Cheers Vol.27 Nov / Dec 2016

cheers C O M P L I M E N TA R Y M A G A Z I N E

N O V/ D E C 2 0 1 6 V O L 2 7

THE PALE ALE TALE

SUBTLE, HOPPY OR BITTER

FESTIVE NOSTALGIA

MAKE MEMORIES, AS WELL AS COOKIES

SA’S HISTORY OF INNOVATION

LOCAL BUBBLY’S A TRIP ON THE ZAMBEZI QUEEN LUXURY HOUSEBOAT CASES OF KWV CLASSIC COLLECTION WINES

SUCCESS Be sure to visit www. topsatspar. co. za

We’re raising a glass to our founder.

The founder of The Glenlivet set the standard in taste and quality in 1824 with whisky of such exceptional quality that it was soon widely acknowledged to be how a malt whisky should taste.

It is his vision to craft the definitive smooth Speyside single malt that has directed the purpose of The Glenlivet for almost 200 years since then.

Founder’s Reserve is the latest expression in The Glenlivet’s premium range of single malt whiskies and is our tribute to that vision.

Founder’s Reserve is a modern classic.

The perfectly balanced fruity profile of Founder’s Reserve is unmistakably The Glenlivet: delicate aromas of citrus fruit, notably sweet orange, on the nose, and

sweet notes of zesty oranges and pears with just a hint of candy toffee apples on the palate.

But it also has an intense, creamy sweetness from maturation in first fill American oak casks and an unprecedented smoothness that makes Founder’s Reserve just so accessible to non-traditional whisky drinkers.

It can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks or as a great mixer in cocktails.

And because our founder isn’t around to tell us what he actually thinks of it, all we can do is craft our single malt scotch whisky based on the principles he left behind, and raise a glass of it to him. It all comes back to the original.

FOUNDER’S RESERVE

Not For Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18. Enjoy Responsibly.

contents 50

22 36 30 NOV/DEC 2016 VOL27 04 EDITOR’S LETTER

22 WHITE NIGHTS

06 NEWS

28 THE DRINK SLINGER 44 BOOK GIVEAWAY

The message in shocking adverts

TOPS at SPAR Bierfest in Cape Town, Ten of the best wines, KWV’s new cellar chief and more

13 TINUS TALKS

The charms of older vintages

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16 SPARKLING WINE The classic taste of Champagne…but from the Cape

Polish or Russian origin: does it matter to vodka?

WIN: A cocktail making session with Cîroc Apple

30 TALE OF THE ALE

Pale, Indian, American or English – the beer rocks!

34 GOOD LIVING

Good Living items from SPAR

36 ITALIAN STYLE

AND SUBSTANCE Old Town Italy, Umhlanga Rocks

40 TUISNYWERHEID Emile se volstruis resepte en raad

WIN: A copy of Chocolate – Indulge your Inner Chocoholic

48 BLOGSPOT

Teresa Ulyate’s festive season food

52 COCKTAILS Fizzy and fun

54 SOCIAL MEDIA

Batonage stirs things up

Nov/Dec 2016

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CONTENTS | ISSUE 27

“WHETHER THEY’VE VISITED AFRICA OR NOT, PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD CAN ENJOY A TASTE OF THIS CONTINENT WHENEVER THEY OPEN A BOTTLE OF AMARULA.”

WIN! SEE P44 TO WIN A COPY OF THE CHOCOLATE RECIPE BOOK

70 56 26 11 60 APPLICATIONS 56 PAIRING FOOD

& DRINK John Platter’s take on the curry challenge

58 ENTERTAINMENT ZZ Top, Jojo Moyes and Captain America

65

Seek & ye shall find … things to do, places to go

62 SUMMER STYLE

Wearing wraps, sarongs, kikois and pareus

65 THINGAMAJIGS

Wotsits, doodads and other stuff

66 KREEPY & PUTTY Great South African inventions

69 Highlights of Next Issue 69 Competition winners 70 SHOCK & HORROR The impact of an advert

72 LOOPDOP EN LYDENBURG

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Remember you can access the Cheers mag on your mobile, tablet or laptop www.cheersmag.co. za

E D I TO R ’ S LETTER

cheers

team

POP THE CORK ON THE FIZZY STUFF

Publisher Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Editor Fiona McDonald fiona@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director Annalie Boshoff annalie@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising Eloise Meyer eloise@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions Ashlee Attwood ash@integratedmedia.co.za

It’s scary to think that 2017 is just a matter of weeks away. Before the clock strikes midnight on December 31 we need to get through the festive season, with its office parties, family gatherings, holiday braais and host of other social events.

They’re fun – really enjoyable, but it’s important to remember at this time of year that you need to be responsible about your behaviour. Not just the speeding and taking an Uber or taxi rather than drinking and driving, but to be vigilant about buckling up.

I wrote a piece about seatbelt compliance that made me have a bit of a rethink about things. I am totally diligent about wearing my seatbelt. As a young news reporter 20+ years ago I was responsible for transport reporting and took the research about seatbelts to heart.

I will admit to being lax about wearing a belt when seated in the back… until the first time I saw the ‘First Kiss’ road safety advert which the Western Cape Department of Transport flighted before the Easter holidays. It’s not often these days that a road safety message can pack such a literal punch! Backseat passengers are in just as much danger as those up front – and in the event of a collision they can be flung around and cause additional injury and even death when their bodies are turned into missiles. See page 70 for the story.

But changing tack swiftly because I’m depressing myself just writing it… have a read of the article on sparkling wine in South Africa. Just 15 years ago South Africans consumed 700 000 bottles annually. That has more than tripled in the intervening period and we now drink in the region of 2.3 million bottles – and we export 2.5 million bottles! Gone are the days when bubbly was only for New Year’s Eve, Christmas, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or graduations. It seems we South Africans use any excuse to pop the cork on the fizzy stuff. And why wouldn’t we when it’s so darn delicious.

The French are a little twitchy nowadays. Their traditional foe, the English, are making inroads into their sparkling wine turf. Global warming is playing havoc with winemaking traditions and as a result, the English are making better and better bubbly. As critics begin to hail the fizz produced in Kent and elsewhere as world class, more and more vineyards are popping up in the southwest of England.

The French really don’t have too much to worry about just yet; they still produce millions and millions of bottles of the fizzy stuff every year whereas the Brits are constrained by their small plantings and the fact that they – like us – can’t call it Champagne. Due to international protected origin legislation, the fizzy wine can only be called Champagne when it is grown in the designated geographical area of Champagne. But the quality of English sparkling wine is definitely improving – as is that of bubbly in South Africa.

So this Christmas or New Year, think about the fact that local bubbly made according to the traditional French méthode champenoise has been around for just 45 years – and raise a glass to the pioneers.

Wishing you and yours all the very best over the Festive Season and in the coming year.

Cheers

Fiona

FIONA MCDONALD CHEERS EDITOR

c h e e rs m ag.c o.z a

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CheersMag

@CheersMag

Photography Ashlee Attwood & Thinkstock.com Contributors Gerrit Rautenbach, Emile Joubert, Teresa Ulyate, Lucy Corne, Hector McBeth, Siphiliselwe Makhanya, Craig Rautenbach Head Office Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285 Address Suite WB03 Tannery Park 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Postal Address PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701 Printing Paarl Media Cape, a division of Novus Holdings Published by Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR

TOPS at SPAR Jess Nicholson Group Promotions & Advertising Manager – Liquor

STOCKISTS SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest SPAR outlets.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS Competition submissions should reach us no later than 5th December 2016. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suffered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Participants can only win one competition every 3 issues.

THE WORLD’S MOST ADMIRED SOUTH AFRICAN WINE BRAND * *The highest ranked South African Wine Brand featured in the Drinks International Top 50 World’s Most Admired Wine Brands 2016.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN 10 CASES OF WINE FROM ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ADMIRED WINE BRANDS? TWO LUCKY CHEERS READERS WILL EACH WIN 10 CASES OF KWV CLASSIC COLLECTION GRENACHE BLANC.

Perfect for anytime enjoyment, KWV Classic Collection Grenache Blanc is a refreshing fruity white wine which offers up delicious crunchy Granny Smith apple and peach flavours with a light floral and almond nuance.

From sushi to seafood and white meat dishes like chicken Caesar salad, it’s a great match.

To qualify, send in a postcard or e-mail clearly marked Cheers KWV Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the lucky draw. Entry deadline: 5th Dec 2016. Address: cheers@cheersmag.co.za or Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.

Double your chance of winning! Go to www.facebook.com/ CheersMag and LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.

See T&C’s on pg 04

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Ho t news

WE GIVE YOU THE LATEST ON WHAT TO BUY, DO, EAT AND DRINK.

1 Festive beers

Durban and Johannesburg partied hard at the TOPS at SPAR Bierfest but in November, it’s Cape Town’s turn. The beer is guaranteed to be fresh at the Mother City event because it will be held on the grounds of the Newlands Brewery from Friday 4 November to Sunday 6 November – literally a stone’s throw away.

As always, responsible drinking is key and patrons are encouraged to enjoy as much of the delicious special festive brews available as they’d like – so long as they arrange safe transport home. And the brews this year include the Newlands Spring cloudy, unfiltered but tasty Mountain Weiss, Jacob’s Pale Ale and Passionate Blond with its distinctive aromas of passionfruit from the Belgian pilsner malt used in its making.

It wouldn’t be the TOPS at SPAR Bierfest without the blend of Vienna and Munich malts that make up the Royal Bavaria with its rich gold hue, moderate hopping and rounded candy, caramel malt flavour with lightly roasted notes.

After the introduction of specialty beer brand No. 3 Fransen Street and its three small-batch brands in the form of a delicious, almost toffeeflavoured Cream Ale, a pert Irish Red Ale and a traditional wheat beer in the form of Krystal Weiss, there’s a curtain call for them – and their brews.

“In 2016, as we mark our sixth year of being SA’s favourite bierfest, we thought it was time to shake things up!” comments Bierfest owner, Andrew Douglas. “We are revising the layout of our big beautiful brauhaus to give patrons a more natural flow from the outside areas which lends

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itself to a revamp of the live music aspect of the event.”

But it’s not just live music that beer lovers can look forward to at the TOPS at SPAR Bierfest, the Brauhaus hours are filled with opportunities for audience participation where traditional Bavarian bierfest activities are the name of the game and where amazing prizes can be won!

Whether it’s testing your stamina in Mass heben, refining your dress-up skills for the Best Dressed, partaking in the giant Snufftabakkanon (a short sharp dose of Bavarian snuff tobacco administered nasally) or milking a life-size imported Bavarian cow against the clock, attending the TOPS at SPAR Bierfest will ask more of you than just showing off an ability to drink beers by the litre.

Cash is not king at the Bierfest, but alternate currency in the form of crowns will buy your brews and food.

And the food should not be overlooked: bratwurst, bockwurst, eisbein, bratkartoffeln (German fries for those not in the know…), sauerkraut of course, pretzels and so much more.

Vegetarians are well catered for too.

Hospitality packages can be purchased in advance, taking all the hassle out of securing a table and queueing for food. Go for the Braumeister package and you will not only get a table with VIP seating, you’ll et a three-course meal, the devoted attention from your own fraulein, complimentary drinks and steins as well as themed party gear too. Other packages are also available.

Tickets are on sale now (www.bierfest.co.za) and designed to accommodate any budget – be it a Standard Bier Hall ticket to simply gain access right through to some great value hospitality options if you are entertaining clients or guests.

Tickets are available in tables of 6 or 8 and single tickets start at R125 each. If there is one piece of advice organisers can offer, it is “book early to avoid disappointment and secure the best seats in the brauhaus, book for all your friends and make a special day out of it!”

ABOVE: Bier steins, frauleins, lederhosen and a whole lot of fun is what patrons will enjoy at the TOPS at SPAR Bierfest at Newlands Brewery in Cape Town.

2 Ten of the best

The second half of the year sees a host of local wine competitions being held. Prime among them are the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 and Absa Pinotage Top 10 awards. Interesting to note that Perdeberg and Rijk’s were present in both honours lists.

THE CHENIN BLANC TOP 10 WERE Allée Bleue 2015, Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine 2015, Boschendal Sommelier Selection 2015, DeMorgenzon Reserve 2015, Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2015, Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel Fermented 2015, Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Collection 2015, Perdeberg The Dry Land Collection Barrel Fermented 2015, Rijk’s Private Cellar Barrel Fermented 2013 and Spier 21 Gables 2015.

THE 10 BEST PINOTAGE WERE Diemersdal Reserve 2015, Flagstone Writer’s Block 2014, Fleur du Cap Unfiltered 2014, Kanonkop 2010, Knorhoek Two Cubs 2015, KWV The Mentors 2013, L’Avenir Single Block 2014, Perdeberg The Dryland Collection 2014, Rijk’s Reserve 2013 and Rooiberg Reserve 2015.

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5 Highlight for the Lowveld

4 New cellar chief

One of South Africa’s largest wineries, the KWV, has appointed a new head winemaker. With 13 years of winemaking experience under his belt, Wim Truter is well qualified for the post, having spent stints in Australia, the United States and in France, Italy and Spain, where he completed a Masters programme in viticulture and oenology.

De Bruyn Steenkamp, Global Sales & Marketing Director for KWV, says he is thrilled to have Truter on board, confident he will build on KWV’s quality and heritage cues.

“We’ve proven recently that our wines are modern, classy, fruit driven, elegant and relevantly styled. Having worked with Wim before I have no doubt that he will become another proud pioneer for KWV.” Being a winemaker is the dream job, Truter maintains. “What’s not to love – the creativity, the variation – no two days are the same, getting to be outside in the vineyards, the pressure and teamwork in the winery. And, of course, getting to drink the most amazing wines.” He feels up to the challenge and acknowledged that there is already an award winning, talented team in place. “They’re committed to the production of exceptional wines. My goals are to work with them and build on this solid foundation and to continue with this pursuit of quality and excellence both in the vineyards and in the winery.”

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Wine lovers in Nelspruit will be clinking glasses at the second annual TOPS at SPAR wine show which takes place at the Emnotweni Arena from 24 to 26 November. Last year’s show was the first and from all accounts the TOPS at SPAR wine show delivered the goods. The well-oiled wine show machine has so far visited Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria and became synonymous

ABOVE: Full-bodied or fruity – whatever your preference in terms of wine style, there will be something to suit your tastebuds.

with celebrating everything wine – but in a relaxed, fun and edu-tational way.

Organisers have limited the number of producers to just 30 in order to keep the experience exclusive and focussed “providing each exhibitor with a better chance to interact with – and sell to! – our audience of enthusiastic wine consumers.”

Ticket and booking information: www.wineshow.co.za

6 Cognac’s image Hennessy is a Cognac which confers instant status on those who enjoy well matured, rich French brandy. It’s popular with the South African market. And now London photographer Dan Tobin Smith has captured the seven flavour notes in some stunning images, dubbed “Chapters”.

Chapter 1 is titled ‘Sweet Notes’ and the abstract form replicates the role played by candied fruit hitting the palate. Chapter 2 is ‘Rising Heat’ and evokes the sensation of intense heat of the brandy aged in oak barrels.

Chapter 3 is ‘Spicy Edge’ , the strong spicy note that tantalises lips and palate with indistinct peppery flavour and a hint of chocolate. Chapter 4 is ‘Flowing Flame’, the warmth that grows, crests and breaks in the mouth.

The deep cocoa note ‘Chocolate Lull’ makes up Chapter 5 while Chapter 6 – ‘Wood Crunches’ – brings out the oaky, vanilla flavour.

Chapter 7 is the final segment ‘Infinite Echo’ and it’s all about the finish.

Inspired by the Hennessy Comite de Degustation, this striking narrative weaves a 250year rich tapestry and heritage, illustrated by the sophisticated elixir crafted by Hennessy’s master blenders. The result of Hennessy XO’s ‘seven facets’ are striking images that capture intangible sensations, perfectly depicting the spirit of the campaign’s storyline, “Each drop of Hennessy X.O is an odyssey.”

For more information about Hennessy visit www.hennessy.com

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8 Windhoek’s winner

7 Records tumble at wine auctions The demand for South African wine defied doom mongers and those who predicted that the tough economic times would result in low turnover at both the annual Nederburg auction and the Cape Winemakers Guild auction.

Although very different in scale and scope, both auctions notched new records for total turnover as well as individual wines. Nederburg notched up an all time high of R7 953 200 for the 10 200 litres of wine which came under the hammer.

That equated to an average of R740 per litre with the highest price of R22 000 paid for just 3 bottles of 1976 Zonnebloem Shiraz.

