South Africa's drinks scene far exceeds that of the rest of Africa and many other destinations around the world. It's not just lagers and chardonnay.
Iconic South African Drinks
Quick, when you think of the drinks of South Africa, what comes to mind? Maybe you think South African wine and subpar beers. The fact is that Africa isn’t exactly known for its drinks like powerhouse destinations France, Italy, Scotland, and Japan, for example.
Castle Lager
If there’s one drink that seems to run through most of Africa, it’s the commercial production of lager beer. And South Africa is no exception, since it’s home to more than 30% of Africa beer production. The most popular is Castle Lager, one of South Africa’s oldest beers, dating back to 1894.
Craft Beer
In actuality, there’s a thriving craft beer scene in South Africa, especially in the Western Cape, around Cape Town, and Durban. Among them, a couple of my favorites were Boston Breweries and Devil’s Peak, both located in Cape Town. I found myself gravitating to Devil’s Peak IPA, called King’s Blockhouse, which is brewed in the west coast IPA style of brewing and tasted just like home.
Umqombothi
The most local, micro-brewed beer you’ll find in South Africa, however, is umqombothi, which is a low abv beer (no more than 3% usually) made using corn, sorghum malt, yeast and water. Popular among the Xhosa people of South Africa, this isn’t something you’ll find at restaurants or bars, but more likely to find amongst a gathering of locals passing it around.
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Wine
South Africa's Western Cape is actually one of my favorite wine regions in the world. It's in part because of the history, which dates back hundreds of years, but also because it's a strong producer of some of my favorite varietals, including Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Not to mention that South Africa's wine regions, such as Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, are just stupid-beautiful. The best part, you can get great bottles of wine for $10-$20. And glasses of wine for less than $2, like what I had at Cape Town's Old Biscuit Mill. You guys, glasses of wine for less than $2!
If I can only devote one paragraph to South Africa wine (because there’s so much, and it’s so good), then it has to be to pinotage. As the name presumes, it’s a cross between a couple grapes, Cinsaut (also known as Hermitage) and Pinot Noir, and exists as the signature grape of South Africa wine country. As you may expect it’s a red grape, and produces a fruity, yet earthy flavor with a sweet, almost smokey finish. It’s really an underappreciated wine, but if you go to South Africa to drink one wine, make it pinotage, since South Africa is responsible for a majority of its production.
Amarula
Amarula is so delicious, and it hasn’t gone unrecognized, since it won gold medal at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It’s essentially a smooth, aged cream liqeur made from fruit of the African marula tree, which you’ll likely come across in Southern Africa. I’m pretty sure that Amarula is made from the milk of unicorns.
Whiskey
Yes, they like their whiskey in South Africa. You’ll actually see Jameson billboards across the country. However, South Africa also has their own whiskey makers, such as Bain’s, the first South African whiskey to be named “World’s Best Grain Whisky” at Whisky Magazine’s World Whisky Awards. It has some spice to it, so if drinking it neat, you may want to add a splash of water. I highly recommend picking up a bottle if you’re in South Africa, since I consider it one of the best single malt whiskies for the price.
Generally speaking, there's a thriving spirits scene in South Africa. In addition to Bain's, other whiskey producers include Drayman's Highveld, Three Ships, and Knights. Inverroche, a gin producer, became my go-to gin while in South Africa because of their amber gin, which I enjoyed on the rocks with a slice of orange zest (Someone please bring me back a bottle of this!).
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Klipdrift
However, many of these spirits are new to South Africa. Ask locals about South African spirits and they’re likely to instead mention Klipdrift (a.k.a. Klippies), which is a South Africa distilled brandy that dates back to 1938. You’re most likely to hear it referenced to a “Klippie and coke,” which is just that, brandy and coke.
Mampoer and Witblits
Mampoer and witblits are to South Africa what moonshine is to America. The best way to get a taste is through mampoer tours, such as in Groot Marico (just west of Johannesburg), which has tours offered by the Marico tourism office. Many of the mampoer makers produce fruit-infused products, just like you’ll find with some of the larger moonshine makers. That’s right, white lightning baby!
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Rooibos
Well I wasn’t going to write about drinks and not at least mention some non-alcoholic versions. Rooibos, which means “red bush,” is grown in South Africa and is used in tea much like black tea. And thank goodness rooibos (essentially a legume plant, and considered to be medicinal) is non-alcoholic, otherwise, with as much of it as I consumed, I would have been dragged out of Africa.
Rock Shandy
I first learned about the rock shandy when my guide ordered one at the bar, and then came to find out that it’s a popular nonalcoholic drink in Southern African countries. Different variations exist, but it’s largely equal parts sparkling water and lemonade with a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Imagine this!
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South African Cocktail Recipes
Don Pedro
The Don Pedro drink is a must-have alcoholic dessert recipe from South Africa. You can practically find it on almost every single restaurant menu in the country. The Afrikaans community also refers to it as Dom Pedro, the running joke being that if you drink too many of these babies, you turn into a Dumb Pedro. I.e. "dom" in Afrikaans means "dumb" in English.
