Cape Town’s craft beer scene has earned continental bragging rights after Woodstock Brewery claimed the title of Best Beer in Africa at the 2026 African Beer Cup.
Image: African Beer Cup
The award, announced during BeerEx Africa, recognised the brewery’s Funky Monk’s sour ale as the top-performing beer in the competition. The annual African Beer Cup is regarded as the continent’s biggest and most respected beer competition, drawing entries from breweries across Africa.
This year’s event featured 244 beers from 16 African countries, judged by a panel of 58 international beer experts and certified judges. From lagers and IPAs to stouts and experimental brews using African ingredients, the competition showcased the growing diversity of craft brewing across the continent.
Woodstock Brewery’s winning beer stood out among all entries. Funky Monk’s is described as an American Wild Ale blended from beers of different ages and matured in oak barrels over several years, creating a layered sour profile that impressed the judges.
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For the Cape Town brewery, the victory marks a major milestone. While Woodstock Brewery has collected medals at previous editions of the African Beer Cup, this is the first time it has secured the overall top honour in the competition’s seven-year history.
South African breweries dominated the awards overall, taking home more than 60 of the 89 medals awarded during the event. The strong showing reflects the rapid rise of South Africa’s craft beer industry, which has grown steadily over the past decade as local breweries continue experimenting with distinctive flavours, African ingredients and small-batch brewing techniques.
Speaking after the win, Woodstock Brewery head brewer Tinus Lottering said the award felt especially meaningful given the increasingly high standard of beer being produced across Africa.
The awards ceremony took place at the Jack Black Brewery Taproom in Cape Town, bringing together brewers, suppliers and beer enthusiasts from across the continent for one of Africa’s biggest celebrations of craft beer culture.
(Source: GoodThingsGuy)
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