Auction manager Dalene Steyn said it was rewarding to see that private buyers accounted for nearly a quarter of all sales. “This resulted in markedly more competitive bidding. We noted an 11% increase in buying from all registered paddles. It’s encouraging, and in line with the Distell strategy for the auction. Further, it shows that our producers are increasingly

receiving fair value for what are world-class wines.”

As in previous years, TOPS at SPAR was one of the largest individual corporate buyers at the Nederburg auction, held for the 42nd time in 2016. Furthermore, the charity auction raised just over R500 000 for two community-based organisations, the Breytenbach Centre in Wellington and the Hope Through Action project in Paarl.

The Cape Winemakers Guild Auction was held for the 32nd consecutive year and also notched up new records: total sales exceeded R13.8 million with new highs for red, white, bubbly and port.

Kanonkop’s CWG Paul Sauer 2013 fetched R13 400 for a case of six bottles while Jordan Chardonnay 2015 was the top white at R9 400 for six bottles. Silverthorn Wines’ Big Dog II Méthode Cap Classique 2011 was knocked down for R7 000 and Boplaas Cape Vintage Auction Reserve 2009 went for the same price per case.

The Toyota Hilux Double Cab bakkie so beloved of South African motorists might be the toughest on the market – but it was also tough to win!

Johannesburg resident Lyle Minott (pictured at left) beat out thousands of other entrants nationwide to be announced the lucky winner of a 2016 model Toyota Hilux worth R480 000, courtesy of Windhoek Beer. The handover took place at TOPS at SPAR Northwold with Windhoek brand manager Lebo Xhola, and assistant brand manager, Katlego Makete, doing the honours.

“I’m extremely thankful to the Windhoek Beer team as well as TOPS at SPAR,” Minott said. “I can’t wait to take my family on the road

in our new Hilux to create some memories.”

In fact, he even joked to his wife just after entering that it would be funny if they won… because nothing seemed to be going right for him. It was a downright disastrous day – a Saturday – and while he didn’t detail what had happened he did say that his day picked up after he bought a 12-pack of Windhoek Beer on his way home before texting his underliner code through to the dedicated SMS line.

“This is the second time we’ve run this competition,” said senior brand manager Maggie Wang, “and it’s evoked a great deal of excitement from our fans. It is important to thank them for their continuous support to the brand.”

9 Unique whisky Pinotage is a truly South African grape since it was “born” in 1925 after local viticulturist Prof Abraham Perold crossed pinot noir with hermitage to create it.

In a world first, local whisky distiller Andy Watts is making the most of this unique heritage by finishing Three Ships whisky in casks previously used for the maturation of pinotage. Just 3 500 bottle of the unique whisky will be available for sale – and it will also be the oldest whisky launched in South Africa to date, a 15 Year Old spirit.

“Whisky finishes are nothing new, but never before has a pinotage cask been used. The idea first came to me in the early 2000s but back then our industry was still very young and the world wasn’t quite ready to accept such innovation from South Africa,” said master distiller Andy Watts. He never let go of the dream. Some years later he had laid grain and malt whisky to rest in American casks for the purpose of finishing the blend in pinotage casks. “That was 15 years ago,” he said. “Seems like half a lifetime has passed since then! This moment of being able to

stand with the finished product in my hand is, in 25 years as a master distiller, truly the pinnacle of my career. I’m literally on cloud nine!”

The grain and malt components of the whisky were first matured separately in American casks before being finished for different periods in eight casks previously used for pinotage. The wine casks imparted the typical pinotage varietal character of red berry fruit and a slight earthiness to the whisky which softens the malt component and complements the sweetness of the grain. With a red berry tinge the whisky is light in style with prominent cherry, plum, tropical fruit and the typical pinotage earthy notes on the nose. The palate is clean with hints of the banana and pineapple ending with a lingering warm finish.

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“Each bottle’s design differs slightly while still paying tribute to the exquisite Protea-inspired elements of the majestic flower so evocative of South Africa.”

10 The taste of summer The makers of Protea wines want you to enjoy the bottle as much as its contents – which is why the beautifully designed bottle is intended for reuse and recycling.

Use it for salad dressings, as awater bottle, plonk a candle in its neck and take it along on a picnic… the only limit is your creativity. But the Protea wine range could be an ideal backdrop to the summer. The range is designed for early enjoyment and “drink now” consumption. There are eight wines in the range – with those best suited to the warm season being a tangy sauvignon blanc, crisp pinot grigio, chardonnay

and a lightly fruity rosé.

Each bottle’s design differs slightly while still paying tribute to the exquisite Protea-inspired elements of the majestic flower so evocative of South Africa.

“The thought process inspiring the range and its label design had in mind the ultimate marriage of the old with the new: the heritage of the vines, innovatively tied into distinctive packaging designs has been made to be re-used and recycled, thus prolonging the life-cycle of the product, which then ultimately aids in caring for the environment,” the Protea press release stated.

11 Happy birthday Jack!

Just say the words “Lynchburg, Tennessee” and whiskey lovers will almost start drooling! That’s the home of the Jack Daniel distillery, the oldest in the United States after having been registered with the federal government way back in 1866.

To commemorate its 150th anniversary, a special, limited edition Tennessee whiskey has been released worldwide – and it’s obviously in rather restricted quantities.

Master Distiller Jeff Arnett created a distinctive taste profile while sticking to the usual ‘recipe’ established by its founder for the iconic Jack

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Daniel’s Old No. 7 – of 80% corn, 12% barley and 8% rye.

The distinctive American white oak barrels were slow-toasted to create a contemporary expression of an 1866 barrel char, Arnett said.

“We wanted to offer a unique whiskey that we think collectors and consumers alike will enjoy for their own celebrations and is as special as the anniversary that it celebrates.”

Once distilled, each drop was mellowed through ten feet of sugar maple charcoal before going into the specially crafted new barrels, adhering to the guidelines required of a Tennessee whiskey.

12 Gold for golden brews

The second South African national beer trophy turned up some interesting finds with entrants converging on the Beerhouse in Long Street, Cape Town for the prizegiving.

Special mention was made of Anvil Ale’s Mjolnir IPA which had the highest score for a small beer; Cape Brewing Company for its Amber Weiss and Imperial IPA (top scores for wheat and hoppy beers respectively, Darling Brew for Long Claw Saison which was tops in the speciality beer segment, Mountain Brewing Co. Copper Dawn Lager (top amber beer) and Striped Horse Pilsner which was adjudged the highest scoring light beer.

Gold medals went to: Anvil Ale – Mjolnir IPA, Black Eagle – Moedersmelk, Boston Breweries Rock Hoppa IPA, Brauhaus Am Damm – Traditions Bock, Cape Brewing Co – Pilsner, Lager, Amber Weiss and Imperial IPA, Darling Brew – Long Claw Saison and Gypsy Mask, Drifter Brewing – Scallywag IPA, Franschoek Beer Co – Stout, Mountain Brewing Co. – Madala’s Gold and Copper Dawn Lager, Newlands Spring – Passionate Blonde, Red Sky – Vampire Robust Porter, Riot Beer – Valve IPA, Striped Horse – Pilsner and Pale Ale and Zwakala – Limpopo Lager To ensure the highest standards, The National Beer Trophy awards are approved by an international body of accrediting judges, who offer an international endorsement of the results, in addition to providing a full audit of the markings.

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14 13 Gold for bottle design

“Whether they’ve visited Africa or not, people from around the world can enjoy a taste of this continent whenever they open a bottle of Amarula.”

Just weeks after Amarula launched its new limited series bottle design, it won an international award. Named the Jabulani bottle after the elephant which has featured in Amarula’s evocative advertising campaigns, the design won a Gold Travel Retail Excellence award at the 2016 Drinks International Travel Retail awards in Cannes, France.

Distell’s Amarula Global General Manager, Dino D’Araujo, said the team was delighted with the award because the Jabulani bottle went deeper than just design aesthetics. “It is fantastic for our new Amarula bottle to be recognised for its design, though the motivation for sculpting the head of an African elephant onto the glass goes further than mere aesthetics. “We are passionate about elephant conservation which is why we recently partnered with Wild Life Direct, a globally recognised conservation group in Kenya. It’s our shared vision, that for many years to come, we will continue to meet the African elephant below the Marula trees. The bottle shows our ongoing commitment and in the hands of travellers this conservation message travels globally.” At the time of the launch D’Araujo said: “We hope that this celebratory series will, during the festive season, inspire more travellers to make this special continent a part of their travel memories.”

He also noted that while the team was delighted to be recognised for the bottle “we are equally vigilant at maintaining the quality of the drink, delivering the unique taste that consumers around the world associate as ‘Africa in a bottle’.”

To p Buy! Healthy drinks Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. That’s the nutritional advice on what the average person should consume every day as part of a healthy balanced diet.

One of the easiest ways to tick that box is by juicing. In its efforts to give its customers what they need, SPAR has made life even more convenient by launching a range of tasty fruit and vegetable juice blends. The Veggie Plus range of juices are handily packaged in one litre containers with the nutritional value of the sugar, salt, fibre and energy content clearly displayed.

Flavours include orange and carrot; tomato, apple and cucumber; beetroot and cucumber and cucumber, sweet potato and other fruits with spinach and ginger extracts.

CHEERS mag staff decided to put a spin on these juices and used the tomato, apple and cucumber in a Bloody

Mary – and might just make this part of the office diet!

BLOODY MARY 3 ice cubes 60ml vodka Juice of half a lemon 6 dashes Worcestershire sauce 3 dashes Tabasco or similar pepper sauce 150ml SPAR Veggie Plus Tomato, apple and cucumber juice Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Slice of lemon or stick of celery to garnish.

1 Place the ice in a hi-ball glass or a tumbler and pour in the vodka.

2 Splash in the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, freshly squeezed lemon juice and the tomato juice. Stir well.

3 Add the salt and pepper to your taste and serve immediately. Enjoy!

15 Harvest fest

Delheim will be filling half-casks with grapes and inviting all enthusiastic souls to join them in stomping them at the popular Stellenbosch wine farm’s annual harvest festival in January. The event takes place on 28 and 29 January 2017 and tickets cost R100 per person for adults and R80 for children. Visit Delheim’s website, Facebook page or email info@delheim.com for further information on how to book – but get in early because this is always a highly subscribed event!

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16 Aid for AIDS

“You can be Sotho, Zulu, English, or French, blood is one colour: red. We can overcome anything when we take it hand-by-hand. Together we can end this.”

ESTHER MAHLANGU

December 1 is marked worldwide as AIDS day. People all over the globe will wear a little red ribbon to show their support for the fight against the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which has affected millions in South Africa alone. Belvedere vodka has released a limited edition RED vodka which sports a bold new design which is the product of a collaboration between musician John Legend and famous Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu. Fully half of all the proceeds raised by this initiative will go to the Global Fund, the leading financier programme to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Mahlangu’s striking and vibrant artwork replaces the traditional Belvedere Palace on the bottle label. Security, support, change and unity are written on the back of the limited edition in Mahlangu’s handwriting signifying the collective sentiment for all those joining the fight against HIV/AIDS. As the campaign ambassador, John Legend’s signature is featured on the front of the bottle.

17 Favourite Things Markets are popular because they offer the chance to buy something hand crafted and made with love and care. Due to popular demand, Gabriëlskloof wine estate has had to extend its festive season Favourite Things market to a three day event. The seventh annual Favourite Things market will take place at Gabriëlskloof near Bot River in the Overberg from 16 o 18 December.

“When last did you stroke a furry alpaca or shopped with a glass of wine in your hand? Our market is a colourful celebration of all our favourite things. It’s for young and old to feast on the best the Overberg and surrounds can offer in terms of design and food and to simply have a lekker kuier on the koppie,” says Nicolene

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Finlayson, the person behind this inspiring artistic celebration.

Among the foodie delights, oysters and bubbly; wine and cheese; fresh bakes and burgers; and, maybe a handmade chocolate or three will be available.

Shop for luxurious items made of alpaca wool; fine local designer jewellery; and, bespoke local and imported clothing.

Exquisite quilts will be on display as well as intricate ceramics and decorative fynbos. There will be handmade toys and knits too plus a lot more.

Now, set this all to music and the magic happens! On Friday night, the Gypsy Jazz trio will play, followed by the dulcet strains of a French accordion on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information: Nicolene Finlayson on 028 284 9865 or nicolene@gabrielskloof.co.za.

T I N U S VA N N I E K E R K | T I N U S TA L K S

FASHIONS, FADS AND PHASES: THEY COME AND GO AND WINE IS NOT IMMUNE TO THEM.

i

t’s fascinating how opinions of wine quality have shifted among South African consumers regarding preferences, vintages and styles over the last 20 years.

By and large, three periods of wine evolution can be identified: pre- 1970, the spell between the end-70’s until the late 90’s, and the time from 2001 until now.

The types and styles of wines produced and marketed pre-1970 were of course determined by situation and circumstance, with viticulture, plant material, winemaking and consumer preferences representing just a few of the criteria which dictated the taste and price of wine.

Some peculiar consumer views prevailed: dry white wine from older vintages – where vintages were indicated – was regarded with suspicion.

For reasons that are mostly attributable to plant material issues, many red wines from the middle period i.e. from the end-70’s until the arrival of the 21st Century, were tannic, alcoholic, lacked finesse and often had high pH readings, exceeding four. Which meant the wines did not develop well, showed colour and age quite soon, lacking acid freshness and fruit expression while not pairing well with food.

During this period a standard consumer question would have been how long a particular wine should be kept in bottle, with many people purchasing six or more bottles to allow for the wine to “bottle mature” and hopefully develop complexity.

Over the past year, I’ve done three sighted tastings with a few wine friends. Some older vintages from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s were lined up. These included Chateau Libertas, Nederburg Cabernet and Selected Cabernet, KWV Roodeberg, Meerendal, Nectar, Meerlust, Rozendal, Bertrams, Uitkyk Carlonet Cabernet Sauvignon, Lanzerac Cabernet and Pinotage, Chateau Monis, Chateau le Roux and the rare GS Cabernet all from the 60’s, as well as Rustenberg, Backsberg and Zonnebloem Cabernet.

From many of these wines we noticed healthy colours, good aromatic fruit with berries and spice aromas coming through, depending on the varietal(s) involved. The wines were balanced and light, with good acid freshness and a general absence of rough tannins, underscored by lower alcohol percentages and upfront fruit. These wines were, and are, simply a joy to drink.

One thing that is known is that at that time ripeness was mostly measured in terms of an average sugar level below 23º Balling, delivering greener fruit characters to the wine.

Although called “Cabernet” in many instances it is also known that most such wines were, in fact, blended with Cinsaut as an important and sometimes predominant component.

All of the wines from the earlier eras originated from low-yielding vineyards not irrigated, with mostly no trellising either. Inferior plant material was everywhere to be found, and due to the further releases to growers of such poor plant material during the second part of the 70’s, it

Style changes through the decades became evident in the early 80’s that the quality of South African wines was nosediving.

Suddenly there were wines around with a more harsh tannic structure, serious mouthfeel and some alcohol apparent. It became an accepted fact that the wine styles between the 40, 50 and 60 vintages and those from the 70’s continuing to the earlier part of the current century were quite different, with 1970 arguably a watershed year.

During the third period with the Mandela regime taking over the government and sanctions and embargoes falling away, better plant material became available, viticulture practices were sharpened up considerably, cellar technology improved – including the wise employment of oak in the maturation of wine.

Nowadays South African wines are being launched successfully into the international markets. Modern consumers prefer wines for earlier drinking and with a wider social applicability, wines with complex aromatics, fruit purity, softer tannins, flavour intensity and concentration, and the alcohol not showing, all prerequisites for joyful and easy imbibing.

A standard consumer question would have been how long a particular wine should be kept in bottle, with many people purchasing six or more bottles to allow for the wine to “bottle mature”.

Nov/Dec 2016

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H OT C O C K TA I L S |

GIN IS THE NEW CRAFT BEER: IT’S BECOME TRENDY AND ULTRA-HIP. SOUTH AFRICA IS MORE FORTUNATE THAN MOST OTHER COUNTRIES IN THAT IT CAN USE HOME GROWN BOTANICALS FOR UNIQUE FLAVOURS.

MORE THAN A

tonic partner

k

WV Cruxland gin uses the softly earthy note of Kalahari truffle to create a ‘one-ofa-kind’ gin that is winning fans the world over. And when mixologists start exercising their creativity and using special syrups and tasty juices to pair with this special spirit, the results can be amazing.

Why don’t you try these over the holiday period? Guaranteed to impress friends and family.

