140), with cold meats, wonderful locally sourced cheeses, pickled cucumber and caramelised onions and bread, is a great accompaniment to the beer.
Wednesdays and Fridays are steak and burger nights and next weekend, February 19 to 21, there’s a brilliant steak special: balsamic and fresh rosemary marinated Florentine T-bone for R120/500g and R180/800g.
If you know what this cut costs in Cape Town you’ll know it’s a bargain. Booking is going to be essential.
Slow Hour happens every Friday between 6 and 7pm, with discounts on selected beers. There is a full calendar of upcoming events throughout the year, like monthly food and beer pairings with Magdziarz (the first one is on February 25), a beer festival in July, and mountain-biking adventures. Cyclists with a taste for excitement will be pleased to know Darling Brew has shower facilities. Park your car, head for the hills, and when you come back you can freshen up, then knock back a cold one.
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Darling Brew is at 48 Caledon Street. For more bookings and information, call 021 286 1099 or email [email protected]. See darlingbrew.co.za.
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