Brewery: X! Brewing Company
WEBSITE: VISIT
Location: Gauteng
What is your current position at your brewery, and how did you get started in the craft brewing industry?
Co-founder and Managing Director. Former student actuary and corporate executive that wanted to open and grow a South African business. Beer is fun and we found the industry interesting and challenging.
What’s new at your brewery?
We are a luxury beer brand – probably one of a few in the world. X! Brewing Company is also the only Indian owned South African Brewery. We are also a data driven brewery and use lots of analytics in our brewery – from product design to operations.
What’s the best part of being a part of the South African craft brewing community?
It is a relatively young industry in age and maturity and we have the ability to shape how we grow it. We are a beer drinking nation and thus every occasion is filled with fans and people interested in our products
Name your favourite food and beer pairing.
Lamb Vindaloo and our The Phat Indian IPA
What’s your biggest accomplishment unrelated to your job?
I came back from a life threatening illness having been pretty sick, but the more significant part of the story is – at my lowest point through the sickness and being closer to death than survival – I was content with my life and the choices I had made. I am quite proud of having that state of mind and try and keep myself honest to that philosophy and way of living.
What’s your favourite beer from another brewery?
Le Trappe Blonde
What do you like to do in your time away from the brewery?
I don’t understand the question 😉
What’s the most memorable travel destination at which you’ve had a chance to sample the local beer?
It was a classic beer experience – A warm European summers Day. I was in Munich Germany and went to HofbrauHaus and sat in the courtyard with an easy breeze and was served by a Germain Beermaid from whom i ordered a pint of their Weiss Bier. Another memory is sitting on plastic chairs at a table with a bunch of strangers on the side walk on a warm and sticky evening in Bangkok, Thailand. We ordered food from the street vendors and they served us quart sized local Leo beer from Bins filled with ice. It was the start of a great night!
