"We're all about welcoming new friends and bringing South Africans together. No matter who you are, we want you to celebrate with us and raise the new look Castle as a toast not only to our birthday, but also to yourselves for making Castle the brand that it is today and for having overcome a tough year," says Castle Lager brand director Kudzi Mathabire.

The brand says that there is 'much more' to a label than just aesthetics; the design of the new look Castle Lager packs have meaning behind them. The homegrown credentials are a celebration of the hot South African sun, the fresh, clear water used to brew the beer, the 'finest hops harvested in the Waboomskraal Valley near George' and the barley from Caledon and Free State golden maize.

"All our ingredients and packaging are locally sourced; everything that goes into the manufacturing of Castle Lager is made here in our beautiful country and we are proud to chart a new journey in 2020 with you, our biggest supporters," Mathabire adds.

The features of the new look and feel include:
  • a new and modernised 'African' Barley design
  • new, modern shades of gold
  • modernised fonts with the previous shadows dropped
  • brand South Africa endorsement, and
  • a new copy on the neck and back labels of the packaging that pays homage to each of the towns that our ingredients are sourced from. 
Castle Lager has additionally released its new, limited-edition Heritage T-shirts that aim to honour the brand's consumers who have supported them and played a role in the brand's journey over the 125 years.

"To celebrate our staying power and homegrown creds, we've designed a series of shirts that re-purpose some of our most unique and iconic bottle labels over the ages to signal our South African-ness and how far we have come. These yesteryear label designs evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia," Mathabire concludes.

Embedded in the design of each t-shirts is the names of each and every person who impacts Castle Lager through the SAB value stream.

The brand says that these shirts not only celebrate its 125-year history but also honours the teams and people behind the brand (over 10 500 names). The brand employs South Africans to wear these t-shirts as a tribute to the people behind South Africa's favourite beer.

Castle Lager's Heritage T-shirts are available in ivory, maroon and charcoal from Takealot as of Saturday, 26 September.

For more information, visit www.castlelager.co.za. You can also follow Castle Lager on Facebook or on Twitter.