South Africa’s beloved Rooibos tea has many uses from a warm, relaxing bevvy at the end of a stressful day to a protective skin remedy, but as of late rooibos’ popularity has shifted towards a craft beer offering.
Adele du Toit from the SA Rooibos Council spoke to IOL, “It might sound like a strange match, but the rooibos taste actually complements beer making, and especially craft beer making, which is very exciting.”
Over the last few years, we’ve seen South Africans become particularly creative by brewing their own beer. During Covid lockdowns when the purchase of alcohol was prohibited, many found themselves making pineapple beer – which was quite a hit-and-miss effort.
“The small-batch, all-natural brewing market has experienced a surge in popularity,” says du Toit.
I Love to Bake offers an easy recipe for you to brew 7.25 litres of your own Rooibos Beer. Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 5ml Sugar
- 500ml Lukewarm water
- 10g Yeast
- 600g Castor sugar
- 15ml Tartaric acid
- 250ml Lemon juice
- 20ml Lemon rind
- 3L Rooibos tea
- 3.5L Cold water
Method:
- Dissolve the 5ml sugar in 500ml lukewarm water. Sprinkle the Anchor Instant Yeast over and set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes.
- Mix the remaining dry ingredients with the correct liquid and juice together with the activated yeast mixture and stir until well mixed.
- Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrapping and leave in a warm place for about 12 hours.
- Strain the mixtures through a muslin cloth and pour the beer into bottles with tops. Leave in a cool place for 3 days. Chill before serving.
Compiled by: Marian Volkwyn
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