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The Beerhouse

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Coordinates: 33°55′31.49″S 18°24′57.70″E / 33.9254139°S 18.4160278°E / -33.9254139; 18.4160278
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Beerhouse
Beerhouse
IndustryService - Food & Beverage
FoundedAugust 2, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-08-02) in Cape Town, South Africa
FounderRandolf Jorberg
Headquarters223 Long Street,
Cape Town
,
South Africa
Number of locations
1 (2018)
Area served
Cape Town,
Key people
Randolf Jorberg
ProductsBeer, Craft Beer
Websitehttp://www.beerhouse.co.za

The Beerhouse was a speciality beer hall which opened in Cape Town's Upper Long Street on International Beer Day, Friday 2 August 2013,[1] and closed 11 years later, on 3 August, 2024. [2]

Occupying a two-storey Victorian building, the former premises of Bead Merchants of Africa,[3] The Beerhouse comprised a long bar, inside lounge/dining area and outside terrace with historic wrought-iron balcony.[4][5]

The brainchild of German entrepreneur, Randolf Jorberg, Beerhouse stocked bottled and draught beer from 13 countries, 99 bottled beers of various styles all numbered and displayed on a beer wall, and 15- to 20 beers on tap.[6]

As a proponent of the local craft beer revolution, Beerhouse had a strong bias towards supporting South African microbreweries[7] of which the Western Cape boasts over 100.[8] In addition to clear, weiss and experimental brews, traditional African beer, Umqombothi, made from corn, sorghum malt and yeast was available.

The Beerhouse carried through its theme with beer keg wash-basins in the wash-rooms[9] and was featured in Thrillist's "21 Best Beer Bars in the World"[10]

On Saturday 20 June, 2015, Beerhouse doorman Joe-Louis Kanyona was stabbed in the neck whilst on duty, and died a few minutes later.[11]

Jorberg cited extortion as a major factor behind the closure of The Beerhouse.[12][13]

Brew Food Fusion

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Beerhouse pioneered its Brew Food Fusion menu in August 2017 in association with TV's The Ultimate Braai Master Winner Piet Marais.[14][15] The menu centred around meat prepared using beer and in-house hardwood smokers.[16]

Branches

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Beerhouse Fourways

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A second Beerhouse in Fourways, Johannesburg, opened in July 2014[17] and closed in August 2019.

Beerhouse Centurion

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A third Beerhouse in Centurion closed permanently after just a short time[18]

Expansion

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The Beerhouse aimed to open 20 Beerhouse outlets across South Africa by 2020.[19]

Murder & Extortion

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32-year old Joe-Louis Kanyona was hired as a doorman at Beerhouse in December 2014. At 10:37 p.m. on Saturday 20 June, 2015, Kanyona was approached by four men while he was standing guard at the Beerhouse’s front entrance. One of the men stabbed him in the neck, and the four fled the scene. Kanyona died a few minutes later.[20]

The owner of Beerhouse, Randolf Jorberg, attributed the killing to his refusal to sign up for security protection services and extortion gang rivalry.[21][22]

In September 2020, the then-Police Minister, Bheki Cele, visited The Beerhouse and spoke with Beerhouse staff in front of media to reassure them of their safety, and announced new pans to tackle and take on extortion. The next evening, individuals being investigated for various crimes also visited The Beerhouse. Shortly thereafter, investigating officer Charl Kinnear, a lieutenant colonel in the South African Police Service and section commander for the Western Cape anti-gang unit, was murdered.[23][24]

Despite the fact that the safety and security branch’s response to extortion and organised crime is fractured,[25] the South African Police Service is getting serious about combatting extortion.[26]

Key figures with links to nightclub security in Cape Town have been arrested and appeared in court on charges of murder, attempted murder and other criminal activities in cases involving gang killings, intimidation, kidnapping and extortion.[27][28][29][30]

[edit]

In August 2024, Jorberg announced the closure of Beerhouse in Cape Town, attributing the decision largely to sustained extortion pressures. This closure came after a complex series of legal challenges and threats, including a defamation lawsuit filed shortly afterward by Mark Lifman, a controversial figure alleged to be involved in Cape Town’s protection rackets. Following Beerhouse's closure, Lifman demanded a retraction from Jorberg for statements linking him to local extortion gangs and criminal activities, including the 2015 murder of Beerhouse bouncer Joe-Louis Kanyona. When no retraction was issued, Lifman escalated his legal action, initially seeking R500,000 in damages and later increasing the claim to R1 million. As part of these proceedings, Lifman also obtained a draft court order to attach Jorberg's Green Point property.[31][32]

