When, like so many, they were faced with pallets of unsold beer in 2020, Darling Brew saw a unique opportunity… They turned it into South Africa’s first whisky distilled entirely from craft beer.

Released now after five years of development, the whisky, called Reminisce, represents something genuinely new in our local spirits landscape. While beer-to-whisky distillation isn’t entirely unprecedented globally – American and European craft distillers have been experimenting – it’s a first here in SA.

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We know – you’re likely rubbing your chin wondering about the technical process. How does one turn beer into whisky, exactly? For guidance in creating their bottles, the Darling Brew team worked with third-generation distiller George Dalla Cia, known primarily for his grappa and brandy.

​​“What makes this even more unique,” says George, “is the use of a bain-marie distillation technique, where heat is applied delicately to protect and enhance the volatile compounds. It’s slow, meticulous work, but it ensures a spirit of remarkable smoothness and balance. We then matured the whisky for five years in carefully selected bourbon barrels, extracting subtle notes without overpowering the base.”

George Dalla Cia

This isn’t the usual whisky-making shortcut, where producers use beer-like “wash” – essentially unfinished beer without hops or carbonation. They actually distilled completed, full-flavoured craft beer, which, as you might imagine, creates a fundamentally different flavour profile. The result carries subtle hop bitterness alongside traditional whisky notes of honey, chocolate and vanilla – an interesting bridge between beer and spirits categories. And in an industry where differentiation matters, having access to spirits that can’t be found elsewhere certainly creates an interesting talking point with guests and customers. The innovative drink signals a broader shift in South African craft-spirit production. It’s incredible that producers are willing to take risks with extended ageing and experimental techniques – investments that would have seemed impossible during the uncertainty of recent years.

Tewie Roos, Managing Director at Darling Brew, shared that “during lockdown, many would have written off unsold product. But we saw potential in every bottle. We don’t waste. We rework. That’s the heart of our philosophy.”

Whether this becomes a repeatable model or remains a fascinating eco-conscious one-off remains to be seen. But it’s encouraging to see local producers thinking beyond traditional categories and creating something cool and new.

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