Pink Gin Fizz Kalahari Summer

It might sound as dry as a desert, but this tangy, fruity drink refreshes beautifully.

60ml Cruxland Gin 25ml fresh passion fruit juice 2 bar spoons passion fruit pulp 2 bar spoons cherry syrup 25ml fresh lemon juice 1 bar spoon hibiscus syrup 1 Build all ingredients in a shaker filled with hard ice and shake.

2 Serve in a rock glass with crushed ice.

3 Garnish with 1 cherry, a lemon wedge, passion fruit pulp and 2 small cocktail straws.

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Based on the old classic sour cocktails of yesteryear, this fizz will appeal to lovers of less sweet drinks.

50ml pink Cruxland Gin (infuse the gin for 24 hours with cherries) 1 spoon granulated white sugar 25ml fresh lemon juice 200ml tonic 1 In a shaker filled with hard ice build the pink gin, sugar and lemon juice and shake.

2 In a highball glass filled with hard ice, pour in the 200ml of tonic, then top with the shaker’s ingredients.

3 Serve with a twist of lemon peel and a gin soaked cherry.

The Capetini

Celebrating the South African heritage of spices from the East and the Dutch love of citrus.

40ml Cruxland Gin 30ml Caperitif 1 muddled fresh naartjie 2 sprigs of coriander 1 bar spoon granulated sugar 1 Chill a martini glass with hard ice – then discard.

2 Muddle 1 fresh naartjie with the sugar – hard ice, the gin and the Caperitif and 1 sprig of coriander and shake.

3 Strain into the chilled martini glass.

4 Serve with a sprig of coriander and naartjie zest over the top of the drink.

“A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin and then waving it in the direction of Italy.”

NOEL COWARD

SSBR449756

Taste the secret of the Kalahari.

This African tale unfolds on the dry desert sands of the Kalahari…

When the storms rolled in, the nomadic people would wait for the skies to spit fire onto the earth, creating “X”-shaped lightning cracks where the Kalahari’s desert truffles once lay buried – unearthing the hidden treasure of Africa.

South African gin with a story to tell.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

WINE |

FIZZ

POP & BANG

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S PA R K L I N G W I N E | W I N E

SPARKLING WINE, FIZZ, BUBBLES, SHAMPOO… CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, IT’S A WINE THAT EXCITES PEOPLE. SOUTH AFRICAN WINEMAKERS ARE NO EXCEPTION. FIONA MCDONALD REPORTS ON THE PROGRESS OF THE CATEGORY LOCALLY.

The honour of being the pioneer of bubbly goes to Simonsig’s pater familias, oom Frans Malan who made the first ever sparkling wine in the traditional French Méthode Champenoise way back in the 70’s.

t

he wine business is an expensive one. A joke often trotted out is that to make a small fortune in wine you have to start out with a big one!

Even so, when Graham Beck Wines announced in April this year that it was getting rid of all its still wines and would be focussing ONLY on sparkling wine – and investing R150 million over three years to make it happen, it caught many industry observers by surprise.

But it shouldn’t have because Graham Beck is probably the most focussed, quality driven and near obsessive bubbly producer in the country – and has been for years.

Making the announcement in April, CEO Chris du Toit said this change of direction heralded “the start of positioning the Graham Beck MCC range as the absolute high-end

market leader in the Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) in both the local and international market, focussing on the utmost quality.”

Just four months later, at the 2016 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championship it was announced that Graham Beck’s top bubbly, the Cuvée Clive 2009, was named the Best South African sparkling wine, beating out 60 other entries for the honour.

It soon becomes obvious why Pieter Ferreira has the nickname ‘Bubbles’. He’s not just passionate about this category of wine – he’s near obsessed with it! And he was in on the ground floor of the development of sparkling wine in South Africa.

The honour of being the pioneer of bubbly goes to Simonsig’s pater familias, oom Frans Malan who made the first ever sparkling wine in the traditional French Méthode Champenoise way back in the 70’s.

He wanted to differentiate his local version from the French one: because he wasn’t allowed to call his sparkling wine Champagne as it was not made in the geographically protected production area of France… and he didn’t use the traditional Champagne grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. That first 1971 vintage of Kaapse Vonkel (Cape Sparkle…) was made from Chenin Blanc and it cost a whopping R3 a bottle.

This year Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel turned 45 and continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Simonsig now has three bubblies in their range – the classic Kaapse Vonkel Brut which has migrated over the years to the traditional blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rosé which includes a splash of Pinotage along with Pinot Noir and then the farm’s prestige bottling, Cuv Royale – an all Chardonnay fizz.

South Africa’s bubbly history throws up great characters who have

often pushed this category along through sheer force of personality.

Prime among them is Achim von Arnim who started the bubbly journey while at Boschendal, notching up his own unique firsts before breaking away from corporate winemaking to establish his own label – Cabriere, which subsequently became Haute Cabriere.

Boschendal’s bubbly firsts under Von Arnim’s flamboyant leadership included the Cape’s first bubbly fizz to use only Pinot Noir as its red grape component in 1982 as well as the first all Chardonnay sparkling wine in 1985. According to the 1990 edition of the Platter Guide, Cecil John Rhodes’ historical wine farm’s first sparkling wine was a rather interesting mix of Riesling, Shiraz, Tinta Barocca and even Pinotage! Current members of the local Méthode Cap Classique Association would probably just shake their heads and laugh at that crazy combination of grapes in a bubbly.

Another character who promoted the category was Nicky Krone of Twee Jonge Gezellen. He was crowned the Diners Club Winemaker of the year in 1995 with his 1993 vintage Krone Borealis. The name is an obvious play on the family surname but also on the word crown – and borealis is a nod to the vineyard location under the stars of the southern hemisphere in the town of Tulbagh.

Again, reported in the Platter Guide of 1997, Krone advocated bubbly for its health giving properties.

“It’s all because of the negative ions,” he maintained. Positive ions have negative effects on the human metabolism. Bubbly, on the other hand, delivers high-octane negative ions. “Take that, all the amino acids trapped in a bottle, and you’ve got an aphrodisiac of Nobel Prize-winning Nov/Dec 2016

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W I N E | S PA R K L I N G W I N E RIGHT: Graham Beck has trimmed its range to focus solely on sparkling wines and will invest R150 million over the next few years.

proportions.” And that was before you even added a single oyster to the mix!

Villiera’s Jeff Grier is way less flamboyant than the painting and poetry-creating Von Arnim or aphrodisiac-advocating Nicky Krone but he helped create the solid foundation upon which South Africa’s burgeoning sparkling wine reputation is built.

The 1990 Platter Guide reported: “Villiera’s name is paraded in the market place chiefly by the successful, zesty and modestly priced Tradition de Charles de Fére, which puts good methode champenoise bubbly within the reach of most of us. (Still about R10 a bottle from the farm in 1989.)”

Grier benefited from the input of Champagne producer Jean-Louis Denois, with reciprocal visits between Stellenbosch and France during harvest honing his skills and eventually seeing the Tradition range of bubblies extended to its current five wines: the non-vintage Brut, Rosé Brut NV, Starlight Brut NV, flagship Monro Brut which spends an impressive five years gaining lees maturity and the Brut Natural – the first ever wine to cater for folks who battle with sulphur allergies.

Tradition was started in the late

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80’s, coincidentally around the same time that a young Pieter Ferreira was being infected with the bubbly bug by the poetry writing and contemporary art creating Von Arnim at Boschendal.

Ferreira has been the winemaker at Graham Beck’s Robertson winery since 1990. Established in 1983, its first bottling was in 1991. “We are elated about focusing solely on MCC,” the cellar master said in April. “Listening to the market in our journey of constantly increasing our quality, finesse and timeless appeal has always been a priority. Our commitment to being the best means making strategic and investment decisions in our continued pursuit for the perfect bubble.”

So that R150 million will be spent on more specialist equipment for the cellar, additional storage space and warehousing as well as on the vineyards – from whence all goodness flows. (It must also be noted that TOPS at SPAR’s Mirabilis bubbly was produced and matured in the Graham Beck cellar… and at one point, after tasting it, Ferreira made an offer to buy it back!)

One of the greatest reasons for the continual improvement in quality – and appreciation of this style of wine – has been because of the Cap Classique Producers’ Association.

Established in 1992 by “a group of like-minded producers who share a passion for bottle-fermented sparkling wines, made according to the traditional method (Méthode Champenoise)”.

The aim of the organisation was initially to “promote South Africa’s premium Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) wines, as well as the common interests of the producers”. This remains their objective but along the way that have sought to improve standards, establishing technical

S PA R K L I N G W I N E | W I N E

“Bubbly delivers high-octane negative ions.

“Take that, all the amino acids trapped in a bottle, and you’ve got an aphrodisiac of Nobel Prizewinning proportions.”

– NICKY KRONE

Nov/Dec 2016

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W I N E | S PA R K L I N G W I N E

Cap Classique is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic of South Africa’s wine categories and is also one which is well received by consumers and critics alike.

criteria such as the minimum amount of time that MCC should spend on the lees to be deemed good and proper and worthy of MCC status.

As its website notes: “Significantly, all the serious producers of Cap Classique are members of the Association and they share a common objective of cultural and educational upliftment of the community.”

Cap Classique is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic of South Africa’s wine categories and is also one which is well received by consumers and critics alike. When WINE magazine began the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge 15 years ago, the inaugural winner was Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel. Amorim’s MD in South Africa, Joaquim Sa reported at the 15th staging of the competition in September this year that back then, 700 000 bottles of MCC were sold locally. In 2015 that figure had jumped to 2.3 million sold locally – and 2.5 million bottles exported! The sophistication of the local market also meant that the competition had grown to four categories, including a museum class to acknowledge older bubblies.

Overall bragging rights as 2016 Amorim MCC champion went to Anura of Paarl, with Colmant of Franschhoek winning best blanc de blanc and specialist bubbly cellar from Stellenbosch, JC Le Roux, claiming the rosé and museum class awards.

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The final word goes to Graham Beck’s CEO Chris du Toit: “We are passionate about the journey we’re on and believe the best is yet to come.” The investment and faith of the company’s owner and directors demonstrated “Graham Beck’s unwavering commitment to the creation of high end products synonymous with sophistication, timelessness and superb quality.”

What is Méthode Cap Classique or MCC?

It’s sparkling wine made according to the traditional Champagne method – but in South Africa.

In a nutshell, the grapes are picked earlier than for normal table wine in order to retain the slightly higher acidity levels.

These grapes undergo a primary fermentation turning them into wine – called base wine.

This acidic wine is then bottled in the distinctive Champagne-type bottle, with the liqueur de tirage added to kick-start the secondary fermentation before being sealed with a crown cap. (That’s the kind of cap that goes on a beer bottle.)

Then the magic of a second fermentation happens inside the bottle… the yeast ferments the remaining grape sugars and gives off carbon dioxide (CO2) in the process. There’s nowhere for the CO2 gas to escape so it’s absorbed into the wine as fine bubbles.

WHY CAN’T WE CALL OUR SPARKLING WINE CHAMPAGNE? Only sparkling wine produced in the French region of Champagne can be called Champagne.

It’s a geographically protected wine of origin – like Port from the Douro region of Portugal or Sherry from the Jerez region of Spain.

THE ALBUM IS HERE

BUY ANY ABSOLUT AND GET AN EXCLUSIVE FREE TRACK #BeAbsolut Ts & Cs apply. Promotion period: 1 November - 31 December 2016.

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. NOT FOR SALE TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

S P I R I T S | VO D K A

VA-VA-VODKA! RIGHT: Diamond bright, crystal clear – the popularity of vodka shows no sign of waning the world over.

SALES OF WHITE SPIRITS CONTINUE TO

a

s South Africans we should all be forgiven for thinking that vodka was a purely Russian product. After all, that’s what the movies portray, right? And also that Smirnoff was Russian and that it was made from potato or grains.

Well, Smirnoff might have started off Russian but it’s now owned by British company Diageo and is made all over the world!

It’s also interesting that Polish historians are claiming vodka as their invention and that its name is derived from the Polish word woda as opposed to the Russian word voda – both of which mean water…

The Russians and Polish dispute this – naturally – with the former claiming that the Polish recipe from the 8th century is that of a crude wine whereas their 9th century bread wine recipe clearly uses grains, the common raw ingredient for most vodka.

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HOLD SWAY OVER ANY OTHER – AND KING OF THEM ALL IS VODKA. HECTOR MCBETH REPORTS ON THE GROWTH OF THIS CATEGORY.

Factual proof of which nation was the first to produce this spirit is lost in the mists of time but there is little denying that its origins lie in the Eastern European block now known as the vodka belt.

So the question therefore is, what is vodka made from? In 2006, the European Union tried to clarify this but discrepancies remain, in that the traditionalists – Poland, Finland, Sweden and the Ukraine – would like vodka to be made of cereals, sugar beets or potatoes only. However, the new world want the use of sugarcane

and grapes as well as other products approved. (For me, the commonly used Russian ingredient of sugar beets immediately makes me think of Stroh rum, while potato brings to mind Japenese distillate sochu and cereals I automatically associate with whisky.) So as the law currently stands, in Europe all vodka made from sugar beets, potato or cereals may use the word vodka on its label – whereas those utilising different raw materials need to state ‘vodka made of grapes/molasses’ or whatever it is.

So why do they want to restrict the permissible ingredients to omit grapes? The experts claim that it’s a quality issue: they don’t want people to start distilling leftover apple or plum juice and then jumping on vodka’s success by producing a lesser product and damaging its reputation.

One has to wonder about this, though since South Africa’s Mainstay cane spirit won the trophy for best vodka at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2007! It seems you can create great vodka using less traditional ingredients. But there’s definitely an argument for drawing the line somewhere. Probably the

| SPIRITS

Nov/Dec 2016

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LEFT: A Cosmopolitan just wouldn’t be the same without vodka! That delicious blend of Triple Sec, cranberry juice and squeeze of lime needs the clear white spirit base to make it live.

most bizarre example of this concept is Bakon Vodka, a clear potato vodka flavoured with bacon! Yes: bacon!

Infused or flavoured vodkas have been a notable trend in this category for the last 10 years or so. Technically though, adding flavours to vodka, in terms of South African law, means it’s no longer vodka.

Our laws state that vodka is to be produced by the distillation of any fermented, undiluted harmless vegetable article in a rectifying or fractionating column. It may not have any distinctive characteristic, aroma, taste or colour and it must have an alcohol content of at least 43% ABV. Vodka is so much like the new make spirit, the freshly distilled product that then goes on to become the sochu, whisky or even rum of other countries. It’s the first step in all those products, but rather than adding flavours, colour, ageing or altering it is simply charcoal filtered to give a clear bright spirit that has little or no aroma and taste.

However, purists maintain that vodka has its own, unique taste. The fact remains that it is made by the initial fermentation of a base product (sugar beet, cereal etc) that contains natural sugars or starches. Through the process of fermentation, these sugars or starches are converted to alcohols and ethanols – which is in turn distilled to a higher alcohol by volume (ABV) level of about 94 proof.

This liquid is then watered down to 37.5% ABV minimum and in South Africa to a minimum of 43%. Bottling is the final step.

Russia, Finland and Poland all name vodka as their national drink and with sales raking in more than

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$12 billion a year, it appears it may actually be the global drink of choice.

It’s certainly had a very good run in the last four decades. With cocktails making a big comeback since the 80’s and vodka being an excellent mixer, it lent itself to great expansion and experimentation. In the 90’s Absolut became a phenomenon, primarily with its iconic bottle design and advertising, but also started the premiumisation of vodka. Grey Goose and Belvedere began creating superior luxury vodka for the first time and sparked an entirely new demand.

Grey Goose’s story is one of pure opportunistic genius. Drinks man Sidney Frank always preached that it was easier to marry a million than to make a million… He’d trademarked the brand Grey Goose in the 70’s, at the time when it was a German wine.

After good success with Jägermeister, he instructed his company it was time for a new luxury spirit. And it had to be French as the USA associated luxury with France. After much deliberation they came up with the best of the best wheats from Paris which were then fermented to 10% ABV. This base liquor was then sent off to Cognac for distillation and filtering through copper. In 1996 Grey Goose was born. Just eight years later Bacardi bought it for $2,2 billion! In 2004, it was the number one vodka in the USA, selling 1,5 million cases.

So it would seem that the ability to adapt to stay relevant and dynamic is the secret to vodka’s success, rather than the need to box it in, define and restrict it. It’s obviously the modern world’s spirit of choice and has been for the last 200 years. It’s also likely to continue for the next 200, reflective of our taste rather than defined by us.