Traditionally, Don Pedro is a dessert beverage made with vanilla ice cream, double cream and whisky. Only, this time I jazzed up my favourite South African dessert beverage with a generous drizzle of Amarula liqueur. The best part is that you can alter the portions of the ingredients and make the beverage as strong as you want. This homemade cocktail is best served immediately topped with grated chocolate, cocoa powder or a stick of chocolate. What's best you can also experiment with other types of alcohol to make it a stronger cocktail. These include coffee liqueur, kahlua, and brandy.
In fact, the Don Pedro drink is very similar to the typical Irish coffee beverage, just minus the coffee element, although I am pretty sure it would also work well in this Don Pedro recipe. Apparently, chef Danny Ferris of the Belinzona restaurant based in Blouberg created it. The Don Pedro came to existence when Danny travelled on a holiday to Scotland. When he visited a whisky distillery for whisky tastings, one of the owners poured whisky directly over some ice cream. As soon as the ice cream began to melt, the whisky started to infuse with the cream. Thus, the Don Pedro was born! Do you think that this is the true origin of the Don Pedro?
It's not the first time that liqueurs and cream were combined. In fact, back in the 18th and 19th century, coffee as well as rum were topped with whipped cream in Vienna. Amarula contains 17% alcohol. As you can imagine, with Don Pedro traditionally being whisky based, is quite high in alcohol. However, if you really enjoy a stronger Don Pedro, play around with the ratios.
For instance, since the Amarula liqueur is already creamy, you don't need to add so much heavy cream. In addition, you can always add more alcohol. For instance, add a pinch of whisky to cut through the creamy textures. Also, you can use these additional beverages for consistency control. If you find your Don Pedro too thick, you also have two options without having to top up with even more alcohol.
Now, as Amarula is the star of this Don Pedro recipe, you can also make other delicious South African cocktail recipes with it. Why not add some Amarula to boiled custard? If you like creamy shots, check out Alien Brain Hemorrhage. For a super green cocktail recipe, check out the Incredible Hulk Drink.
Alternatively, you can use other liqueurs like Kahlua, Bailey’s, Amaretto, Disaronno, Cointreau, brandy and whisky. Check their percentage of alcohol though and adjust measurements accordingly. Have you ever tried Amarula liqueur?
The Amarula Brandy Alexander
The Amarula Brandy Alexander is a creamy, caramel after-dinner drink made with South Africa’s signature liqueur. Amarula is a cream liqueur made from cream, brandy and the Marula fruit. There’s an elephant on the label to honor the animal’s love for this fruit. The liqueur has a slightly fruity caramel flavor, and it’s wonderful to sip on its own.
The result is a smooth, creamy South African cocktail with a hint of exotic, fruity caramel. This after-dinner drink is totally worth snagging a bottle the next time you see it at the liquor store! In a cocktail shaker * filled with ice, combine brandy, Amarula and cream. Shake well. Pour into two martini glasses *.
Four African-Inspired Cocktails
Having varied and exciting new drinks is guaranteed to keep your customers coming back and distinguish your venue from competitors. We’ve put together four recipes from different African countries, each with its own unique local ingredient. Join us as we go on an African drinks tour!
South Africa - The Walker Smash
Our journey starts in The Cape of Good Hope, and it is here that Sabrina Traubner, Head Instructor at the European Bartender School in Cape Town, has crafted a truly South African whisky cocktail, which she calls "The Walker Smash". It contains Johnnie Walker, with a unique South African ingredient, the infusion of Mrs Balls Chutney, which is a national treasure. Chutney is a condiment blend of minced dried fruit and onion that delivers a blend of savoury and sweet flavours to your food. In a cocktail, it adds contrasting flavours, giving the drink a sense of depth, while also complementing the smoky caramel flavours of Johnnie Walker Black.
Uganda - The Forbidden Fruit
Famous for its Mountains of The Moon, Uganda’s natural beauty is sure to captivate every visitor. But even if you can’t board a plane to savour a taste of Uganda, relax, you can still enjoy the Forbidden Fruit! Bright Pimundu, from the famous Alchemist Kitchen & Bar in Kampala, uses the Guanabana cordial in this gin cocktail. In his own words: “Guanabana is a locally available fruit but largely ignored by bartenders. Using this fruit shows our innovative approach to mixology to give consumers a unique flavour experience.”
Kenya - The Avobabo
Wildlife, the Rift Valley, the noble Masai warriors -- that’s the Kenyan experience. Now you can bring a piece of Kenya to your guests with the Avobabo! As you’ve probably surmised, avocado is the featured local ingredient. Avocado is one of Kenya’s biggest Agri-exports; its skin has been used by local women to smoothen skin and encourage hair growth. As for its role in this vodka mix, “The avocado cordial adds an earthy, grassy and nutty fresh flavour to the cocktail” says Francis.
Nigeria - The Sharms
In the bustling streets of Lagos, one Nigerian mixologist has created a recipe that uses a local pepper to bring a bit of heat and spice to the smokiness of Johnnie Walker Red Label. Gbenle Olawale Shalom from South Eatery & Social House was inspired by his manager to experiment with more spicy ingredients. Using the seeds of alligator pepper, Shalom muddles them in lime and ginger juices, together with some syrup and bitters, and finally some Johnnie Red to top it all off. The result is a highly original whisky cocktail with African spice and floral notes.
