Heritage Month is a good time to look at some of the things being made in Knysna today.
Not everything local needs to come home in a shopping bag. Around town, small producers are brewing beer, distilling gin and working with local ingredients to create drinks that have a little of the Garden Route in their story.
For visitors who enjoy discovering what is made where they are staying, these are three Knysna producers worth knowing about.
Red Bridge Brewing Company
Knysna has a long association with craft beer, and Red Bridge Brewing Co is part of the town’s current generation of small-batch brewers.
Established in 2013, the family-owned microbrewery takes its name from the distinctive red railway bridge across the Knysna River. Its beers are developed, brewed and packaged in-house, using equipment made in South Africa.
The current range includes a Golden Ale, IPA and Craft Lager, along with limited and seasonal brews. If you are curious rather than particularly knowledgeable about craft beer, that is no problem. The taproom in Knysna’s industrial area offers tastings, so you can try a few before deciding what suits you.
It is also a useful stop if you would rather take a few locally brewed beers back to your accommodation for later.
There is something pleasingly Knysna about the name too. The Red Bridge itself is one of those familiar local landmarks that many visitors pass without knowing much about, while the brewery has turned it into part of a modern local product.
Visit Red Bridge Brewing Company online
Knysna Gin Distillery
A few streets away, Knysna Gin Distillery & Cocktail Bar takes a very different approach to local flavour.
The distillery has been producing gin in Knysna since 2018, using traditional copper pot stills and a collection of botanicals that deliberately draws on the surrounding region. Knysna Gin includes ingredients such as almonds from Sedgefield, honeybush from the area east of Plettenberg Bay and num-num berries from Knysna.
That num-num connection is particularly lovely. The indigenous fruit is associated with the local landscape and is also eaten by the Knysna turaco, or loerie as many of us still call it.
Alongside the classic gin, the distillery has produced limited seasonal varieties using ingredients such as blueberry, honey, mulberry and wild plum. Their Classic Gin also received a silver medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2019.
Visitors can stop in for tastings or cocktails, making this more of an outing than simply somewhere to buy a bottle.
For anyone looking for a local gift to take home, it is also a rather more interesting reminder of Knysna than another fridge magnet.
Visit Knysna Gin Distillery online
Eden Honey Distillery
Honey takes centre stage at Eden Honey Distillery in the Knysna industrial area.
The distillery’s best-known product is its honey liqueur, made without added sweeteners or oils. The range also extends beyond honey liqueur to natural essences and locally produced spirits, including spiced rum and brandy.
It is an interesting example of how a familiar local ingredient can become something quite different in the hands of a small producer.
Honey is already part of the food landscape around Knysna and Rheenendal, where local beekeepers work among the forests, farms and fynbos. Here, rather than simply ending up in a jar for breakfast, it becomes the starting point for something made locally and intended to be enjoyed slowly.
If you enjoy seeking out small producers when you travel, Eden Honey Distillery is one to add to the list.
Visit Eden Honey Distillery online
Make It Part of a Knysna Afternoon
Red Bridge, Knysna Gin and Eden Honey Distillery are all in Knysna’s industrial area, conveniently located between The Heads and the town centre. Check current opening times before setting out, particularly over weekends and public holidays.
And if you plan to taste rather than simply shop, arrange a designated driver or taxi.
Something Made Here
One of the pleasures of travelling is discovering what is made locally.
In Knysna, that might be art made in a small studio, bread from a local baker, produce from a Saturday market or, in this case, beer brewed a few streets away and gin flavoured with botanicals from the surrounding Garden Route.
For guests staying at The Milkwood Collection, these small local finds are easy to bring back to the chalet or villa and enjoy later beside the lagoon.
Planning a spring stay in Knysna? Explore The Milkwood Collection’s self-catering chalets and villas near the Knysna Heads, or contact our team for help choosing the property that best suits your stay.