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The only constant, they say, is change. About two and a half years ago, I visited Sabie Brewing Co. with my now fiance and then-girlfriend. We went to the brewery with her family, and what a little gem it was.

Recently, we pulled into the brewery again, only to find out now it is called Hops Hollow Sabie Brewery. I was shocked for a moment, thinking that this little gem has closed down, but then I realised that another brewery bought the original brewery over.

Or so I found out after talking to the happy fellow pouring our beers. Everything changed, but everything stayed the same as well. They have the same beers, but they also have new ones. Their food menu has drastically improved, and they are now offering beers from the second brewery on tap as well!

The now-owner brewery, Hops Hollow, is a second brewery in town, but it is on a road that we were advised by many others we should not drive. (The roads in these parts of the country are known for how bad they are.)

So, we did not visit Hops Hollow, but we stayed for a beer or three at Hops Hollow Sabie Brewery. (Strange enough, the only place you can see the new name is on this one glass. On the breweries' respective websites, nothing of the merger is clearly stated.)

Join me, as I muse over a couple of good beers and some real authentic pub food (at least, modern South African style - with some beer cake at the end).

IPAs and Pumkin Ales

I always travel with my trusty BEER Passport. This time around, it again did not disappoint. I found myself drinking a wonderful IPA (one that I reviewed here). It is a classic Punch In Your Face styled IPA that does not disappoint. At least to me. It has a slight grassy note, classic signs that the brewers wanted to add too much hops (or they used a specific one that gives this note).

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After the bitter experience, which I loved (and my fiance hated), I had to try their pumpkin ale. Only afterwards did I figure out (from obvious signs) that the beer contained about 11% alcohol. But it was a seriously good beer.

As per usual, my fiance tried to play her part and she ordered the tasting tray. She tried every beer, but she ended up drinking most of the strange one on the plate, a non-beer made with fruit juice and some other crazy ingredients.

But I helped her finish up the tasting, as a good-hearted fiance does, and not to rob her beer! Jokes aside, she tried most of them and did not like them. The tasting also came with some delicious breadsticks!

From all of them, I still prefer the IPA, but the stout was another winner (my BeerStaturday review pending...).

I caught our bartender in action as he poured out beer tasters.

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Tasting Some Bar Food (With Cake at the End)

Having so many beers obviously demands some food.

As we walked in, we saw a beautiful pizza oven with some of the chefs making the pizzas in front of us. We had to try some of them.

Scanning the menu while under the influence of some good and lovely strong beers, we made the mistake of reading. We saw beer-infused loaded fries with bacon bits, and we could not resist the temptation. So, we ordered that as well.

And to top it off, or to end it all, we ordered a stout chocolate cake. (The funny thing is they got our order wrong, it was a busy day, and they brought the cake first thing. But I did not hesitate to dig in, as my father always told me, cake first!)

I think after the new owners the kitchen has been doing much better! We enjoyed the food (maybe a bit too much).

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Postscriptum: Introducing BEERMaps

I always talk with my fiance, referring to my beer location posts as BEERMaps posts. And I loved this name.

With the recent stickers from WorldMapPin making some rounds, I decided I wanted to join! (Sticker pending, I have a friendly printing company close by that will print them for me.) But I also want to make a specific brewery sticker for my future beer brewery (and winery) adventures.

I will design something with the phrase BEERMaps, and then stick my sticker wherever the brewery owners will allow me to stick it! (Pending design and printing.)

We will see when I get the chance to do this.

For now, happy travelling and happy beer drinking!

All of the musings and writings are my drunken own. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.