Camelthorn Starts Exporting Its Beer

Desie Heita

27 April 2011

Windhoek — Namibia’s first microbrewery has spread its wings to South Africa with significant beer volume exports to the Cape area.

Camelthorn Brewing Namibia is also in advanced talks that would see the brewery export its beer products to Europe.

For the domestic market, Camelthorn Brewing Company has started the brewing of a winter beer, which hit the local shelves on the eve of the easter weekend.

Its winter beer, Bok beer, is a dark wheat beer specifically designed for winter.

The recipe was hand crafted by the world champion brewer Michael Plank especially for Camelthorn Brewing Company.

The local brewery went into production in late-2009 offering four specially flavoured beers on a small scale.

These are the Weizen (wheat beer), Helles, an unfiltered lager, Red Ale, an American Ale, and the Fresh beer, which is a low alcohol wheat beer.

The Bok winter beer is a second seasonal beer that the company produces. The brewery already brews the Sundowner beer for the Oktoberfest season.

“We have come a long way since the brewery became fully operational during August 2009.

Namibians have really taken to our craft beers and truly enjoy our product offering,” says Camelthorn Brewing Company founder and chief executive officer Jorg Finkeldey.

Camelthorn Brewing Company beers have found a dedicated clientele in Cape Town especially during popular events, such as Jazz Festival. Farmers too around Cape Town have taken to the Camelthorn beers, and the beers are now marketed regularly at farmers’ markets.

Finkeldey singles out the Ministry of Trade and Industry whose efforts to market the beer at Berlin Import Shop during November 2010, resulted in unprecedented interest in Namibia produced speciality beer.

“This opportunity, together with our high quality brews, has no doubt been a collective effort in creating export possibilities for our company. Camelthorn is currently negotiating brewing contracts with various investors and distributors. And although I will only allow the cat out of the bag a little later, I am proud to announce that we have secured the first contract of its sort for a European destination,” explained Finkeldey.

The newly-launched winter beer, Bok, is inspired by the Namibian Oryx, as depicted on the label, and denotes the company’s great love for the country and its people.

“The Oryx is of great symbolic importance to us as the animals flank our national coat of arms and represent the important values of courage, elegance and pride, which are important to us as a nation. As proud Namibians we at Camelthorn, wish to incorporate as much of our unique Namibian identity into our products, and this is something we truly showcase beyond our borders with our beers,” said Finkeldey.

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