So, what is your choice for the South African Beer of the Summer? We asked a number of local brewers (and merchants) for their favourite thirst-quencher from both their own and other breweries.

Citizen Beer
www.citizenbeer.co.za  
Gary Pnematicatos

Own brewery: I'd say Diplomat is our beer of the summer. It's a great, crisp beer, which always hits the spot for me. The bitterness and flavour of the Saaz hop, which is used in the making of the beer, is so satisfying that I find I’ll quickly have another sip to experience it again.

Other brewery: From another brewery I'd recommend the Union All Day IPA. It's such a light, easy-drinking beer, with great esters and a fantastic passion fruit flavour from the hops. It's a great beer.

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Boston Breweries
www.bostonbreweries.co.za
Russ Meyer

Own brewery: Johnny Gold Weiss. It’s a lightstyle weissbier with the typical cloudy appearance for the style – straw coloured with a foamy white head. Bananas and bubble-gum hit you on the nose and both flavours – plus a hint of cloves – appear upon the second sip.

Other brewery: Citizen Diplomat – a great session beer with loads of character and a great finish on the pallet.

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Jack Black
www.jackblackbeer.com
Frans van Staden

Own brewery: My beer for the summer from Jack Black Brewing Company will be our Lumberjack Amber Ale, full bodied deep dark red in colour, loads of roasted malts balanced out by a mountain of hops. It is my summer beer because it pairs so well with biltong, grilled springbok or a good old-fashioned braai. 

Other brewery: My other favourite summer beer would be Cape Brewing Company’s Pilsner. It’s crisp, light in colour with a little bit of a hoppy bite, perfect for quenching your first on a hot summer day. 

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Kings Craft Brewing Company
http://kingscraftbeer.co.za
Cliff Fitzhenry

Own brewery: Our choice for SA Beer of the Summer is LionHeart Lager. We believe its full flavoured profile and deep golden colour along with the crisp refreshing finish makes it the ideal craft beer to quench your thirst and tantalize your taste buds with.

Other brewery: My pick from another brewery would be Citizen's Diplomat Czech Pilsner which has a very nice bitter finish.

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Dragon Brewing Co
http://dragonbrewingco.co.za
Warren Harries-Jones

Own brewery: Definitely Dragon Fiery Ginger Beer. Refreshing and designed for summer!  

Other brewery: Riot IPA. I just love the stuff and I'll drink it in the middle of winter as well as the hot summer's nights.

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SWAGGA Breweries
www.swaggabrewery.co.za
Justin Goetsch

Own brewery:  From our range, I would say the SWAGGA Country Ale. It is a low alcohol, low bodied, easy drinking ale. Generous in flavour and leaving you wanting for more.

 Other brewery: As far as other breweries go, I would without a doubt, recommend Smack Republic’s Golden Ale. Also known as the “Bree Street Belle”. Highly drinkable and flavourful medium bodied summer ale.

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Woodstock Brewery
http://woodstockbrewery.co.za
Dewald Goosen

Own brewery: I would say that both our Happy Pills (Unfiltered German Pilsner) as well as our Hazy Daze (Wit Bier) would be my choice for "Beer of the Summer". Reason being that both are unique in their own way and appeal to a wide variety of beer drinkers. The Wit being a wheat beer that we add orange and coriander to, late in the boil which gives it its fresh finish. The Pilsner being a classic style that most people are accustomed to due to its crisp clean finish. Both beers give me that "ons gaan nou braai" feeling.

Other brewery: There are so many great local beers nowadays that this question had me scratching my head a bit. But in the end my go-to beer this summer has been the First Light (Golden Ale) from Devil's Peak Brewing co. It is a light, refreshing and very well balanced ale that I could drink all day. Thirst quencher of note!

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The Cockpit Brewhouse
www.thecockpitbrewhouse.co.za
André de Beer

Own brewery:  My recommendation for beer of the summer from my own brewery is the Fökker Weiss. The style is a hefe-weizen, and the beer is light and refreshing with a zesty finish. Good to quench your thirst.

Other brewery: My recommendation from another brewery is Draymans Brewery Letzter Wunsch Helles. A very refreshing beer at low alcohol.

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Shongweni Brewery
www.shongwenibrewery.com
Brian Stewart

Own brewery: Our beer of the summer would be one of two: Our Robson’s Durban Export Pilsner or our Robson’s East Coast Ale both at 4% ABV, light easy to drink beers. As a draught beer it would be the 1^st mentioned beer, i.e. the Pilsner. The reason for my choice is that a summer beer, such as the Durban Export Pilsner, needs to be a well-balanced beer that is crisp and refreshing, yet contains sufficient hops as well as malt-derived flavours that leaves one with a palate cleansing bitterness.

