Moritz Kallmeyer

The Climb

Drayman's Brewery & Distillery has been under Moritz Kallmeyer’s ownership since 1997, and the long arc of that tenure is the point: craft here is built through continuity, not speed. Brewing and distilling have been carried on side by side, with each discipline sitting in the same house and shaping the other’s output over time.

Today

At Drayman's Brewery & Distillery, brewing and distilling operate as a dual line of work, giving the business range and a measure of stability. The operation is rooted in Pretoria rather than a coastal whisky region, and that setting matters. It is a business shaped by adaptation, practical ambition, and the need to make several expressions earn their place at once. The commercial pressures are stated plainly by Moritz Kallmeyer, and the candor is part of the craft record. “Being a craft brewer and brewing unique styles of beer didn’t bring in enough money to survive in this business on its own.” He also put the market position in sharper relief: “I think beer didn’t make it on its own being on the front doorstep of one of the biggest major breweries in the world.” Read together, the remarks describe a house built with the economics of the trade in view.

Signature

Moritz's signature wines include Drayman's Highveld Single Malt Whisky, Drayman's Solera Whisky, Drayman's Mampoer, Letzter Wunsch Helles, and Berghof. The range shows the scope of the house: whisky, mampoer, and beer held under one name, with each label working in its own register while still belonging to the same operation.

In Their Words “Being a craft brewer and brewing unique styles of beer didn’t bring in enough money to survive in this business on its own.” “I think beer didn’t make it on its own being on the front doorstep of one of the biggest major breweries in the world.”