The newest spot on Linden’s up-and-coming 3rd Avenue, Craft Beer Library is quickly winning the hearts of this trendy suburb’s residents. In the few short months since it first opened, CBL has become a favourite with locals, filling a long-empty spot in this previously sleepy area: a place that focuses as much on great drinks as it does on good food.
A passion for craft
Owners Fritz van Graan and Elke Nelson have always had a passion for craft beer. While travelling South Africa, this couple and business duo would always make time to pass local craft breweries along the way, so it was a logical step for them to open their own watering hole as a place where people could meet up for a drink and a bite to eat.
Boutique South African beer
“This isn’t the local pub, it’s a boutique beer restaurant. We’re never going to serve shooters here, this is a place for people who appreciate great beer and great food,” says van Graan. You don’t need to speak to these two for very long to be infected by their palpable love for the art of brewing. With an ever-changing and seemingly endless menu of beers, you’re guaranteed to always have the chance to try something new each time you step inside CBL’s doors. The only rule of the menu is that each and every item on it has to be South African, which goes a long way to recognising and promoting the incredible craft beers coming out of SA breweries at the moment.
Have your fill
Not to be outdone by the incredible beer offering is the delicious food. Crafted by Nelson herself, whose own love for cooking has driven much of what’s on offer, everything on the menu has been crafted with the aim of creating a perfect pairing experience with the beers. Sample the unforgettable deconstructed jalapeno poppers with your lager, and stick around for the amazing chocolate tarts paired with a stout.
With their new summer menu on the way and ample selection of light, crispy summer beers available as the weather heats up, there’s only one place to spend your evenings in Joburg – and that’s Craft Beer Library.
071 177 9531
Words and Images: Lucy Sarah Heaney
