Poison City Brewing
Durban is a finger in the face of conformity. And Poison City Brewing makes its beer.
Poison City Brewing is Durban born and bred. Its creators Graeme and Andre live, surf and dream Durban.
And together they make exceptional beer– beer made for people who give a damn about what they drink, beer that never compromises on taste or quality, beer that lives where edge meets class, and beer that pays tribute to the soul of Durban.
Not the clichéd, cheesy marketing bullshit, but the real Durban – the Durban that makes its own rules, expresses its own unique personality, and never ever prostitutes itself to conformity.
“We wanted to build a world-class brand that was true to us, true to the craft of beermaking and true to our unpretentious, take-me-as-I-am hometown of Durban and its most famous export.”
From craft to cannabis
Graeme and Andre’s Journey
The realisation of Graeme and Andre’s dream follows the duo’s passion for great beer and great cannabis; and their determination to establish a business that lets them showcase the city they live in and love.
In their early, wilder years they both travelled extensively and were fortunate to experience some of the greatest beers in the world in cities that have led the craft beer revolution. Both later settled in Durban with Andre establishing himself as a leading restaurateur and Graeme achieving success in the corporate world.
Always something of a misfit, Graeme had been looking for an opportunity for self-expression outside the confines of his job and the planets aligned when Andre was able to free himself from the day-to-day responsibility of his restaurants.
They brewed their first lager in May 2014 using a rudimentary 50-litre brewing system at a mate’s house on the South Coast. When this batch was a major hit at a birthday bash they knew they were on the right track, and so began the journey towards making truly special beer.
Inspired by a beer tasting trip to California, the guys began collaboration with one of Durban’s top craft brewers. Many test batches later, and with some helpful guidance from a Czech Master Brewer, their first craft beer was born – The Bird lager. This widely successful craft beer was followed by The Punk Rocker, The Other Bird and The Poison Cannabis IPA.
Perfecting their beer making skills in the craft beer industry, Graeme and Andre noticed the enormous global potential of an industry they both had a great deal of personal interest in – the cannabis beverage industry. Finally an opportunity to combine their passion for beer with their passion for cannabis.
Just as South Africa legalised the use of marijuana, the guys then launched their first commercial beer, Durban Poison Cannabis Lager. As South Africa’s very first cannabis beer, the beer certainly caused waves in the market, and marks the first step in the journery towards establishing Poison City Brewing as a world-class cannabis beverage company.
