NEWLANDS BREWERY, ONE YEAR SHY OF BEING 200 YEARS OLD.
Just think, 199 years ago people drank beer that comes from the same brewery you drink your beer from. This just shows us that something great will stand the test of time … like BEER!
We're one year away from celebrating the oldest operating commercial brewery's 200th birthday. Two whole centuries have gone by and Newlands Brewery is still providing people with an irreplaceable #BeerExperience.
In the mid-1800's, Jacob Letterstedt built the original Mariendahl Brewery in Newlands. Today, this forms part of the Newlands Brewery situated in the heart of suburban Newlands, Cape Town. When Letterstedt died in 1862, Anders Ohlsson acquired the Brewery and was the first in a succession of proud brewers to nurture the noble traditions that continue to this day. Can you guess what some of these traditions are? One of them is using only fresh water from the Newlands Spring.
HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED?
Newlands Brewery is now a National Heritage Site, built on the riverside to have easy access to the clean waters that flow through the mountains. Not only does it brew nine world-famous beers, but it is also home to 4 other variant brews.
The Newlands Spring Brewery Co. is set in what was the heart of the original brewery. It's our specialty small-batch brewery brewing the Mountain Weiss – a traditional Bavarian Weiss Beer, Jacobs Pale Ale – an English styled ale, based on a 155-year-old recipe found in our Archives and Passionate Blond – Belgian styled ales brewed with the much sought-after, Southern Passion Hop.
The Southern Passion Hop deserves a special mention as it is the most flavoured South African hop strain currently available. This hop is cultivated on the Outeniqua pass in the George region of South Africa. It is primarily an aroma hop and whilst it has similar qualities to the noble hops from which it was developed (Saaz and Hallertauer), it is a little earthier and spicier with pronounced grassy notes. The aroma profile also includes passion fruit (granadilla), guava, red berries, melon, calendula, and grapefruit. This very unique hop works very well in specialty lagers.
To learn more about the other 3 brews, head to the Newlands Brew page: http://newlandsbrew.co.za/
BREWING SUSTAINABILITY
Not only are we brewing some of your favourite beers, we are doing it sustainably. As part of our 2025 Sustainability Goals, we are looking for ways to brew that are the most sustainable.
The South African Breweries' (SAB) Newlands Brewery has been awarded a 5-star water grading by the City of Cape Town. The award recognises the organisation’s integrated water management system and its work to promote being water-wise in the local business sector.
Through best practice and stringent water use target setting, SAB's Newlands Brewery has managed to reduce its water use from 3.73 hectolitres of water for every one hectolitre of beer produced to 2.8hl of water. Click here more information on our 2025 Sustainability Goals!
COME SEE FOR YOURSELF
We've only covered a fraction of the history and information about the brewery. We believe the best way to find out more is to attend a fully guided #BeerExperience tour where you will discover our stories, gain insights into modern-day brewing methods and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into our beers. The tour, which takes about an hour and includes our speciality, small batch brewery – Newlands Spring Brewing Co. follows the journey of beer from its beginning as a grain, to its end as a well-crafted, ice-cold treasure, fittingly ending with a beer tasting. After the tour you could relax in the brewery's historic pub, with a pint of beer!
Tour details can be found here.
For more info on our beer, give us a follow:
