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Castle Brewery

Johannesburg brewery associated with Charles Glass and the brewing precursor to South African Breweries.

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Castle Lager sign used as a representative image for Charles Glass
A Castle Lager sign represents Charles Glass’s brewing legacy. It is not a portrait of Glass. Photo: Ossewa / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC BY 4.0; cropped and resized

Castle Brewery was the Johannesburg brewing precursor associated with Charles Glass. [3][2]

History

AB InBev dates the opening of Glass’s Castle Brewery to 1892. [3]

SABMiller’s history places the SAB head office in Castle Brewery when the company was founded in 1895. [2]

Castle Lager remained a leading brand as SAB expanded. [2]

Frequently asked questions

Was Castle Brewery founded in 1892 or 1895?

AB InBev dates the brewery opening to 1892. SAB uses 1895 for the company. [3][1]

Who was its brewer?

SAB connects Charles Glass with Castle Lager and the brewery. [1]

How is it linked to SAB?

It supplied the brewing precursor and early head office. [2]

Key milestones

  1. AB InBev dates the Castle Brewery opening to this year. [3]

  2. The new SAB company placed its head office in Castle Brewery. [2]

  3. The Castle Brewery expanded. [1]

Founded / co-founded by

  • Charles Glass — Brewer credited with Castle Lager and the 1895 founding story of South African Breweries.

Related articles

Related institutions

  • South African Breweries — South African brewer founded in 1895, now recorded as a wholly owned AB InBev group subsidiary.
  • SABMiller — Former international brewer created from SAB’s expansion and the 2002 Miller transaction, acquired by AB InBev in 2016.

Sources

  1. South African Breweries, Explore our innovations over the last 130 years. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  2. SABMiller plc, Annual Report 2016, 2016-06-01. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  3. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, Our heritage. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