Lifman was assassinated in George, Western Cape, on November 3, 2024, just one day before he was scheduled to appear in the Western Cape High Court as a co-accused in the 2017 murder case of Brian Wainstein, a crime figure known as the "Steroid King." Lifman’s death is expected to have significant implications for organized crime in South Africa, with some experts suggesting it could disrupt established criminal networks in the region.[33][34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "There are 99 reasons to go to this pub". Times Live South Africa. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  2. ^ Ludidi, Velani (2 August 2024). "Extortion rackets forces Beerhouse to close its doors in Cape Town". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  3. ^ "Beads Merchants Of Africa (Pty) Ltd". Kompass. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Beerhouse in Cape Town". Cape Town Magazine. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  5. ^ "The colourful History of Long Street". Long Street Hotel. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Beerhouse on Long". SA Venues. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  7. ^ "SA's beer revolution: Micro-breweries get to shine". Fin 24. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  8. ^ "South Africa Craft Breweries". Craft Bru. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  9. ^ "For the love of beer! Where can I find a decent brew?". Cape Town Magazine. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  10. ^ "The 21 Best Beer Bars in the World". Thrillist. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  11. ^ de Greef, Kimon. "Murder on Long Street: Congolese bouncers and the private security industry". Ground Up. Ground Up. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  12. ^ Ludidi, Velani (2 August 2024). "Cape Town's Beerhouse to close doors after fending off extortion underworld for 11 years". Daily Maverick. Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  13. ^ COLLINS, FARREN (22 June 2015). "Long Street bouncer stabbed to death". Times Live. Times Live. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Beerhouse has launched a Brew Food menu and it's brilliant". 9 Lives. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Ultimate Braai Master 2015 winner". E TV. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Brew Food Revolution". Beerhouse. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Beerhouse in Fourways". Foor 24. Food 24. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Beerhouse Opens in Centurion". Hello Joburg. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  19. ^ "South Africa's Beerhouse has 99 bottles of beer". Brand South Africa. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  20. ^ de Greef, Kimon. "Murder on Long Street: Congolese bouncers and the private security industry". Ground Up. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  21. ^ Caryn, Dolley (13 October 2024). "Timothy Lotter – Cold case heats up as cops look into 2020 Cape Town killing of security boss". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  22. ^ Ludidi, Velani (2 August 2024). "Cape Town's Beerhouse to close doors after fending off extortion underworld for 11 years". Daily Maverick. Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Cape Town's Beerhouse shuts down after intimidation from gang extortion". Newsroom. Cape Independent. 3 August 2024.
  24. ^ Dolley, Caryn. "How 750m in Cape Town's city centre points to South Africa's expansive extortion problem". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  25. ^ Qhobosheane, Jenni Irish. "The Shadow Economy - Uncovering Cape Town's Extortion Networks" (PDF). Global Initiative. Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  26. ^ Velapi, Mzi. "Police plan to catch up with extortion gangs". No. 3 Sept 2024. Elitshanews. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  27. ^ Gastrow, Peter (2 May 2021). "The arrest of alleged Cape Town crime boss Nafiz Modack and three others in connection with the murder of Anti-Gang Unit section commander Charl Kinnear, the attempted murder of criminal lawyer William Booth and counts of extortion, kidnapping and intimidation, has shone a spotlight on the notorious 'Modack group' and a surge in extortion rackets in the city and its expansion into Khayelitsha and other townships". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  28. ^ Duval, Mahira (5 August 2024). "Booysen brothers bloody rivalry: How blood feud led to gang kills". IOL. Cape Argus. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Lifting the veil on extortion in Cape Town". Global Initiative. Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  30. ^ Peterson, Carlo (29 April 2024). "Lifman trial: State witness was initiated into gang by alleged underworld figures, court hear". EWN. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  31. ^ Staff Writer (2 August 2024). "Extortion rackets force Beerhouse to close its doors in Cape Town". Daily Maverick.
  32. ^ Capeargus (2024). "Mark Lifman lays claim to Green Point property of former Beerhouse owner". IOL.
  33. ^ Staff Reporter (3 November 2024). "Mark Lifman murdered: The life and alleged crimes of the controversial Cape businessman". Daily Maverick.
  34. ^ EWN Reporter (4 November 2024). "Mark Lifman murdered, this will shake up organised crime circles". Eyewitness News.
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33°55′31.49″S 18°24′57.70″E / 33.9254139°S 18.4160278°E / -33.9254139; 18.4160278

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