VO D K A | TA S T I N G

ELEVEN VODKAS, RANGING IN PRICE, METHOD OF PRODUCTION, RAW MATERIAL AND ALSO QUALITY. QUITE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF THE APPARENT NEUTRALITY OF THE SPIRIT. BUT WHAT THE TASTERS – HECTOR MC BETH, CLIFFORD ROBERTS, FIONA MCDONALD AND SHAYNE DOWLING FOUND WAS THAT VODKA IS NOT SO NEUTRAL!

Smirnoff

(Locally produced, triple distilled, grain based) Subtle nose – most neutral of all. Peppery spirit bite on entry and then it opens up, becoming a touch hard. McBeth explained that this is because of the tannins associated with grain distillation – something Russian Bear doesn’t have because it’s distilled from sugar cane.

Russian Bear

(Locally produced, triple distilled, cane spirit base) Light grassy nose, hint of charcoal from the filtering process. Initial spirit hit and then it rounds out into a very smooth, silky palate which creates an impression of sweetness with a vanilla edge.

s

pirits expert and retailer Mc Beth said what this tasting demonstrated was that the base product – the stuff the vodka is made of – has a huge impact on the final result. “That’s firstly why mixologists really have to know what the base product is, whether its grape spirit, cane, grain or rye – because of the way it affects cocktail flavour, and also why the European Union is beginning to lay down the law about what true vodka can be made of.”

Panel Choice!

LA U P O P

R

20 1 R 9 R9

Nov/Dec 2016

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TA S T I N G | VO D K A

Stolichnaya Skyy

Absolut

(Imported from Sweden, triple distilled, wheat based) McDonald found pine resin and wood shavings on the nose while Dowling noted bran mash or porridge aromas. Roberts said the flavour was reminiscent of dried fruit – but with a bran mash note too.

(Imported from Italy, quadruple distilled, wheat based) A touch vegetal and even weedy on the nose. The taste is distinctly spiritous and probably the most neutral flavoured which would make it good for cocktails.

(Imported from Latvia, quadruple distilled, grain based) Gentle – very faint – floral aroma. Dowling picked up a flavour of boiled sweets and candy in the mouth while McBeth and McDonald both noted icing sugar or baker’s frosting flavour.

Panel Choice!

M U I M E PR

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Ketel One

(Imported from the Netherlands, triple distilled, wheat based) The small batch distillation makes this a mixologist’s favourite.

Notable lemon oil and citrus aromatic highlights that follow to the palate. Smooth textured with vanilla notes too.

VO D K A | TA S T I N G

Belvedere

(Imported from Poland, quadruple distilled, grain based – rye) McBeth pointed out that rye vodkas are spicier than other grain vodkas.

Light roasted nut and dandelion aroma.

Peppery bite in the mouth initially and then spice and vanilla notes come through.

Grey Goose Cîroc

(Imported from France, distilled five times, grape based) The most powerful nose of all – lemongrass and lemon verbena aromas. The texture was amazing.

“So sippable!” said Dowling, “It’s wonderful.” Distinct lemon zest and lemon oil flavours too.

(Imported from France, five times distilled, wheat based) Slight perfumed nose, with more dandelion. Dowling noted a bran mash flavour while McBeth likened the taste to flour paste. Freshly ground pepper was apparent too. “A classic French vodka with an exceptional smoothness and a palate of cracked pepper, liquorice, and butter, with a lingering aniseed flavor.”

Panel Choice!

Skyy90

Absolut Elyx

(Imported from Sweden, triple distilled, wheat based) Rather a special product since it’s made from a single estate and is handcrafted in an almost century old copper still! Nose of apple strudel or Danish pastry McBeth found, while the taste was initially fiery but then became silky smooth and velvety.

(Imported from Italy, quadruple distilled, grain based) Smooth, very neutral, light papery aroma.

Gentle in the mouth with notable neutrality and smoothness.

Y R U X U L

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A DV E RTO R I A L |

The Toast 30ml Cîroc Snap frost vodka 15ml Monin elderflower syrup 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 can of soda water 1 Add all the ingredients apart from the soda water together into a sealable container that will be filled with cubed ice.

2 Give that all a shake and strain the liquid out into a Champagne flute, keeping the ice in your container.

3 Top the drink up with the chilled soda water.

#THEDRINKSLINGER f lorida’s Miami Beach is one of the world’s most iconic fun spots and it’s where Dom De Lorenzo – the Drink Slinger – got to hang out recently.

Miami is awesome – with an amazing party vibe but the contestants in the recent global finals of Diageo Reserve’s World Class Bartender of the year 2016 were there to work And it wasn’t easy! There is a beautiful and exciting buzz surrounding luxury cocktails – especially since 56 of the worlds trendiest and most talented bartenders competed in Miami over four days to lay claim to the title of the best global bartender. It was gruelling for them but fantastic for the rest of us to watch them putting all their skills on the line.

The ‘last man standing’ was a woman! For the first time since the inception of the competition in 2009 the honours went to Jennifer Le Nechet of France. The competition venue was the iconic 1 Hotel on the South Beach of Miami. As Diageo’s World Class brand ambassador, I was lucky enough to be involved in this year’s event playing a support role for South Africa’s national winner, Dominic Walsh. The week was filled with activity, attended by industry giants, master distillers, brand owners, celebrities and the contestants and spectators. I was really proud that Walsh placed 15th overall.

One of the men I was honoured to spend some time with, was the master distiller for Cîroc Vodka – Jean-Sebastien Robiquet. This memorable experience, as well the launch of Cîroc’s newest flavour in South Africa – Apple, brings me to my next recommended recipes to enjoy this summer… Let me know what you think and remember that I am here to assist if you need any help!

The Drink Slinger is here to help for any occasion that needs a decent drink. Whether it’s a cocktail, a special gin and tonic, a celebration shooter or even a different way to enjoy beer... I’m your man! Please reach out with any questions or feedback. Until next time, you stay classy!

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CÎROC SNAP FROST Cîroc Snap frost hails from the South of France where it’s said that grapes are for kings.

Cîroc is crafted from locally grown grapes which give it a truly luxurious and flavourful finish. With a soft, clean nose but a slight crispness on the palate, the flavours of grape and citrus fruits come through nicely with some sweetness and a velvety mouth feel.

The heritage of Cîroc brings to mind things that can only be imagined in the movies: like enjoying the sun and sand on a beach in the South of France… Cîroc will go perfectly with any kind of friendly gathering – be it day or night. Summer’s here and social gatherings are happening more frequently.

“The Toast” is something anyone can create and it’ll truly make you feel like a king.

Only in “Nice”

50ml Cîroc Pineapple 50ml pineapple juice 15ml sugar syrup 20ml lemon juice Pineapple jelly 1 Begin by rimming your martini glass with some Pineapple jelly powder and placing it in the fridge to chill.

2 Add all ingredients together into a small sealable container (or cocktail shaker if you have), and fill with ice.

3 Shake everything together until it’s super cold and strain into the rimmed Martini glass.

4 Garnish with a fresh piece of pineapple.

T H E D R I N KS L I N G E R@ C H E E RS.CO. Z A

The Secret Garden

50ml Cîroc Apple 12.5ml fresh lime juice 50ml apple juice 10 mint leaves 10ml sugar syrup 1 Add all the ingredients to a tall glass.

2 Clap and drop the mint into the glass and stir it all together with some crushed ice.

3 Once combined, top with some more crushed ice and garnish with some fresh mint leaves.

D R I N KS L I N G E RSA

T H E D R I N KS L I N G E RSA

NEW CÎROC PINEAPPLE Cîroc Pineapple has the same great base as Cîroc Snap frost but with the addition of a fresh and fruity Pineapple essence.

On the nose you will get freshly crushed pineapple while in the mouth that succulent pineapple comes through with a touch of vanilla. It’ll finish silky smooth, to remind you of that sweet pineapple nectar.

What to make with Cîroc Pineapple? Ask yourself: ‘If you were in Nice, what would you be drinking?’ So…“Only in Nice” is exactly that – a beautifully simple and refreshing drink which harks back to sunshine, sand and warm water.

COMPETITION

CÎROC APPLE Apple is the newest addition to the Cîroc family, with the same great base used for the original Cîroc, but with crisp green apple flavor.

Apple on the nose and apple on the palate – juicy ripe apple with a touch of vanilla at the end. The finish is crisp and refreshing.

My first taste of Cîroc Apple took me to a secret garden in my imagination, with gentle breezes and the sun kissing my skin.

It truly is a beautiful vodka with great flavour, perfect for occasions when you want to show off to friends and family.

To celebrate new CÎROC Apple, we’ll be running a small competition that will allow you and five friends to enjoy a three hour cocktail making session and sundowners with me … at your home.

To enter all you need to do is follow @TheDrinkSlingerSA on Instagram and then post a photo of yourself and some friends enjoying one of the Cîroc cocktails listed above, using #CîrocLifeSA. You could be a winner!

Prize is valued at R10 000. Best photo will be awarded on the 15th December.

Sep/Oct 2016

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B E E R | PA L E A L E

THE AUTHOR OF AFRICAN BREW, SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST DEDICATED BEER BOOK, LUCY CORNE – ALSO KNOWN AS THE BREWMISTRESS (www.brewmistress.co.za) – SHARES HER INSIGHT ON PALE ALES.

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few years ago, finding anything other than a golden lager in a South African liquor store was a tall order.

There were plenty of brands – lagers from South Africa, lagers from other African countries and indeed lagers from the rest of the world. Regardless of where it came from, the beer inside your bottle, can or keg was all the same style.

Then the so-called craft revolution arrived and our beer landscape was changed forever.

Now our fridges are full of stouts and saisons, pilsners and porters, witbier, weissbier and many, many versions of pale ale.

Pale ale is a wide-reaching beer category. Its degree of “paleness” can vary from yellowgold to a light copper colour; its alcohol content wavers from as low as 3% ABV to upwards of 6% and its flavours change quite substantially depending on the malt, hops and yeast chosen for each particular brew.

It all began in the late 17th century. New kilning methods meant that maltsters – those who transform plain old barley into wonderful malt – could at last produce paler malts. Until then, technology – or the lack thereof – had only allowed for darker malts which meant that drinkers were limited to darker ales such as porter, brown ale and stout. The new, lighter beers were referred to as ‘pale ale’ and the name kind of stuck.

Fast forward a couple of hundred years and the style has been both refined and expanded upon. There are now vague guide-lines suggesting what a pale ale should look like, smell and taste but today we also have numerous types of pale ale. Even a casual browse of local liquor store shelves will reveal American pale ales and English pale ales, Belgian pale ale, India pale ale and of course, South African pale ale.

So what’s the difference between them all? Well, it basically comes down to the ingredients chosen for each particular brew.

Technology had only allowed for darker malts which meant that drinkers were limited to darker ales.

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AMERICAN PALE ALE One of the most sought-after and oft-brewed craft beer styles, American Pale Ale (or APA for short) as we know it dates back only a few decades. It was 1980 when California brewery Sierra Nevada released their pale ale using fruity US hops. This flawless beer remains a benchmark for the style and an inspiration to brewers around the world. APA is a hop-forward, easy-drinking beer, light on malt flavours and not too strong in alcohol (usually around 4.5 - 5.5% ABV). Expect aromas of passion fruit, pine trees, citrus or peaches, with just a touch of toasty or caramel-like malt flavour to keep things somewhat balanced. It’s an iconic craft beer style around the world and South Africa is no exception. My advice is to track down local versions from Devil’s Peak Brewing Company, Lakeside Brew Works, That Brewing Company and Clarens Brewery.

Cape Brewing Company’s canned Pale Ale is a great lead into the style – not so hoppy, a bit less bitter and very, very quaffable.

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ENGLISH PALE ALE These days the term ‘English Pale Ale’ has fallen out of favour, replaced by a range of other styles that fit within the parameters of what a pale ale should be. Look out for English bitter or golden ale if you want a British take on the pale ale. English hops tend to be more muted, subtle and slightly spicier than its American counterpart. Instead of fruit salad and forest floor, expect earthy, woody, peppery aromas from the English-style pale ales. It’s not just about hops though: English beers tend to be defined by their malt character. Look for biscuit, toast and perhaps a hint of toffee shining through alongside the chosen hops. English styles are under-represented in South Africa, but hunt down Bosun’s Bitter from Mitchell’s, Woodstock Brewery’s Rhythm Stick, the English ales from Copper Lake, Cockpit and Swagga, plus Dissident Brewing Company’s golden ale.

English hops tend to be more muted, subtle and slightly spicier than its American counterpart. Instead of fruit salad and forest floor, expect earthy, woody, peppery aromas.

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SOUTH AFRICAN PALE ALE So if an APA is American because its hops hail from there, and an English bitter is English due to the home-grown malts, what makes a South African pale ale South African?

Well, a bit of both – both hops and malt that is. Many South African craft brewers like to stick to local ingredients; it keeps things proudly South African and helps to keep the cost of your beer down. Some SA pale ales will use all local malt (produced in Caledon) and hops (grown in George) while others spice things up a little by using imported speciality malts to give a greater depth of flavour. Check out Jack Black’s Cape Pale Ale, Standeaven’s No. 7 African Pale Ale or Two Okes South African Pale Ale.

One beer writer described his first IPA as being like “drinking in colour for the first time”.

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ABOVE: “We’ll drink to that!”

South African, American, British or Indian – they all taste good.

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INDIA PALE ALE Here’s where it gets a bit confusing, for none of the ingredients in an India Pale Ale have been anywhere near the subcontinent... There are so many stories and legends surrounding the origin of the style that books have been written on the topic. Let’s just say that back in the 19th century, pale ale, along with the longerestablished darker beers, started being shipped to the British colonies, including India. Today though, the IPA has little to do with the beers the Raj might have enjoyed with their tiffin.

BEER IPA The easiest way to think of an IPA is as a pale ale on steroids. So an American IPA is stronger in alcohol (at least 5.5%, rising to around 7.5%), more bitter than a pale ale and with massive whiffs of pleasantly pungent American hops. American IPAs are all about hops and can be a bit of an acquired taste – though once you’ve acquired it, you’ll never see lager the same way again. One beer writer described his first IPA as being like “drinking in colour for the first time”.

English IPAs are a touch more balanced – you will find evidence of malt in the aroma and flavour, though balance is not a key component to any IPA. Expect a bitter, crisp, fairly dry beer with alcohol in the range of 5 – 6.5% and aromas of pepper and flowers.

As with the pale ales, American versions end to be more popular in South Africa than English ones.

Fine examples include Devil’s Peak’s The King’s Blockhouse, Riot’s Valve, Drifter Brewing Company’s Scallywag, Agar Brewery’s Tomahawk and Giant IPA from Aegir Project. If it’s an English IPA that you seek, try Atlantic Storm’s Red Coat or Citizen’s Saboteur.

Whether you go for the subtle, the bitter, the massively hopped or the proudly local, pale ales are guaranteed thirst quenchers, perfect for sipping on while you flip the meat on the braai. And with summer here, I think we can all drink to that.

S PA R G O O D L I V I N G |

SPAR Good Living Keep refreshed this summer

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SUMMER HOLIDAYS ARE WHEN FAMILIES MAKE THE MOST OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS. SPAR GOOD LIVING HAS A RANGE OF GEAR TO KEEP YOU FEELING REFRESHED THIS SEASON.

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1 SPORTS BOTTLES 700ml – assorted colours; ergonomically designed; easy grip; BPA free; made from Tritan plastic; non-toxic.

2 FRESHLINE COOLER BAG –23 litre capacity; foil lined; eco-friendly – PP5 recyclable and photodegradable; food safe; lead free; water resistant; wipes clean.

3 BEACH TOWELS / GYM TOWELS – can be used for gym and exercise activities as well as holidays; available in medium size (70 x 130cm) and large size (90 x 150cm); made from 100% cotton; assorted designs.

4 ALUMINIUM SPORTS BOTTLES 500ml – assorted colours; with pop-up drinking spout; non-toxic.

5 SIP BOTTLES 450ml – assorted colours; ergonomically designed; non-toxic.

6 TWIST CAP WATER BOTTLES 500ml – available in pink/blue; made from Tritan plastic; cap made with Perfect Seal technology; can be stacked for easy storage; top-rack dishwasher and freezer safe.

All hydration bottles are ideal for home, school, picnics, sport and work.

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O L D TO W N I TA LY | R E S TAU R A N T

THIS PAGE: Style and substance. Skimmed and polished concrete floors, distinctive metro tiles and copper highlights provide the former while shelves groan with Italian produce – Aperol, Amaro, sparkling wines – add the latter.

There’s always a lively buzz.

