Both Sides Are Even

The last Saturday in Pretoria was action-packed. We woke up, dropped off the rental car I had hired for two days, headed to an instawalk hosted by Fujifilm South Africa and At Photo in Hatfield, met up with Mia at +27 Café, bought a shwe shwe skirt at the market in the 10 minutes before our parking ticket ran out and then braved the inner city on a Saturday for the Market at the Sheds. We parked at the State Theatre and walked over to the market, which offers quite a contrast to the buzzing inner city trade happening on the streets right outside of it. After paying the R50 entrance fee we explored the stands in the large hall and tasted some spring rolls as well as a bobotie jaffel (a round toasted sandwich filled with curried mince meat and raisins) whilst listening to the band in the background.

Notice relics and vocal entertainment.

After ambling past all the vendors and their stalls we headed across the courtyard to the African Beer Emporiums trial day. Also situated in a large hall, the space is simplistically decorated with wooden benches and tables, as well as succulents places on the tables and hung from the walls as decoration. We first had the Soweto Gold Apple Ale, which was absolutely wonderful and I wanted to immerse myself in a bathtub full of it as it combined the not-too-sweet taste of a Hunter's Dry with a slightly more apple-y flavour. Then I tried a Pretoria Steam Beer and wished to go back to the sweet sweet taste of the apple ale. But when in Snorcity one has to taste what it has to offer, right?!

Xander Ferreira (previously of Gazelle) was behind the crate-decks on music while a steady stream of people filled up the benches and enjoyed a selection of 7 beers on tap and more on the menu. We walked around some more and then went on our way, stopping at Aroma's Gelato on the way home. The rest of the day was filled with preparing dinner for some friends that came over later and then getting our dance on at Etc. in Centurion.

A great last day in the capital, I'd say.

Cheers (Drink to That)

When we were in school we didn't much care what we drank, as long as there was alcohol in it. But even back then when my friends drank Black Label I stuck to my trusty Hunters Dry. It might have cost R11 and not R9, but beer has never been my friend. To me it is something I'd add to a chocolate cake or bake bread with, or mix with Sprite. To each his own. 

Germany has all kinds of strange beer-mixes. Beer with Tequila. Beer with raspberry syrup. Beer with coke. Beer with tomato juice. Beer with grapefruit. Beer with prickly pear flavour. Hot damn. No thanks. I like my ciders. In France I was very excited to see they had cidre, but it's not the same. Nothing beats Hunters. 

However, I did go to a beerfest this weekend. Capital Craft took place on Saturday at the Voortrekker monument and showcases the brewing talents of micro-breweries. On their site they state that "micro-breweries have fast become the tasty and trendy alternative to commercially brewed beers. The painstaking efforts taken to brew and mature these specialist beers can be tasted with each and every sip. At the Capital Craft Beerfest, you will be able to sample beers by over 10 different microbrewers all the way from Darling, Cape Town to Valley of a 1000 hills in KwaZulu Natal."

Luckily they also had ciders :) I tried a red Stone cherry and a Red Stone pineapple cider and finished it off with a Everson pear cider. In between my one venture at beer was Mitchells Award Winning Festival Ale, which was drinkable. I think I just haven't yet acquired the palate for beer. 

Deep Fried Man, Tidal Waves and others performed and people just enjoyed a relaxed day out.