Other brewery: Regarding other breweries I would go for Soweto Gold-Superior Lager. This beer meets the requirements as stated in our own Pilsner above and although slightly higher in ABV at 5.2%, it is easy drinking with a low bitterness and smooth finish.

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Ubuntu Kraal Brewery
www.sowetogold.co.za
Josef Schmid

Own brewery: Soweto Gold - Apple Ale is the perfect summer drink. Think crisp green Granny Smith apples, squeezed with love and care, to create an immensely refreshing, slightly tart and zingy summer beverage.

Other brewery: Any Weiss beer - refreshing and spritz…why not a Cranberry Weiss?

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Three Skulls Brew Works
www.threeskulls.co.za  
Jonathan Nel

Own brewery: Gravedigger American Blonde Ale. Unlike other blonde or golden ales available in SA, Gravedigger is generously hopped with two American varieties so it has distinct mango, peach and grapefruit aromas. The fruitiness on the nose is well balanced with a soft malt profile making it a great summer quencher while offering something interesting with each sip. 

Other brewery: Jack Black Butcher Block. It’s similar to Gravedigger, with a stronger hop profile and bitterness; its American hops make this Pale Ale as tasty as it is great to look at.

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Loxton Lager
www.loxtonlager.co.za
Stuart Thompson

Own brewery: Loxton Lager with its fresh Fynbos fragrance that celebrates the landscape. Brewed for food - brilliant with a braai.

Other brewery: Brauhaus am Damm's Weiss. It’s professionally brewed, crisp & refreshing, well worth tasting.

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Brauhaus am Damm
www.brauhaus.co.za
Imke Pape

Own brewery: This will be Farmers' Draught - This ever popular, light, crisp, somewhat dry lager is a perfect thirst quencher and real drinking beer!

Other brewery: Drymans Brewery Berghof - Light bodied, slightly fruity, but still with lots of character.

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Just Brewing Company
www.justbrewing.co.za
Wendy Pienaar

Own brewery:  Our beer would be our Pale Ale, it’s a lightly hopped and low ABV beer that’s really refreshing. Just the thirst quencher we need in SA during summer for round the pool and after mowing the lawn.

Other brewery: We really enjoy CBC’s Octoberfest beer. Although quite high in ABV sitting round 6%, it is refreshingly malty and a great beer for a summer evening party.

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The Dog and Fig Brewery
Facebook
Sean Barradas

Own brewery: Our Wafferse Weiss.  Nice tangy taste, crisp refreshing.

Other brewery: Agar's Blonde.  Lekka beer and can drink tons of it!

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The Standeaven Brewery
www.thestandeavenbrewery.co.za
Keith Standeaven

Own brewery: Bohemian Pilsner

Other brewery: Basset Brewery – Umdoni Gold

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The Tap Room
www.thetaproom.co.za
Dyllan Roach

Of the over 60 craft beers we currently distribute, our SA Beer of the Summer choice would be Aces Brew Worx, Premium lager. The reason for this would be the crisp light fresh flavours that come from the Unique J17/63 hops they use - the only lager currently in the world hopped with this hop.

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Beerhouse Fourways
www.beerhouse.co.za/home/fourways  
Warwick Kittel

It would definitely be the Agars Brewery American Pale Ale. It’s a fresh hoppy beer with a great balance between the biscuity malt flavour and the citrusy and floral hops on the nose. Really a great one to be sipping round the Braai on a summer’s day.

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Craft Liquor Merchants
www.craftliquormerchants.co.za
Jason Cederwall

I would say my favourite beer for summer would be the Striped Horse Pilsner. It’s a fantastic refreshingly crisp pilsner with beautiful floral hop aroma and taste. It also happens to come in a 340 ml bottle, perfect size for keeping the beer cold on those hot summer days.

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SaleWine.co.za
SaleWine.co.za
Ryan Sowray

Our pick is Copperlake IPA - rich, big flavours and crisp, the IPA works with bold foods like curry but equally make for a great sipper on a Sunday afternoon. 

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Keg King/99Bottles
www.kegking.co.za
Mark

Devils Peak Brewing Company American Pale Ale. It’s perfect for summer days thanks to its low ABV of 3.5%, but it packs a punch with amazing fruity hop aromas and full flavour. The Pale Ale is hoppy yet so easy drinking. It’s my go to session ale for those long days around the pool and braai.