ITALIAN FOOD IS SO MUCH MORE THAN PIZZA AND PASTA. IT’S LOVED

BY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, NOT JUST FOR THE FLAVOURS BUT PROBABLY BECAUSE EVERYONE WISHES THEY HAD AN ITALIAN MAMA COOKING FOR THEM! SIPHILISELWE MAKHANYA TAKES A LOOK AT UMHLANGA’S OLD TOWN ITALY.

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LD Town Italy is incongruous.

A sports car dealership flanks one side while a shop selling window blinds stands opposite.

The combined butchery, bakery, deli, greengrocer, cheese monger and café seems reminiscent of a bygone, sepia-tinged era which, perhaps, never really was. It has gilt hand-lettering on its glass storefront, breezy pavement seating, a little place to leave your bicycle – old world charm startlingly nestled along one of the clean-cut concrete avenues of buzzy, commercial Umhlanga.

“We try to definitely create a special moment in your day,” says its conjurer, Renzo Scribante. “When you come inside you should be transported to somewhere else that you love.” He speaks of the kinds of locales usually described as “quaint” – sleepy Greek towns, maybe, or charming little English boroughs.

“The name ‘old town’ was based around the idea of returning to the village, to the places where you still had a local butcher, a little baker. We wanted to go back to that, to take you back to this old town where you can come in and visit the deli, the butcher and the bakery.”

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The accomplished restaurateur took inspiration from his Italian heritage as well as that of his English wife to create his fourth – since swiftly followed by a Gauteng-based fifth – eatery and retail haven.

Armed with their mother Corrie’s recipes and a lifetime of travel memories, Scribante, his brothers Franco, and the late Remo for whom their company is named, are the rock upon which such favoured restaurants as brand Remo’s Villagio, Liberta, Maximilliano and Originale are founded.

Old Town Italy attempts in a single space to contain and accommodate what would be a variety of this-makers and that-mongers… were it actually the cobbled streets of an old-fashioned village shopping district. It has wood fittings of various grains and shades, retro little signs point you in the direction of whichever of its retail facets you seek.

“It’s very honest. When you’re in here – it’s raw, it’s in your face. It’s not cookie-cutter.”

Scribante is known to be handson in the creation and running of the restaurants – the latest was no different. He speaks earnestly of how he and his team mapped out their vision for the two Old Town Italys: “It was very much hands-on. I was up in Pretoria every week checking on the builds.” They decided early on to eschew the conventions of standard

“What a lovely spot in a bit of an odd location in Umhlanga... A few minutes drive from the hustle of the “village”. Really awesome decor, yummy breakfasts, fabulous deli options and GREAT cappucino!

Kind of reminds me of an Italian New York vibe! Only downside is that it’s very noisy inside – but I guess that’s the Italian way ;)” Italian Chick on www.zomato.com.

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store layouts in favour of one which unfolds as a little journey of discovery.

“We’re trying to just be really different and attempting to give the customers a different experience – where they feel like they’re sitting in Europe,” says Scribante.

If barman Athule Cele is to be believed, even the Spaniards and Danes of that continent agree that it feels a little like home. I am sitting at the wraparound bar area, browsing the menus as he fills me in about the venue’s attractions and those it attracts.

“We’re popular with visitors from overseas, they say this is the kind of place they’re used to,” he says.

Indeed, with its slow food movement influences and its menu inclusion of quinoa and kale dishes, it obviously tries to keep up with international food trends. Its produce sections feature foodie gems such as shiitake mushrooms and edible flowers, the butcher and deli display the varied meats, sausages and cheeses of far-flung regions.

“We generally import our dry goods,” says Scribante. Seasonal fresh produce and meat are locally sourced. The artisan bakery with its wood-fired oven is in-house and they make their own gnocchi and pasta. Mama Corrie’s secret recipe Napolitana sauce is the magic ingredient of many a dish. The basic tomato-based sauce is also available to buy, alongside other house-made pickles and pestos. “Her sauce is the sauce we put on pretty much all our products,” says Scribante.

Steeped as it is in all things Italian, the cafe has breakfast and lunch menus with just enough of the culture’s language that it doesn’t break character but not so much that those of us who don’t share the heritage are lost in its expanse.

Breakfast is a popular time, Cele tells me, with some faces now so familiar that the café now probably feels like an extension of their homes.

Chefs Nicola Burrows and Nicolai Paretti developed the menus.

R35 at the lower end of the price scale will buy you artisan toast with Edam cheese and home-made jam and R95 on the opposite end – cured Norwegian salmon, poached eggs

O L D TO W N I TA LY | R E S TAU R A N T

“A beautiful, busy, gorgeous breath of fresh Italian air. Such a stunning place to unwind and enjoy the delicacies of Italy,” Claire Hilliar on www.eatout.co.za

and kale atop polenta cakes. There are seven vegetarian-friendly options and a number of nutritionally oriented twists on old favourites for the health conscious or ethically minded.

Scribante would urge you to try the gnocchi al gorgonzola or gnocchi al Pomodoro from the pasta were you to lunch; or a T-bone prepped LEFT: Bread – and grilled in the Florentine style. in buns, rolls and Children are catered for, and therefore loaves. Enough implicitly welcome too – mac and to feed 5 000 at cheese, meatballs with spaghetti or a wedding feast.

BELOW: Delicate potato wedges or “the good burger” dainties, cupcakes, of free-range beef with a side of muffins and zucchini fries. more are freshly And when it comes to getting baked daily – and a table, there are no reservations: snapped up by seating is on a ‘first come, first served’ eager consumers. basis – but waiting is not onerous BOTTOM: This little piggy is on the when you can browse around the shop or have a cup of coffee. wall in a market… where dough is kneaded, folded, proved and baked.

Should Cape Town and Johannesburg hold their breaths for their own neighbourhood “old towns”?

“We’re getting asked to go to Johannesburg and we’re getting asked to go to Cape Town,” laughs Scribante. The way he feels currently, he says of zipping between his home city on the east coast and inland to work on his latest ventures, leads him to provisionally say no... for now!

“A recent find that has sky rocketed to the top of the list of places I love to go for a bite to eat.

If you’re mad about a strong cup of coffee, this is worth a pit stop.

It can also be super packed on the weekends, so if you don’t want to wait for a table, pull yourself out of bed to be there when the doors crack open at 7am,” Arri-Anne Barnard on www.eatout.co.za.

Contact details Old Town Italy, 39 Meridian Drive, Umhlanga Rocks.

Tel: 031 5665008 www.oldtown.co.za info@oldtown.co.za

OPEN FOR BREAKFAST Monday to Sunday 7am - 12 noon and lunch, Monday to Sunday 12 noon - 4pm DELI, BAR AND RETAIL Monday to Saturday 7am - 7pm; Sundays 7am - 6pm PRETORIA Shop 53, Menlyn Maine Shopping Centre, 210 Amarand Avenue, Pretoria Tel: 012 348 2802 menlyn@oldtown.co.za

Nov/Dec 2016

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Groot

ROOIVLEISVOËL

Sampioen, suurroom, ui en vleis maak n heerlike volstruis Stroganoff wat ook op die vuur gemaak kan word.

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KALKOEN IS GEWOONLIK DIE GROOTSTE VOËL WAT DIE KERSTAFEL BETREE. JY HOEF NIE ’N HELE VOLSTRUIS OP TE DIEN NIE, MAAR HIER’S ’N PAAR VOORSTELLE VAN SMAAKVOLLE DISSE.

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aar’s beeste wat jaloers is op die wêreld se grootste voël.

Volstruis se vleis is rooi, dik, sappig en maak vir ’n besonder gunstige eet-ervaring. Nes ’n goeie bees, maar sonder die horings en met minder vet.

Net soos sy geaardheid, danksy ’n ertjiegrootte brein, is jou volstruis se snitte eenvoudig. Jy kry nie tjops, ribbes, kruisskywe en T-bene nie. Als word opgesny in steak of filet aangesien die eetbare gedeeltes van die voël uit twee moewiese boude bestaan. Anders as, byvoorbeeld, ’n hoender, het ’n volstruis geen bors-, dy- of vlerkvleis om mee te sukkel nie.

Dis als, soos my buurman sê, in die boude.

As die betrokke volstruisvleissnit nie die paal haal vir steak of filet nie, is maalvleis sy voorland. Maar meer hieroor later.

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Stroganoff

Stroganoff bied die buitelugkok die geleentheid om ’n gereg voor te berei wat netsowel in die kombuis van ’n vyfster-restaurant gemaak kon gewees het. Die geursensasie van ui, sampioen, suurroom en vleis – afgerond met ’n goeie hoop paprika – is so onweerstaanbaar soos ’n bottel Kaapse brandewyn tydens ’n Russiese winter.

(Vir 6 mense) 2 eetlepels (30ml) botter 2 groot uie in ringe gesny. Halveer dan die ringe 1 kg volstruisfilet, gesny in repies van 1cm dik 2 pakkies (500g) sampioene, dun gesny 2 koppies (500ml) suurroom (Dik crème fraiche werk uitstekend) Sout en peper 2 eetlepels paprika

Emile Joubert is a PR practitioner by profession, but a food and wine enthusiast by desire. Check out his blog: www.winegoggle.co.za

VAT SO 1 Vat ’n pan of platboompot en smelt die botter daarin. Braai die uie tot hulle deurskynend is. Voeg die vleis by en roerbraai vinnig saam met die ui. Jy kan nou laat waai met ’n paar draaie sout en peper. Sodra die vleis kleur het, het jy lank genoeg gebraai.

2 Dompel die sampioene by en roer stadig saam met die ui en vleis totdat die sampioene slapperig en gaar lyk.

Gooi nou die suurroom by en roer die mengsel stadig deur totdat die room goed warm is. (Oukei, as jy nie suurroom kry nie, gebruik gewone room – maar dan moet jy die sap van een suurlemoen by die gereg inwerk saam met die room. Die effe suur smaak is onontbeerlik.)

3 Wanneer die room opgewarm het, is jou stroganoff reg. Sprinkel net die paprika bo-oor als en bedien op rys of pasta.

4 Glasnost langs die kampvuur.

Volstruissteak oor die kole is die beste manier om die sagte tekstuur en skoon geur van volstruis te ervaar. En hoe eenvoudiger, hoe beter. Vat so: ’n Paar volstruis-steaks, so 3cm dik gesny.

Maak ’n koppie (250ml) bedruipsous bestaande uit: ¼ sojasous ¼ Worcestersous ¼ witwyn 1 Voeg 2 eetlepels (15ml per eetlepel) kookolie by die bedruipsous.

2 Die bedruipsous is baie belangrik, aangesien volstruis nie soos bees en skaap die vet het om sy eie lagie vetterige smeermiddel te verskaf nie. En sy vetvrye tekstuur maak die volstruis-steak besonder lief daarvoor om aan jou rooster vas te klou.

Probeer jy die steak dan lospluk, skeur die sagte vleis se vesels en eindig jy met iets wat soos ’n vormlose hamburger lyk.

3 So moet nie sonder jou bedruipsous gaan wanneer jy volstruis wys hoe ’n laag kole van naby lyk nie.

MAAK SO 1 Maak warm kole, soos vir ’n gewone steak of tjops. As jou kole warm is, draai jy sout en peper oor die volstruis-steaks. Smeer die steaks vinnig met die bedruipsous en plaas hulle op die kole. Braai en draai om, met ’n smeersel elke slag.

2 Afhangende van jou kole en hoe jy van jou vleis hou, gaan daar nie meer as 8 tot 10 minute se braai nodig wees nie. So ses minute op die kole sal genoeg wees om ’n perfek gebraaide steak op te dien. Reg vir ’n tydskrif se gestileerde foto...

3 Haal onmiddellik af en smul saam met ’n glas rooiwyn.

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IT STARTED OUT AS A BLOG – AND LED DON RAMSEY ON AN EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE OVER THE NEXT DECADE. NOW ONE OF THE UK’S FOREMOST CHOCOLATE EXPERTS HAS PUBLISHED HIS LATEST BOOK, A MUST FOR ANY CHOCOHOLIC.

Indulgent

DELIGHTS

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ho doesn’t love chocolate? It’s a sweet treat, an indulgence, a little pick me up when love has deserted you.

That hedonistic, sensuous sensation of the cocoa flavour filling your senses as it slowly melts on the tongue…

All of those things Don Ramsey loves. The ultimate chocoholic began writing about chocolate in 2006 – and the decadently dark delight led him a merry and seductive dance around the world. It has taken him to the most unlikely places: from cocoa plantations in the sub-tropical paradise of Hawaii to an award-winning chocolate factory in the unlikeliest of locations… smack-dab in the middle of a prison in Milan!

Ramsey acknowledges that when he started he knew very little about the industry and his access to the best chocolate was limited. A decade of writing about it, travelling from Granada to the Ivory Coast and being exposed to artisan chocolatiers has given him a wealth of knowledge. There’s not much

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about the process, from cocoa bean to the finished product in bar form on the supermarket shelf, that he doesn’t know.

“Chocolate has become my passion as well as my job,” he said. Whether that entails finding a new bar, meeting a new chocolate maker or sharing his passion for great chocolate at a tasting event, the excitement is always there.

And now he shares that passion with a broader audience with his newly published book: Chocolate – Indulge your inner chocoholic. You, too, could become an expert.

He shares his knowledge in an easy, approachable and unfussy manner in this new book, published by Dorling Kindersley.

It’s the perfect gift for any foodie or chocoholic, containing info on cacao’s origins, the making of chocolate, how to taste it and how to cook with it.

There are step-by-step masterclasses – accompanied by photographs which will have almost anyone drooling, so tastebud tickling are they!

After flipping through the pages, you’ll want to master the recipes he shares – from simple hot chocolate to decadent brownies.

DUCK RAGU WITH 100 PER CENT CHOCOLATE Micah Carr-Hill

Serves 6–8 3 hrs 40 mins Adding port and chocolate to this ragu adds richness and depth of flavour, as well as a little fruitiness. Port and chocolate have a great affinity – the sweetness and fruit flavours of the wine complement the bitterness and fruitiness of the 100 per cent chocolate. meat needle large flameproof casserole dish 1 whole duck, approximately 1.2kg, with giblets (if available) 50g unsalted butter sea salt and freshly ground pepper 2 large onions, finely chopped 3 celery stalks, finely chopped 4 large carrots, finely chopped 375ml white wine 300ml whole milk nutmeg, freshly grated 400g can plum tomatoes 35g dark chocolate, 100% cocoa, roughly chopped 3 Tbsp good-quality port flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to garnish 1 Preheat the oven to 130°C Prick the duck all over with the needle. Melt the butter in the casserole over a medium heat.

Add the duck to the pan, with the giblets, if available, and season.

Brown the duck all over. Remove to a plate, reserving the fat.

2 Add the onions to the casserole and fry in the residual duck fat. Add the celery and carrots, and fry until softened and lightly browned. Meanwhile, heat the white wine in a saucepan over a medium–high heat, until reduced by two-thirds, to approximately 125ml.

3 Once the vegetables have softened, add the milk and a sprinkle of nutmeg to the casserole. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk has almost evaporated. Add the reduced wine, then crush the tomatoes over the casserole using your hands. Stir to combine and season to taste.

4 Place the duck, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables, and put the lid on. Place in the oven. After 1 hour, turn the duck over. After another hour, turn the duck breast-side up again.

5 After another hour, check to see if the duck is cooked by pulling away a leg – it should come away easily. If not, return to the oven for 10 minutes before retesting. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow the ragu to cool until the duck is cold enough to handle.

6 Shred the duck meat and add it back into the casserole. The meat should come away from the carcass easily, due to the long cooking time.

If using giblets, chop these up, shred the neck meat, and add back into the casserole.

7 Give the casserole a good stir and add 150–300ml boiling water to loosen the ragu. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce.

Check for seasoning.

8 Gradually add the chocolate, one piece at a time, allowing it to melt into the ragu. Taste after each piece, judging the change in flavour and whether to add more or less according to taste. Finally, add the port and stir to combine. Serve with pasta, rice, courgetti, potatoes (baked, sautéed, or mashed), or a green salad.

Chocolate might seem an odd addition to a recipe for a duck pasta sauce, but it adds a unique flavour element to the dish.

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A COPY OF THE CHOCOLATE – INDULGE YOUR INNER CHOCOHOLIC RECIPE BOOK See T&C’s on pg 04

To qualify, send in a postcard or e-mail clearly marked Cheers Book Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the lucky draw. Entry deadline: 5th Dec 2016 Address: cheers@cheersmag.co.za or Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.

Double your chance of winning!

Go to www.facebook.com/CheersMag and LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.

