Anton Erasmus, one of SAB’s first Trade Brewers, is Trade Brewer for SAB Alrode, SAB Egoli, SAB Central and SAB WOB. One of SAB’s 6 dedicated Trade Brewers, he defines his job as ‘growing a beer culture by finding all the elements that allow us to present beer in all its golden splendour’.
Anton was instrumental in defining the new role of Trade Brewer whilst in the Eastern Cape between 1994 and 1997, an achievement he is most proud of during his career at SAB.
He has been described as a man who ‘lives and breathes beer’ and he shares his passion for beer by actively connecting with consumers and customers in various untapped and as yet, unconventional routes.
Beer tastings, beer and food pairings and brewery tours are but some of the ways in which he introduces the pleasure and infinite variety of beer to those wanting to increase their knowledge and appreciation for this ‘golden splendour’.
His passion for all things beer also means that his work has become his hobby: he admits to reading all he can about beer in his spare time. And whilst he likes to travel locally, particularly if it involves a little amateur angling and a 4x4 trip with his family, his ideal weekend off, if time and money was no object, would be to fly to Munich, take the train to Herrsching and walk the 5km up the hill to Kloster Andrechs – to sample the world champion Kloster Andrechser Doppelbock accompanied by some traditional Bavarian food.
In fact, so passionate is Anton Erasmus about beer, he would count it as one of 5 essential items, were he ever to be stranded on a desert island! The other 4 being, in no particular order, an SAS survival book and kit, fishing tackle and a copy of ‘Jonathan Livingstone Seagull’. He merely states ‘canned beer’, suggesting it would need to be an unlimited supply.
Not surprisingly, beer also features prominently on Anton’s bucket list, those things he still really would like to do or achieve in his lifetime. He wants to write a book on his experiences in the international beer tasting and beer appreciation world. (He is the African representative on the panel of the European Beer star tasting competition). He also wants to visit as many of SABMiller’s breweries as possible as well as bring Beer ‘Sommeliership’ to South Africa. And he would like to do some fly fishing on the Angolan coast. No doubt with some beer in his cooler box.
