Boet Beer Brewery takes gold medal at 2023 African Beer Cup

Robertson-based craft brewery Boet Beer, part of the family-owned Four Cousins stable, won a coveted gold medal at the 2023 African Beer Cup – the biggest beer competition in Africa.

The brewery won gold in the International Lager category, beating beers from major breweries across the continent. It is the first time a craft brewery has won gold in this category over the four-year history of the competition.

This year, 52 judges from 16 different countries joined forces to evaluate 232 beers from 20 different African countries. A total of 60 medals were awarded at an awards night held on 22 April at Woodstock Brewery in Cape Town.

The African Beer Cup is unique in that every beer in the competition is judged twice. All judging is blind, with judges knowing the beer style but not the manufacturer or beer name. Beers are judged to the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) guidelines, which focus on stylistic accuracy rather than personal preference. Beers must reach a certain score threshold in order to be considered for a medal, with a maximum of one gold, one silver and one bronze per category.

Boet Beer brewer, Bradley Danster.

“Our winning lager stood out among tough competition from major breweries across the African continent. This victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team in crafting high-quality, delicious beer that stands up to the best in the industry” says Boet Beer brewer, Bradley Danster. “We are honoured to have been recognized by the judges and the competition organizers. This is a milestone for our brewery, and we hope it inspires other micro-breweries to pursue their dreams and strive for excellence in their craft”.

Since its inception in 2017, Boet Beer has come a long way and now offers Easy Blonde, English IPA and Pale Ale that won a Gold medal at the African Beer Cup in 2022.

More about the African Beer Cup

The African Beer Cup was launched in 2019 by beer writer, editor and Certified Cicerone Lucy Corne and her husband, Shawn Duthie. The competition attracts entries from across the continent. It is held annually in conjunction with BeerEx Africa, a conference and expo dedicated to beer and brewing.