The top of the cheesecake should have only a slight wobble in the centre, without any cracks.

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C H O C O L AT E | B O O K G I V E AWAY

BAKED DARK CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE Micah Carr-Hill

Serves 12–14 1 hr 50 mins, plus cooling and chilling This rich and creamy cheesecake contains less sugar than usual to bring out the full flavour of the chocolate. I make the base using ginger biscuits – this adds texture and a subtle flavour contrast to the chocolate filling.

22cm springform cake tin 50g unsalted butter 200g good-quality ginger biscuits (choose ones without added lemon oil) 20g skimmed milk powder ¾ tsp sea salt 4 Tbsp double cream single cream, lightly whisked, to serve FOR THE FILLING

200g good-quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, chopped 425g full-fat cream cheese 135g soured cream 4 large eggs 90g castor sugar 25g cocoa powder, sifted 2 generous pinches of sea salt ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 Preheat the oven to 110°C. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Brush a little of the melted butter on the inside of the cake tin and set aside.

2 Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they have a crumb-like texture.

Use 2 tablespoons of the crumbs to dust the sides of the tin, knocking excess crumbs back into the food processor.

3 Add the milk powder and salt to the remaining biscuit crumbs, and pulse briefly to combine. Add the remaining melted butter and the cream and blitz until combined. Use this mixture to line the bottom of the tin, pushing

it slightly up the sides. Cover and refrigerate.

4 To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water.

5 Whisk together the cream cheese and soured cream until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Combine the two mixtures.

6 Whisk the melted chocolate into the mixture until combined. Whisk in the sifted cocoa powder. Season with the salt and vanilla extract, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

7 Remove the cake tin from the fridge and place it on a baking sheet.

Pour the filling over the base. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

8 Once cooked, the top of the cheesecake should have only a slight wobble in the centre, without any cracks. Remove from the oven and run a sharp knife around the edge to release it from the sides.

9 Turn the oven off and return the cheesecake to the oven, leaving the door open. This will allow the cheesecake to cool slowly, helping to prevent cracking.

10 Once cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

11 For clean slices, use a sharp knife dipped in boiling water and wiped dry between each slice.

12 Serve with single cream.

BLUEBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE TARTLETS Lisabeth Flanagan Makes 8 1–1.5 hrs, plus chilling Pairing a very intense dark chocolate pastry with a filling of tangy blueberry and sweet white chocolate, these tartlets provide a delicious contrast in texture, flavour, and colour. They are also very easy to make in advance.

8 x 8–10cm tartlet tins baking beans 350g unsalted butter chilled and diced, plus extra for greasing 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 150g cocoa powder 85g granulated sugar 1 egg, beaten 3 eggs yolks, beaten blueberries, to decorate 60g each good-quality dark and white chocolate, tempered, to decorate FOR THE BLUEBERRY FILLING

350g blueberries, fresh or frozen 175g castor sugar juice of 1 lemon FOR THE GANACHE

450g white chocolate, finely grated 175ml whipping cream 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grease the tins and dust lightly with flour. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Stir in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and egg yolks and bring together to form a dough.

2 On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a flat, thin rectangle about 3mm thick. Using a bowl or plate about 5cm wider in diameter than your tins, cut 10 circles out of the dough.

3 Carefully line each tin with a circle of dough. Trim away excess pastry. Line the pastry cases with greaseproof paper, fill them with baking beans, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15–17 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and slightly hardened. Remove from the oven, remove the beans and paper from the cases, and leave to cool.

4 Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over a medium–high heat.

Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Drain off excess liquid, as this can damage the pastry cases. Set aside.

5 For the ganache, place the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Warm the cream in a saucepan until just below boiling point. Pour half the heated cream over the pieces of chocolate in the bowl.

6 Stir the mixture slowly using a silicone spatula. Once the chocolate begins to melt, add the remaining cream. Stir the mixture until smooth. Add the butter and stir to combine. Set aside.

7 Turn the cooled pastry cases out of their tins onto a lined baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of blueberry mixture across the base of each case. Gently reheat the white chocolate ganache in the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Divide the softened ganache evenly between the pastry cases. Refrigerate the tartlets for 2 hours until set.

8 Serve the tartlets at room temperature, topped with fresh blueberries and drizzles of tempered chocolate.

Nov/Dec 2016

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FESTIVE NOSTALGIA

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T E R E SA U LYAT E | B LO G S P OT

Teresa Ulyate is a multi-tasking working mom who juggles a job, children and a blog – cupcakesandcouscous.com

THE FESTIVE SEASON HAS BECOME VERY COMMERCIAL, AND ALWAYS FRENETIC WITH THRONGS OF PEOPLE RUSHING AROUND MAKING LAST MINUTE PURCHASES. HOW ABOUT TAKING SOME TIME OUT TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE MEMORIES, AS WELL AS COOKIES?

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hen I think back to my earliest baking memories I’m always reminded of childhood Christmases. The magical six week breaks that felt like they went on forever and would never end, the December school holidays were the perfect time for sun drenched afternoons in the pool and fun with friends.

But a real highlight for me would be the Christmas baking.

The baked treats included mince pies of course, biscuits and the decorating of the Christmas cake which my mum would have baked a few weeks earlier using my grandmother’s recipe.

In our home, a favourite holiday tradition was our biscuit tree, and it was always a hit with visitors.

My mum would hang colourfully decorated biscuits from a branch that she had cut down and painted. When friends came to visit, the children were allowed to choose one of these lovingly made biscuits each.

Sadly, this tradition fell away as we got older, but last year it was revived for my children who were naturally keen on the idea.

It is a lovely and fun treat for the little ones at Christmas and you can use this recipe to make your own one at home.

While you could also hang the biscuits on your Christmas tree to add to the decorations but if that’s too much of a bother, you could also simply pop them on a plate for tea time.

We adults also deserve a bit of spoiling, and this mince pie tart recipe makes a fabulous festive pudding. It comes with a lavish Christmas custard which is delicately flavoured with spices and orange zest.

Here’s wishing you a glittery and treat filled Christmas!

MINCE PIE TART WITH CHRISTMAS CUSTARD Serves 4 2 small apples (about 200g) 1 x 454g jar fruit mincemeat 2 Tbsp mixed citrus peel 1 Tbsp brandy Flour for dusting 400g readymade puff pastry Star shaped cookie cutters Milk for brushing Icing sugar for dusting (optional) FOR THE CUSTARD

2 egg yolks 2 Tbsp castor sugar 2 Tbsp flour ½ tsp ground cinnamon 350ml milk 4 whole cloves ½ tsp vanilla paste 1 ½ tsp finely grated orange rind

“In our home, a favourite holiday tradition was our biscuit tree, and it was always a hit with visitors.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a 20cm tart tin.

2 Peel and grate the apples.

Squeeze out any excess liquid and place the grated apple in a mixing bowl. Add the fruit mincemeat, citrus peel and brandy. Mix well.

3 Dust your work surface lightly with flour and roll out the puff pastry.

Line the tart tin with the pastry, pressing it gently into the corners.

Cut the excess pastry away from the rim. Press the scraps into a ball and roll out again. Cut out star shapes of various sizes.

4 Tip the fruit mince mixture into the tart tin. Arrange the stars on top of the tart, then brush lightly with some milk.

5 Bake the tart for 35 minutes, or until the pastry has risen and is golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

6 To make the custard: Whisk the egg yolks and castor sugar together until pale and creamy. Whisk in the flour and cinnamon. Place the milk and cloves in a saucepan over a medium heat and heat just until boiling point. Remove from the heat and carefully add half of the milk to the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Then add the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and heat slowly while whisking. Add the vanilla paste. Continue to stir for a few minutes until the custard is quite thick.

Remove the cloves and stir in the orange rind. Transfer to a warm jug.

Nov/Dec 2016

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B LO G S P OT | T E R E SA U LYAT E

Once the icing has set, thread the string through the holes and hang the biscuits on the tree.

CHRISTMAS BISCUIT TREE Makes about 25 biscuits, depending on size of cookie cutters 100g butter ¾ cup treacle sugar 1 large egg 1 1/4 cups flour and extra for dusting ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 /4 tsp ground cloves 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger Pinch of salt ½ tsp baking powder Assorted Christmas cookie cutters FOR THE ICING

1 egg white 1 ½ cups icing sugar 1 tbsp water Assorted decorations such as silver balls, glitter, fondant icing, gold dust Silver thread for hanging Tree branch for hanging 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with baking paper.

2 Cream the butter and treacle sugar until fluffy and combined. Mix in the egg.

3 Sift in the flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt and baking powder. Mix until the ingredients come together and form a dough. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4 Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour.

Roll the dough out to a 3mm thickness. Cut out your shapes and arrange them on the tray. Use a skewer to make a hole at the top of each biscuit. (That’s for the string to be fed through for hanging.)

5 Pop the tray in the oven and bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

6 To make the icing: whisk the egg white for a few seconds until foamy. Sift in 1 cup of icing sugar and beat in. Sift in the remaining icing sugar. Add the water and mix well. If the icing is too thick add more water, a few drops at a time. The icing should have a soft, piping consistency but not be too runny.

7 Pipe or drizzle the icing over the biscuits. Decorate and leave to dry. Once the icing has set, thread the string through the holes and hang the biscuits on the tree.

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| B LO G S P OT

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C O C K TA I L S |

r e m m Su

Fun

K C O C

THIS TIME OF YEAR IS CALLED THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH GOOD REASON: WE CELEBRATE LONG, SUNNY DAYS, HOLIDAY, TIME WITH THE FAMILY, THE PASSING OF ANOTHER YEAR WITH ITS ATTENDANT MILESTONES OF BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES.

ILS A T

French 75

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othing says fun and enjoyment as much as a cocktail. Other drinks are mundane by comparison. Here’s a CHEERS selection of classic bubbly and vodka cocktails to liven up this festive season, and possibly get a party or two started!

Celebrate the coming of summer with a sparkly twist on 3 classic world famous champagne cocktails: The Serendipity, Death in the Afternoon and French 75.

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BELVEDERERED Spritz 45 ml Belvedere vodka 30 ml Bitter aperitif 2 orange wedges A sprig of rosemary Sparkling and tonic water to taste 1 It couldn’t get any easier: pour the vodka into a glass of your choice – already filled with a healthy serving of ice cubes.

2 Add the bitter aperitif (also one of your choice – either Aperol Spritz or Campari).

3 Top it off with equal parts of tonic and sparkling water.

4 Garnish with orange wedges and rosemary.

According to reports, this cocktail dates back to 1915, having been first made at the landmark New York Bar in Paris. The combination was said to have a real kick by locals of the bar. KWV Sparkling Rosé is a refreshing option that presents aromas of fresh strawberry, cherry and delicate blossoms. It also adds a lighter and colourful twist to this classic cocktail.

45ml KWV Cruxland Gin 15ml lemon juice 7ml simple syrup KWV Sparkling Rosé Lemon for garnishing 1 Make simple syrup with equal parts hot water and sugar.

2 Measure the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup with the jigger and pour into the mixing glass of a cocktail mixer.

3 Cover mixture with ice and shake for 8-10 seconds. Strain with a cocktail strainer and pour into Champagne flute and top with KWV Sparkling Rosé.

4 Serve in a Champagne flute and garnish with a peel of lemon.

| C O C K TA I L S

“Author Ernest Hemingway’s advice was to drink three to five cocktails – slowly.

No wonder one of them was called Death in the afternoon.”

The Serendipity

The Serendipity cocktail was created in September 1994 by Colin Peter Filed, head bartender of Hemingway Bar at Paris’ Hotel Ritz and was the most served drink on the famous hotel’s menu for nearly two decades.

30ml of KWV 5-Year-Old Brandy KWV Demi Sec sparkling wine 50ml of clear apple juice 2 sprigs of fresh mint 1 spoon of sugar 1 Put the mint, KWV 5-Year-Old Brandy, and sugar into a tumbler glass.

2 Stir, then add the clear apple juice and ice. Top with KWV Demi Sec sparkling wine and stir gently.

3 KWV 5-year-old brandy has ripe apple, pear and raisin flavours enhanced by mild toasted oak aromas and the KWV Demi-Sec sparkling wine has rich tropical fruity aromas characteristic of the Chenin Blanc grapes used.

4 Garnish with mint sprig.

Death in the afternoon

Is a cocktail made up of absinthe and Champagne invented by world-renowned author Ernest Hemingway, which can be recreated using KWV Cuvée Brut sparkling wine which has rich tropical fruity aromas characteristic of the Chenin Blanc grapes used.

KWV Sparkling Cuvée Brut Absinthe 1 Fairly simple to make, the recipe’s original instructions appear in a 1935 cocktail book and were attributed to Hemingway himself, who instructed: “Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.”

2 And there you have it – served in a Champagne flute

BELVEDERERED Martini

60 ml Belvedere Vodka 10 ml sweet vermouth 5 ml maraschino liqueur 2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters Orange zest 1 Add all the ingredients to a cocktail mixer filled with ice.

2 Stir until suitably filled before draining off into a chilled martini glass.

3 Garnish with a twist of orange zest.

Nov/Dec 2016

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SOCIAL MEDIA

“We spent a lot of money educating and qualifying ourselves so that we have an informed opinion.”

Fascinating discoveries TWO ACCOUNTANTS, KEEN ON FOOD AND WINE, HAVE PARLAYED THEIR INTEREST IN THEIR HOBBIES INTO A BLOG. IT’S A PASSION PROJECT: THERE IS NO HARD SELL, AND THE ONLY MARKETING OF PRODUCTS OR PLACES ARE THOSE THEY HAVE TASTE-TESTED AND WOULD RECOMMEND.

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eading www.batonage.com is like having a friendly conversation with old chums – folks who know a thing or two about restaurants and wine because they eat out a lot and know their stuff.

“I didn’t think about it consciously,” Hennie Coetzee said of his blogging beginnings in April 2010. “I enjoy writing… it was a natural thing.”

His partner and fellow accountant Maggie Mostert joined him a few months into his blogging career and now does most of the writing.

It started out with a desire to share the discoveries they made in their food and wine explorations. “We experienced some immensely fascinating things. The motivation was initially to remain in touch and up to date with the wine industry.” But batonage.com

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it quickly grew to accommodate the food industry and accommodation as well.

Crunching numbers and assisting clients with estate and tax planning remains a busy day job – but it provides the wherewithal to indulge their love of wine, food and experiencing travel within South Africa’s winelands.

“We’ve never been in it to monetise Batonage. We’ve always been quite proud of the fact that we pay our way. I despise freeloaders – regardless of the industry – and at one stage there was a stigma attached to certain bloggers.

“Our motivation has always been to be as honest as we can without resorting to mud slinging. The only way to truly be honest is if you’ve paid for it. Early on, we made a conscious decision that if something was unsatisfactory – especially with regards to food and wine – we would simply not write about it.”

When it comes to accommodation reviews, however, the team had “a slightly different set of rules” because the money spent was more significant.

Batonage – A Journey into Wine and Food

Batonage

“Screwing up a room and service at a hotel/guesthouse takes some doing… so we did write negative reviews about hotels. And reputations don’t come into it,” Coetzee said. The One and Only review “ruined a relationship we had with a communications/PR firm,” but it was an honest portrayal of their experience as guests, so no regrets.

Coetzee admits he is not a fan of controversy for the sake of it but if it’s justified as an issue he has no problem. “The article that elicited the most response involved the city of Cape Town, in particular councillor Brett Herron, for the handling of the Monarch Tuk Tuk company.” It tapped into a popular issue and consequently generated thousands of page impressions.

Something else which got traction was a series of articles on what to expect in terms of restaurant service. “We heard that a few restaurants printed them out and made their staff learn the things we wrote!”

As an accountant Coetzee appreciates numbers – and measuring the data of what visitors to the site appreciate. “The whole analytics thing – how much traffic, what articles and how long people are on the page… I love all the stats that you can get!

“People don’t read: they look at pictures! We’ve spent hours researching certain articles and they got minimal traffic. Post a couple of photos… and the views go through the roof.”

One point the couple make is that they are not simply fans with a keyboard and a social media platform. “When the first invitations to attend media launches started coming and recognition followed, we spent a lot of money educating and qualifying ourselves so that we are not just people with an opinion.

(There are already too many of those around…) At least we have some semblance of an informed opinion.”

Having completed various wine courses as well as a stringent wine judging academy, their opinion is indeed informed – but it’s also approachable and engaging, like that of a member of your social circle who’s recommendations can be trusted.

FO O D PA I R I N G |

WINE &

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CURRY COMBOS

ine with curry? Difficult.

