Loyiso’s Hops
Makes 10 litres
Easy
10 minutes, plus 2 days’ brewing time
20 minutes“My mom used to brew this often when we were kids – it involves caramelised sugar and makes a nice holiday tipple. It was difficult to get this recipe because my mom had forgotten how to make it… I was helped by a bevy of women through voice notes, calls and messages.”- Khanya Mzongwana
Ingredients
Method
- 2.5 kg white sugar
- 5 litres lukewarm water
- 80 g dried hops
- 10 g instant dry yeast
Method
Ingredients
1. Caramelise 600 g sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar becomes thick and syrupy. Continue caramelising until dark (almost burnt). Carefully pour 3 cups water over the caramelised sugar and stir until all the syrup has dissolved.
2. Place the remaining sugar in a large bucket with the hops and yeast. Pour over the syrupy mixture, then add the remaining water. Taste to check the sugar content; it should be quite sweet. Add more sugar if required. Cover with a tea towel – not a lid! – and brew at room temperature for about 2 days.
3. When ready, strain into bottles through a muslin cloth and chill before serving.
Cook's note: Commonly prepared in the Eastern Cape by Xhosa women as a celebratory alternative to ginger beer, hops are believed to have great health properties, easing insomnia, anxiety and aiding digestion.
Find more beverage recipes here.
Photographs: Toby Murphy
Production: Khanya Mzongwana
Food Assistant: Unathi Taffa
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