Discovering Beer Culture with NMK Schulz

My journey into the rich culture of beer and international drinks was greatly influenced by BJ Lankwarden and Rod Simmons at NMK Schulz, a company that played a pivotal role in introducing South Africans to some of the most iconic international beer brands. Through NMK Schulz, I was introduced to names like Erdinger Weißbier, Boddingtons Bitter, Paulaner, Pilsener Urquell, Newcastle Brown Ale and Grolsch—all thanks to the vision of Norbert Schulz, a German immigrant who knew how to enjoy the finer things in life.

Norbert’s engineering business was thriving, but that wasn’t enough for him. He ventured into importing and selling some of the world’s most beloved brands, including Jägermeister, Frangelico, and Stroh Rum, making them available in South Africa long before they became household names. His forward-thinking approach opened up a world of beer culture for us in South Africa, long before the craft beer movement began to take hold.

Around the same time, South Africa’s microbrewing scene was beginning to stir. Mitchell’s Brewery, founded in 1983, along with Nottingham Road Brewery and Drayman’s, were among the early pioneers of craft brewing in the country. These small breweries laid the groundwork for what would eventually become a much broader rise in brands like Bavaria and Windhoek, and later, the explosion of craft beer about a decade ago.

Aspiring to bring the atmosphere of a public house (or ‘pub’) that offered a variety of beer brands to South African shores, Derryck Myers and Robbie Mitchell opened the KEG & Thistle in Florida Road, Durban, in 1990. The KEG pubs did a fantastic job of taking imported and micro-brewed beers to market, introducing South Africans to a wider range of beer styles and tastes than they had ever known. For many people, it was their first time experiencing beer beyond the traditional lagers that dominated the market.

The success of these early ventures marked the beginning of a new beer culture in South Africa. By making international and local microbrews available, pubs like the KEG & Thistle began to change people’s perceptions of beer. It was no longer just a standard drink; it became something to be explored and savoured.

It was also during this time that BJ’s South African Beer Drinker’s Guide: The Complete Tasting Guide to Beers Available on the South African Market was published. The first edition was a comprehensive tasting guide reserved exclusively for beers imported by NMK Schulz. However, in later editions, BJ allowed us to include the Bavaria range, which marked an important milestone for us as we worked to grow the brand in South Africa. This guide played a significant role in educating the local market and elevating the status of both imported and local beers.

At that time, draught beer was a rarity in South Africa. Very few pubs had Castle Lager on tap, and those that did had rudimentary draught installations. The KEG pubs, however, were pioneers in this space, being among the first to serve Mitchell’s ales on tap. This was a game-changer, bringing a fresh, new experience to the beer market and offering consumers the chance to enjoy something beyond the typical bottled lagers.

In an attempt to bring Castle Draught to more restaurants and pubs, The South African Breweries (SAB) introduced a new 12-litre keggy system.