Beer with curry, much easier. With double brandy and coke? Very rowdy. The beauty of curry, in a posey wine world, is its unsacramental relationship to drink.

You should not open your finest, or expensive, wines for curry. Even molecular sommeliers – the foamy folks pairing molecules in wine and food – throw up their hands. One of the iron laws of drinks with curry – ice cold – needn’t apply either, though in Durban’s gloriously warm climate it obviously does.

Celebrating a First considerations are the main local dish which ingredients. Anything from crab to has become a beans to mutton, they present a kaleidonational treasure, scopic array of flavours. But more than in most cuisines, curry layers these this colourful and under and over an even greater array of distinctively Durban delicious, spicy emulsions, imperiously food story book has indifferent to or dominant over liquid now been reprinted ‘refreshments’. Sambals, chutneys, for the third time – papadums, rotis, onion-and turmericand is once more on infused rice add to the organized chaos. And that’s before the chillithe shelves. Judges heat magnification bit. described Erica In this melée, alcohol is a finishing Platter and Clinton turbo-charger: it intensifies chilli and Friedman’s book as spice effects. “outstanding, vibrant What can a delicate little, lowwith passion and alcohol Pinot Gris (Grigio) offer in this riot? Not much more than a distant, culture”, and from piped-music squeak. a crowded field of This is no reason to give up submissions from entirely, though, and the following can more than 160 play a role beside a broad range of countries, selected curries in my personal experience; but obviously we’re in subjective terrain. it as a finalist for Sparkles, preferably Méthode Cap the grand Gourmand Classique (MCC), are less bloating than World Cookbook of beer. Both white and pink, dry and the Year award. It even slightly off-dry, are fair fail-safe was runner up to choices. They are refreshing on two a tome from a counts: the zippy, diverting fizz and the iciness. Sparkles must be served French chef’s icy. They’re lower in alcohol (another academy! uptick for a long curry lunch) and higher in acidity than most wines.

Here we can include Italian Prosecco, the fainter sparkles in Portuguese Vinho Verdes, and some better ‘Perlé’ Cape whites. All partner fiery peri-peri well. (Chillies were originally conveyed to India by the Portuguese.)

A touch of sweetness in wines

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DURBAN CURRY, SO MUCH OF FLAVOUR WON BOOK OF THE YEAR: INDIAN CUISINE AND HERITAGE BOOK OF THE YEAR CATEGORIES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN SECTION OF THE GOURMET AND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARDS. AUTHOR ERICA PLATTER’S HUSBAND, JOHN, MAKES A FEW SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO DRINK WITH THE POPULAR KWAZULU-NATAL STAPLE.

– a bit like fighting fire with fire – an off-dry Chenin, for example, handles the tomato-and-onion based sauces of classic Durban curry well. It tones down chilli, and complements sweet crab and prawn meat. As well as taking on accompaniments likes banana sambals and chutneys.

Good Rieslings have superb, direct, penetrating fruity freshness; think fish and other seafood, veg and paneer curries. If your curry features tamarind, however, beware. A good Riesling will take care of its bittersweetness, but tamarind brutalises most fragile whites and elegant reds.

Go for a more robust white. Viognier’s ripe-peach-and-apricot nuances, and its innate palate weight, gives it some heft; it’s usually up for a match with shellfish curries. Viognier blends, too.

A subtly-wooded Chardonnay is fine if your curry is only mildly hot, but again is no match for tamarind. A well-padded (not too thin and acid) Sauvignon Blanc; one which combines steely flintiness with generous fruity gooseberry is perhaps a safer allrounder.

Off-dry Gewürztraminers: here’s high-profile, wafty floweriness (itself often described, confusingly, as spicy).

Gewürz counters some of the more pungent curry spices (star-anise, cinnamon, clove, cardomom). But most local versions are too sweet.

Rosé, dry, or at least dryish, and berry-fresh, preferably made from slightly more muscular, tanniny Cabernet or Cabernet Franc, is a handy curry all-rounder. Chilled.

Pinotage, light and young and fresh is another choice, its punchy fruitiness not easily bowing to a rich, mutton curry. The clash is enhancing.

I have a weakness for bean curry made with our local maestrina Cindy Valayadam’s freshly ground curry powder; the cinnamon stick flavours marry nicely with Pinotage’s brash thrust.

A spicy, peppery Shiraz keeps up with a lamb or mutton curry.

Pinot Noir’s relative delicacy perhaps shouldn’t ordinarily be subjected to an oily cauldron of chillifire, but its perfumed aromas and ripe berry flavours can work surprisingly well, especially with chicken dishes.

Catemba, a blend of red wine and Coke, well-chilled, is an old Angolan and Mozambican favourite with periperi dishes; every reason it works surprisingly well with curries. Between half-and-half to one-third wine and the rest Coke. No more unorthodox than brandy and coke, less alcoholic, equally and suitably reckless.

Curries are best devoured as a range of dishes shared by everyone at table. One wine, or drink, alone can never work throughout such festivals of flavour. Which is why the modern approach is glass-per-dish pairings.

Rational, of course. But glassware logistics alone make this impractical; it’s also off-puttingly complicated.

Even nerdy. Opening a few different bottles and styles for all to share and try with this and that dish is a cool idea. Provided it doesn’t interfere with the even cooler main idea – to exchange fine gossip and swap good lies and laugh a lot.

FOR NON-DRINKERS It’s open season, obviously. Tea is a genteel partner. Bunny Chow’s traditional working, midday lubricant is Coke, cream soda and fanta. Salted lassis are growing in popularity. And Indian lemonade is super-refreshing.

C U R RY | FO O D PA I R I N G

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WHAT IT IS TO HAVE A TRACK RECORD: TEXAN ROCK BAND ZZ TOP HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR FIVE DECADES, MARVEL’S AVENGERS SINCE 1963 AND JACK WHITE HAS NOTCHED UP TWO DECADES OF RECORDINGS. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

1 A BIGGER SPLASH

Rock legend Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton) is recuperating on the volcanic island of Pantelleria near Sicily with her partner Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) when iconoclast record producer and old flame Harry (Ralph Fiennes) unexpectedly arrives with his daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson) and interrupts their holiday, bringing with him an A-bomb blast of nostalgia from which there can be no rescue. A Bigger Splash is a sensuous portrait of desire, jealousy and rock and roll under the Mediterranean sun.

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No one said safeguarding humanity would be easy… something Steve Rogers/Captain America and his newly formed Avengers team discover in the latest Marvel movie release, Captain America: Civil War. After another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps – one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Iron Man’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

THE NICE GUYS

In 1970s Los Angeles, down-onhis-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.

“WHAT WILL DOESN’T KNOW IS THAT LOU IS ABOUT TO BURST INTO HIS WORLD IN A RIOT OF COLOUR.” – ME BEFORE YOU, JOJO MOYES

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DV D S , C D S & B O O KS | E N T E RTA I N M E N T

ZZ TOP LIVE: GREATEST HITS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

With seven Billboard Top 10 albums to their name, multiple Platinum album certifications all over the world and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the legendary ZZ Top are officially the world’s longest running rock band with its original line-up intact. Now after over 45 years together, the Texan trio has finally released their first official live album ‘Greatest Hits Live’. Recorded over the course of several tours in cities all around the world, ‘Greatest Hits Live’ picks the greatest moments and biggest hits from ZZ Top’s illustrious back catalogue captured with the phenomenal energy of their renowned live performances. It covers everything from their breakthrough hit “La Grange” plus three snappy blues-rock classics from the 1973 album “Tres Hombres”, through to their huge crossover hits – “Gimme All Your Lovin’’, “Sharp Dressed Man”, and “Legs” .

JACK WHITE

ACOUSTIC RECORDINGS 1998-2016 An unplugged look at Jack White’s recording career is something every fan should be rushing out to source. Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016 collects 26 acoustic songs from throughout his wide-ranging musical career, spanning album tracks, B-sides, remixes, alternate versions, and previously unreleased tracks. The album, arranged in chronological order, includes acoustic songs made famous by The White Stripes, beginning with “Sugar Never Tasted So Good” and then lighting upon favourites like “Apple Blossom” and “I’m Bound To Pack It Up” (remixed here from the original), “Hotel Yorba” and “We’re Going To Be Friends”, “You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket” and “Well It’s True That We Love One Another” (from 2003’s GRAMMY® Award-winning Elephant).

BASTILLE

WILD WORLD An entire album of glorious, arena-friendly choruses.

The Londoners’ tactics for building on 2013’s triumphant Bad Blood. Go unapologetically large. This second album is a walloping triumph, each track swirling with synth-pop purpose and building up to giddy key changes and those euphoric, sing-along choruses.

“Good Grief” will soundtrack future summers, “Warmth” puts the (wild) world to rights, while “Send Them Off!” is a brassy punch-the-air anthem.

THE SAFEST PLACE YOU KNOW

MARK WINKLER After his father’s violent death on a hot November day in the drought stricken Free State, a young man leaves the derelict family farm with no plan, and with no way of knowing that his life will soon be changed for ever by two strangers he encounters on his journey south: a mute little girl who bears a striking resemblance to his late niece, and a troubled lawyer who detests the Cape wine estate she’s inherited from a father she despised. Set in South Africa against the backdrop of a country in flux, The Safest Place You Know is a powerful story, rendered in meticulously crafted, lyrical prose, about redemption and recovery, and what it means to carry the past with you.

ME BEFORE YOU

JOJO MOYES Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that. What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

SILENCE

THICH NHAT HANH We can spend a lot of time looking for happiness when the world right around us is full of wonder. But our hearts and minds are so full of noise that we can’t always hear the call of life and love. To hear that call and respond to it, we need silence.

In his beautiful new book, Buddhist monk and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh explains how mindfulness is the practice that stops the noise inside. With gentle anecdotes, simple Buddhist wisdom and practical exercises, he shows us how to live mindfully so that all the internal chatter ceases and we are left with the eloquent sound of silence. Now, at last, we can answer the call of the beauty around us.

Through silence, Thich Nhat Hanh reveals, we are free to hear, to see – and just be.

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DISCLAIMER: All books featured here are supplied

by Penguin.

Nov/Dec 2016

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MOBILE |

“THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT…” BUT WHO ACTUALLY HAS THE TIME TO WADE THROUGH HUNDREDS OF APPS, TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT SUITS YOUR PARTICULAR INTERESTS? THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT TECHNO WHIZZ CRAIG RAUTENBACH HAS SELECTED A FEW OF HIS NEW FAVOURITES.

Finding stuff

Editor’s Choice

GOOGLE TRIPS Google trips helps you organise your entire vacation with itineraries for every day, all saved onto your phone for quick and easy viewing – and it works even if you are out of cell phone service or run out of data.

The app is well designed andeasy to use with many clever capabilities: like helping you find things to do in and around you area. Google trips helps you get around too, showing you options to travel by planes, cars, public transport or simply self propelled, be it bicycle or on foot.

An extra feature I found handy is the “need to know” section, which provides details of the local currency, emergency numbers, nearby hospitals, care centres and how much to tip your waiter.

360LIFE FAMILY LOCATOR If you need to know where you friends and family are at any given time, this one is for you. At Rocking the Daisies or Oppikoppie with mates? It’ll help to keep track of friends while roaming around among the hordes – or just to make sure the kids got to school on time. Meeting up with family? Alerts can be set up for when they leave a certain location and arrive where you are, all in real time on an interactive map. Obviously everyone in your group needs to have the app installed and add themselves to your group…

The app works with or without having the GPS enabled but is more accurate when it is.

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PACKPOINT If, like me, you always make lists of things to pack when going away on holiday or business trips, this is the one for you because Packpoint is so intuitive.

When setting up a trip, you input your gender, destination, trip length and what sort of activities you’ll be doing while away. Packpoint then creates a checklist with suggested items to pack. The app worked really well, reminding me to take my helmet, shorts, sunnies and bicycle light when I chose cycling as one of my daily activities.

NEARIFY Nearify is a fun and events app that helps locate things to do on those long boring summer days while on vacation – or when you are out looking for a place to dance the night away.

When installing the app you get to choose what sort of events or activities you’d prefer to be notified about. You don’t necessarily want to know about that death metal band playing around the corner... Some favourite choices are local food markets, photography, art, music festivals or live music performances.

The app is easy to use and works really well. Events can be saved to a list so that you don’t miss anything and you can also share them with friends with the touch of button. A great feature is being able to see how many people have shared and saved an event, giving you an idea of what events are popular.

Craig Rautenbach is a techno whizz: a web developer by day, super hero by night who has a passion for music. Any spare time is spent mountain biking and on a quest for the perfect piece of cake. His mission? To decode the digital clutter of applications, finding some great ones to revolutionise your life.

FA S H I O N | SA R O N G

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f GIFT WRAPPED

SUMMER BRINGS WITH IT LONG, WARM, SUNNY DAYS – SOMETIMES TOO HOT AND TOO BRIGHT. WHEN IT DOES, THINK ABOUT COVERING UP. AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN WITH A SARONG, PAREO OR KIKOI.

or footballer David Beckham, 1998 was something of an ‘annus horribilus’. It was a World Cup year and in the round of 16 game between England and arch rivals Argentina in St Etienne in France, Beckham petulantly retaliated against Diego Simeone and was red carded. That sending off cost England dearly and ultimately saw them dumped out of the competition.

But Beckham’s shame and pasting by the British media was exacerbated by a fashion faux pas: he was seen out in public with his Spice Girl wife Victoria wearing a sarong. The press had a field day with the young sportsman, mocking him mercilessly.

Decades later and Beckham has gone on to win his way back into the hearts of the British public through his sporting prowess but also because of his subsequent good taste and smart fashion choices.

On reflection, there should have been no eyebrows raised by the footballer wearing a sarong – because sarongs are traditionally worn predominantly by men in Asia, India, the Pacific islands and even north Africa.

Sarong or sarung is a Malaysian and Indonesian word meaning ‘sheath’ and describes the long strip of material which has been a traditional garment for hundreds of years. The edges of a long – roughly 2.5m – piece

of fabric are sewn together to form a sheath or cylindrical tube of material that is pulled up over the hips and either cinched with a belt or rolled over tightly to secure it around the waist.

For centuries practicality has made this the clothing garment of choice for men from Somalia to Sri Lanka, India and as far as Malaysia and the Pacific Islands.

It was the traditional garb of Arab fishermen in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean – and predated the kaftan and trouser pants of Turkey and the European colonial times, according to Wikipedia.

The sarong can be worn more formally, as a skirt, and paired with a blouse. hackwithhousedesign.com

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FA S H I O N | SA R O N G

Sarong or sarung is a Malaysian and Indonesian word meaning ‘sheath’ and describes the long strip of material which has been a traditional garment

The cotton garment was cool and not constricting. While trousers have nowadays become more and more popular in areas where the sarong used to be almost exclusively worn, many of the businessmen still switch to a sarong to sleep in or as casual wear around the house.

In East Africa, the kikoi is popular – but it’s unstitched and is simply a long piece of material that can be used as a garment or a light blanket and even head covering. In Fiji men wear skirts called sulus, reaching between the knee and ankle – even having them specially tailored and adding pockets to wear as formal or business attire. Fijians are proud of their dress, regarding it as an important part of their culture.

But fashions change and sarongs, pareos and kikois are now – in the Western world – regarded primarily as beach cover ups. And also mainly for women… which is possibly why Beckham copped such flak as a young man. British society is still so hung up on tradition, male and female identity and roles (including fashion) and also because he was a footballer – a sport so strongly associated with the working man. A Yorkshire mechanic or Liverpudlian factory worker just could not identify with Beckham’s fashion statement.

Nowadays the sarong is simply a long piece of invariably brightly patterned fabric which is wound around the body. Women invariably wear a bikini or costume clad underneath while at the beach or pool. It remains practical since it can be tied or secured in any number of ways, either as a skirt, tube top or even a halter dress. It’s easy to undo and yet serves to preserve a person’s modesty while walking around in public. The fact that it also provides some protection from the sun and can also be used to lie on while on the beach is a bonus.

A pāreu can be worn in many ways.

Women will usually wrap it around their upper body, covering it from breasts to above the knees. Either they rely on their breasts for it not to slide down, or they may wrap a corner around their shoulder or their neck.

In more traditional surroundings the covering of the upper body is less important, but the covering of the thighs is. Then it is worn as a longer skirt. Men wear it as a short skirt, or may even make shorts out of it, especially when fishing or working in the bush where freedom of movement of the legs is needed. But during quiet, cooler nights at home, they may wear it as a long skirt too.

The ends of the pāreu are normally just tucked in, kept in place by friction only. No pins or other means are used.

