THE WHITE PEACH – IN SEASON FOR A FEW BRIEF MONTHS – PROVIDED THE INSPIRATION FOR WHAT HAS BECOME A CLASSIC COCKTAIL: THE BELLINI. A BEAUTIFUL BLEND OF PEACH TOPPED OF WITH THE ITALIAN SPARKLING WINE, PROSECCO.
Spirits
SHADOW BOXING
STALWART BRANDS SURVIVE BY CHANGING STEREOTYPES AND CHALLENGING CONVENTION – THE IDEA SEEMS INCONGRUOUS, BUT THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT A RELATIVE NEWCOMER IS DOING FOR VICEROY.
RETRO REVIVAL
STEEPED IN (AUSTRALIAN) NOSTALGIA, THE JAPANESE SLIPPER IS A TART-SWEET, NEON HUED COCKTAIL WHICH HAD ITS PEAK IN THE 80S – AND ITS MAKING A COMEBACK!
SAKE AND WABI-SABI
JAPAN HAS A LONG WHISKY PRODUCING CULTURE AND GIN IS CATCHING UP. WABI-SABI IS AN AESTHETIC PRINCIPLE OF ACCEPTING THE IMPERFECTION AND TRANSCIENCE OF THINGS. HECTOR MCBETH SHARES HIS APPRECIATION FOR JAPANESE DRINKS.
DIFFERENT A-PEEL
CITRUS ADDS A ZEST AND A ZING TO LIFE. IT’S A BROADLY APPEALING FLAVOUR OR AROMA USED IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS. FIONA MCDONALD LOOKS AT ITS ROLE IN GIN.
SHAKEN AND CHILLED
WHEN IT COMES TO SPIRITS, THE ONE WITH A HUGE CHUNK OF THE GLOBAL MARKET SHARE IS VODKA. VERSATILITY AND NEUTRALITY IS ITS STRONG SUIT BUT IT’S MICKING GIN BY BECOMING MORE ARTISINAL.
SOUTHERN MEDICINE
A COCKTAIL WHICH INSTANTLY EVOKES SEERSUCKER SUITS, GLASSES SWEATING WITH CONDENSATION AND DRAWLING CONVERSATIONS HELD ON THE VERANDAS OF ANTEBELLUM MANSIONS – THE MINT JULEP.
WHISKY 101
A COMMON MISTAKE IS TO ASSUME THAT BOURBON AND AMERICAN WHISKEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME. AS FIONA MCDONALD WRITES, ALL BOURBON IS WHISKEY, BUT NOT ALL WHISKEY IS BOURBON
BITTER – BUT NOT TWISTED!
WE DROPPED TO LEVEL 1 AS APERITIF SEASON BEGINS. COINCIDENCE? CAN’T BE. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT CAMPARI AND APEROL HERE, LEARN FROM THE ITALIANS AND TAKE YOUR COCKTAIL GAME UP A LEVEL.
THE RISE OF RUM
RUM. IT’S NOT A NEW SPIRIT, BUT IT’S STEADILY BEEN GROWING IN POPULARITY IN SOUTH AFRICA OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS – AMONG HIP DRINKERS, AT LEAST. LEAH VAN DEVENTER LOOKS AT THE HISTORY OF RUM IN THE COUNTRY.