These are our best craft beer hang-outs in Johannesburg

Copperlake Brewery

Copperlake Brewery is a haven for beer lovers. Everything about this joint screams "BEER". They consider themselves a 'beerpub', serving their delicious brews and tantalising food. They offer beer tasting, beer pizza (their Smokey Joe is drool worthy) and an adult playground, which features beer pong, giant jenga and battle shots among others. They also offer parties of 10 or more the opportunity to brew their own beer, which they can taste and have bottled four weeks later. Click here for more information.

Gilroy's

For a very long time, Gilroy’s was one of the only family-owned breweries in Gauteng. Pull in for a good time, listen to owner and brewmaster Steve Gilroy spin you a few tall tales as you enjoy his creations. Fun fact: in a James Bond novel, 007 orders a Gilroy's beer and a sandwich at a restaurant in Cape Town. That's how cool this brewery is. They serve pretty good food to boot. Gilroy's fills up fairly quickly on a Saturday, so try and book your table in advance. Click here for more information.

The Irish Club

The Irish Club in Linden has been serving our Irish community, especially on St. Patties, for a very long time. Recently, the Irish, as it’s known to the locals, has been serving craft beer. From IPAs to bitters and everything in between can be consumed here; at bottom-line prices to boot. It's the kind of place where you meet up with old friends over a pint or watch the Boks take on the Irish over a cold Guinness. Click here for more information.

The Black Horse

The Black Horse is a lovely country estate out in Muldersdrift. The estate features a distillery, restaurant, wedding venue, accommodation and of course, a brewery. They are a bit more posh than the average brewery but who says drinking beer can't be classy? It is a great place to stop for a late lunch and a few beers. We recommend the Wild Mushroom Basket, tarragon wild mushrooms in a phyllo pastry basket, for starters. Followed by a Goliath Burger topped with caramelised onions, bacon, cheese, gherkins, tomato, lettuce and their delicious sauce. With all that, you're going to need a cold and bitter drink to help lubricate your throat. They have many a beer to choose from, but you only live once so try the blind dog; a limited addition beer for that week or month. You might be lucky and score a delicious watermelon craft beer - yummy. Click here for more information.

Tiger's Milk

All the way from Cape Town, Tiger's Milk is a sidewalk surfer's paradise. It's a "dude food made good" type of joint that serves up local small-batch brews such as Durban Poision and other famous IPAs. Bring your long blonde hair and bronze body (or not) and enjoy a couple of brews with your brus ... or bros, whichever you prefer. Though Bryanston is far away from the barrel-rolling waves of Muizenberg, you don't have to hang-ten to get your feet wet at Tiger's Milk. The beers are on tap and eager to be poured. This is one of the few places that know about the head-to-body ratio (the amount of beer froth on top of a draught of beer). Click here for more information.

Mad Giant

This brewery is located in Ferreirasdorp. It is well known for the chilled vibe, cold beers and yummy food. They have a wide variety of beers, many of which are available in four packs. These beers have the added bonus of paper lables and packaging, making them environmentally friendly. Another bonus of Mad Giant is that it is partnered with Urbanology, the renown restaurant we have all heard about. The food at Urbanology has been paired with the Mad Giant beers and the food menu even comes with beer suggestions. This is definitely a partnership we can get behind. Click here for more information.