Only when worn as dress around the neck or shoulders, ends are knotted together. When it comes loose a few times per day, the wearer will just pull it tight again or rewrap him/herself. Nevertheless, when a lot of movement occurs, at heavy work or dancing for example, wearing a belt over it around the waist is common too.

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Denim cut-offs and a broad-brimmed hat make the ideal beach accompaniments for a wrap top.

The classic crossover, with the sarong tied in the nape of the neck.

sassysarongs.com

kirstiesmillie.com

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And the boob tube tie is always popular. revolve.com

The ease of undoing it is not a burden, but rather a blessing. A woman (or man) may start her daily work on a colder morning wearing her pāreu as a long skirt and with a shirt. When it comes loose, the day may have warmed up enough for her to redo it as a shorter skirt. Again, some time later, she may discard her warm shirt and rewrap her pāreu as a dress.

| THINGAMAJIGS

THE FUTURE IS LOOKING BRIGHT – SO KEEP YOUR SHADES ON. ASHLEE ATTWOOD SUGGESTS SOME FUN AND FUNKY ITEMS TO MAKE A STATEMENT, BE IT FASHION, DÉCOR OR SIMPLY PERSONALITY.

To p Buy!

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Thingamajigs

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6

4

1 Geometric Sunglasses, Silver, STYLE REPUBLIC, R149, Spree.co.za 2 Branch laundry baskets, LOVE MILO, R599, Superbalist.com 3 Round-frame Sunglasses, Black, YOU & I, R189, Spree.co.za 4 Ankle Strap Flat Pump, Camel, GINO PAOLI, R549, Zando.co.za 5 Concrete desktop planter, KIKKERLAND, R499, Superbalist.com 6 Sands Skirt, Black, ALL ABOUT EVE, R799, Zando.co.za

5 Nov/Dec 2016

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I N N OVAT I O N |

T H G I R B IDEAS THE CONCEPT OF ‘MAKING A PLAN’ COULD ALMOST BE IN THE AVERAGE SOUTH AFRICAN’S DNA! SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST BRILLIANT INNOVATORS HAVE BEEN FOLKS WHO SIMPLY CAME UP WITH A DIFFERENT IDEA. FIONA MCDONALD LOOKS AT A FEW OF THEM WHICH HAVE MADE A GLOBAL DIFFERENCE. 66

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SA I N N OVATO R S | I N N OVAT I O N

1 PRATLEY’S In the relatively early days of television – definitely before satellite TV! – there was a brave businessman who literally took his life in his hands: He stood beneath a massive bulldozer weighing a few tons, hoisted up by a crane – and the only thing stopping it from dropping and crushing him, were two metal plates attached to the dozer by glue!

That glue was Pratley’s.

Anyone who is a mechanic, woodworker, DIY enthusiast or simply been in a sticky situation will fully understand why Mr Kim Pratley had such faith in his product: because it works.

The story goes that his father, George Pratley who was born in Johannesburg in 1917, started his own business servicing the mining industry when he returned from service in World War II. He developed all sorts of clever clamps, glands and junction boxes for use in mining but it was in the field of adhesives that he made Pratley’s a household name – one which would even reach as far as the moon.

Mr Pratley developed a putty that would not only stick brass terminals inside cast iron electrical junction boxes, but would also insulate them. He called it plastic putty. This mouldable product which then hardened soon found favour with a broader market – and was even selected by NASA as part of its 1969 Apollo XI mission to the moon when Pratley’s Putty was used on the lunar landing craft.

That adhesive started something and nowadays the Pratley’s range of 800 products are used to bond a variety of different materials – and once stuck, they stay stuck! So formidable was the bond formed that Pratley’s was even used to fix a crack in one of the supports of the world-famous Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.

Innovation, creativity and ‘thinking out the box’ is easier said than done. Behaviour becomes a pattern because it’s easy to replicate. But doing something totally different, dreaming up something that’s never been done before is something South Africans are pretty good at.

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Q20 What do you do when you have a squeaky door, or a window or cupboard hinge that’s a bit stiff?

Grab a can of Q20 right?

Did you know that Q20 was something developed in the 1950’s by a Mr Robertson of Pinetown, because he had a VW Beetle which had problems starting in wet weather? The all-purpose lubricant was his way of sorting out the trouble he had with water in the distributor cap. This brilliant product is now used all over the world – and has a variety of applications.

It can be used to loosen tight nuts and bolts, it gets rid of rust, it protects against rust and corrosion which makes it ideal for use at the coast where salt air can be murder on metal surfaces. It stops squeaks in doors and hinges, making them open smoothly and effortlessly. It even removes globules of tar from car bodywork – or (even better) sticky chewing gum from the soles of shoes!

The secret to Q20’s success has to do with its specific gravity – which is heavier than that of water.

So, it displaces water and lubricates the area it’s applied to. And the clever manufacturers of Q20 even redesigned the spray nozzle so that it’s possible to use the can upside down, sideways or in any awkward space you can get to.

Like Pratley’s, the range grew and now incorporates everything from antibacterial hand cleaner to penetrating oils, silicon sprays and a host more. The nifty product is used in everything from heavy earth moving equipment to firearms to sewing machines and bicycles. No self respecting toolkit is without a can…

It was in the field of adhesives that he made Pratley’s a household name – one which would even reach as far as the moon.

3 KREEPY KRAULY An indication of superb design is if it cannot be improved upon. And that’s the case for the automated pool cleaner – the Kreepy Krauly.

Springs resident Daniel Chauvier went door to door selling pool products in the early 70’s. He realised that people hated the schlep of keeping their pools bright and sparkling – all that brushing and vacuuming required with hoses attached to the filter… His father, Ferdi, was a hydraulics engineer who’d moved to South Africa from the Belgian Congo in 1951. Together, they developed a wood and rubber tubing pool cleaner in 1974 which did the job automatically.

By 1978 their invention had caught on and they were able to mass produce the Kreepy using injection moulded plastic parts.

The design remains essentially the same and as materials technology has advanced, the screws, nuts and bolts have made way for plastic clips and other components. So successful was the Kreepy Krauly that it was bought by the global leader in pool equipment, Pentair, in 1999. Its catalogue praises the Kreepy’s rugged design, dependability and ultra reliability. Many have tried to match or beat it – without success.

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I N N OVAT I O N | SA I N N OVATO R S

CAT SCAN Modern medicine is another area where South African’s have had a global impact. The CT or CAT scan is the brainchild of Allan Cormack, a Cape Town physicist, and his associate, an English electrical engineer Godfrey Hounsfield.

In 1979 the two men were awarded the Nobel prize in physiology and medicine.

It’s regarded as one of the best diagnostic tools in the modern doctor’s arsenal.

The Computerised Axial Tomography scan is an advanced x-ray system that allows a two dimensional image or scan through a three dimensional object – like looking at just one slice within a loaf of bread, as one scientist described it.

Unlike standard x-rays, the CT scan can allow medical professionals to see precisely what they’re looking for – without having all the other bits in the way. An x-ray of your ribs, for example, will reveal things like the heart, liver and lungs at the same time.

It has enabled not just doctors to be able to see within the brain or body with remarkable accuracy, but has also allowed archaeologists to scan ancient sarcophagi without having to disturb the historic remains inside. It also has security applications with vehicles and packages being scanned to ascertain whether any nasty or unwanted goods lurk inside.

Global warming is no longer an academic concept: the evidence is there for all to see. Glaciers retreating, less pack ice at the polar regions, unseasonal, ferocious storms, marginal agricultural areas now benefitting from temperature increases of a degree or two.

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The design was never patented – and the work was done while the men were employed by the SA railways and harbours agency – so the dolosse never made them any money.

5 CONCRETE DOLOSSE In the past few years, coastal areas have been pounded by the “storm of a century” – except the intervals between these monster weather fronts is now a decade or so. Low lying areas, estuaries and harbours take a beating when the storm swells surge and massive waves hammer the coastline.

It was in 1963 that East London harbour engineer Eric Merrifield and colleague, harbour draughtsman, Aubrey Kruger developed the large concrete dolosse which are frequently used on breakwaters, harbour mouths and increasingly even in estuaries and rivers to protect against water erosion.

The geometrically shaped concrete blocks are designed to deplete the energy of wave action and protect harbour walls or similar sites. Rather than providing a solid impediment to a wave, the dolosse deflect and dissipate wave energy. Although reasons given for its name range from old clay oxen to animal knuckle bones, what is known is that they are remarkably effective. Weighing in at between 12 and 20 tons each, the dolosse can be manufactured from standard concrete without any reinforcing on site. The metal moulds are removed within 24

hours and three days later the individual pieces are cured enough to move. Because the two arms are at right angles to one another, they interlock with ease and simply become more entangled when pounded by heavy seas – yet remain porous.

The design was never patented – and the work was done while the men were employed by the SA railways and harbours agency – so the dolosse never made them any money. It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Indian engineers have refined the dolos design, making the shanks shorter and squatter and thus less prone to breaking… and called it the kolos.

These are just a few examples of creative solutions that South Africans have come up with. There are heaps of other examples – the hippo water roller, an internet payment verification system, safe syringes… Who knows, there might be someone out there dreaming up another ‘out the box’ idea.

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Nov/Dec 2016

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RESPONSIBILITY |

Buckle up…

LIKE A CALLUS THAT BUILDS UP ON AN AREA OF SKIN THAT’S USED CONSTANTLY, ROAD SAFETY ADVERTS WITH SCREECHING TYRES, TINKLING GLASS AND FLASHING EMERGENCY LIGHTS LOSE IMPACT. PEOPLE HAVE BECOME INURED TO THEM. NOT SO WITH THE GROUND-BREAKING – AND SHOCKING – ‘FIRST KISS’ SEATBELT SAFETY AD WHICH PACKED A PUNCH AND SAW 160% INCREASE IN REAR SEAT PASSENGERS BUCKLING UP WITHIN WEEKS OF THE CAMPAIGN!

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uckling up: we all know it’s the law. But, like observing the speed limit, it’s something which individual motorists casually choose to ignore. The SA Medical Journal reported on a limited pilot study conducted in Cape Town that only 26% of all drivers buckled up.

This is despite multiple international studies which concluded that wearing a seatbelt can significantly decrease the risk of death in a serious collision – and yet, according to the World Health Organisation, at around 60%, South Africa has one of the lowest rates of seatbelt use in the world.

At first glance, ‘The First Kiss’ appeared like a music video, with it’s cool music (One More Night by Michael J Langley was the soundtrack used) and romantic images of a young couple at a party, trying to find a place to make out – but being constantly interrupted. Until they’re in the backseat of a car – and their

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S E AT B E LT SA F E T Y | R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

lips finally meet… as the young man is brutally tossed around the car’s cab in a shower of flying glass and debris, with his untethered body smashing and killing everyone in the crash.

“The rhythm of the ad mimics the joie de vivre of youth and the soft haze in which you live out a perfect night. It’s fluid and romantic, and the lilting track carries you along — until the horror sets in,” wrote BD Live columnist Suhana Gordhan about the ad, while describing it as negative.

The result, however, has been overwhelmingly positive.

Launched in March by the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works, ‘The First Kiss’ saw the impact that negative or shocking ads can have on public behaviour. At the time of the launch ahead of the Easter holidays, Western Cape Transport MEC Donald Grant said the majority of road deaths in the province were vehicle occupants – and that improved seatbelt compliance could save thousands of lives annually.

This was borne out by a pilot study reported in the SA Medical journal. Cape Town’s emergency medical services were involved in the study which analysed the severity of injuries in 55 collisions in which 107 patients were injured – 55 drivers, 28 front seat and 24 rear seat passengers. Of those 107 people, 11 died – not one of them having worn a seatbelt. Only one in four had worn seatbelts at all, and in the case of back seat passengers, a scant 8% had been restrained.

As the SAMJ report stated: “This study demonstrated a reduction in injury severity, hospital admission rate, duration of hospital stay and mortality rate when seatbelts were used by occupants of vehicles involved in road traffic collisions.

Consistent with previous research, these results illustrate the significance of this modifiable health risk and should motivate policy makers and government officials to enforce seatbelt laws more strictly.”

Just weeks after the ‘First Kiss’ campaign commenced, Transport

ABOVE: Not how you would want to experience the First Kiss, in a maelstrom of shattered glass, tearing metal, screeching brakes and mayhem. This shocking advert highlights the necessity for rear seat passengers to buckle up too.

MEC Grant reported that there had been a 27.5% increase in overall seatbelt compliance during the month of May – and also that passenger deaths in collisions were down a third on the 2014/2015 numbers.

How did they know this? The department did snap surveys of seatbelt compliance at four major intersection in Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Cape Town and the northern suburbs – before and after the campaign.

“These surveys were snap counts, conducted by actual observation of driver and passenger behaviour, not from self-reported behaviour,” Grant said. Of 1 226 vehicles with 2 399 occupants, overall compliance was 40%.

The surveys were repeated at the same intersections, six weeks into the campaign. Compliance had improved 11% – up to 51% overall.

But the real impact of the ‘First Kiss’ was that rear seat compliance had improved by 161%! That’s an astonishing success.

Lang said reception to the advert was “overwhelmingly positive… but has also been the catalyst to some frank conversations about road safety and the effective positioning of road safety messaging.”

Chief Creative Officer of Y&R South Africa and Africa, Graham Lang, praised their client “who looked at global best practice and allowed us to develop and localise a story that would resonate and work.”

“We worked with Egg Films and director Jason Fialkov to bring the story to life, and we even had the opportunity to involve actual Western Cape Government and City of Cape Town vehicles and staff in the end sequence to create a haunting and authentic piece of creative work.”

Lang said reception to the advert was “overwhelmingly positive… but has also been the catalyst to some frank conversations about road safety and the effective positioning of road safety messaging.”

The last word(s) are those which are posted alongside the YouTube video of ‘The First Kiss’: WARNING: Not for sensitive or young viewers.

When you choose not to wear your seatbelt, it is not just your own life you are putting at risk. In a crash, unbuckled passengers become wrecking balls, and kill or permanently disable other people in the vehicle.

Not wearing a seatbelt is against the law, regardless of where you are sitting, front or back. More importantly, buckling up is the right thing to do, for you, for your family, and for your friends. And because road deaths and serious injuries are costing South Africa R306 billion each year, and helping to keep millions in poverty, it is also the right thing to do for your community and for your country. So please buckle up, and #BeTheChange you want to see on South Africa’s roads. No seatbelt, no excuse.

Nov/Dec 2016

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LO O P D O P | G E R R I T R AU T E N B A C H

Die lyding van Lydenburg Die dorp aan die onderpunt van die Long Tom-pas bekend as Lydenburg of ook Mashishing het ’n wonderlike geskiedenis en is bekend vir heelwat interessante en lekker dinge.

Longtom TOPS Address: Voortrekker St, Lydenburg, 1120 Tel: Tel: 0132352764 Fax: 0132352771 Email: lydspar@iafrica.com Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon-Fri: 08h00 - 19h00 Sat: 08h00 - 17h00

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ashishing beteken “lang groen gras” en is dus ietwat meer aan die positiewe kant as die Hollanders se Burg van Lyding. Maar vir ’n hele tydjie het gebeure rondom daai dorp kwaai lyding veroorsaak.

Ons is elke jaar wintervakansietyd Krugerwildtuin toe en soms (afhangende van die kamp waar ons oorgebly het) het ons Lydenburg langs gery. Nou Lydenburg was belangrik, want dit was oom Piet en tannie Suster de Beer se tuisdorp.

Dan sou ons oorslaap en aandete van skaapboud en hoenderpastei eet. Met groenbone opgekook met ertappels en dun tjoppies so lekker, ek sou my broodpoeding daarvoor verpand.

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Maar een jaar het ons die kuier aan die De Beers van wintertyd met Kersfeestyd verruil. Dit was ’n spesiale geleentheid – buiten Krismis nou. Ek dink oom Piet het 60 geword of so iets. Hy was ’n mynwerker en hulle huis was nie ver van die myn af nie, aan die rand van die dorp. Die treinspoor vir die ertsvervoer het net so ’n entjie agter hulle huis verbygeloop.

Dis belangrik, want net voor die skool gesluit het, het my vriend Wouter my vertel hoe hulle ’n sentstuk (daai tyd was dit nog die ou grote met die ossewa aan die eenkant) op die spoor sit. Die sware trein trap hom dan in ’n lang papierdun stafie in.

Ons wou dieselfde doen.

Net so voor aandete het ek en my broer ons platgetrapte munte vir my neef Pieter gewys wat by ons kom aansluit het vir ete. Ek was seker so sewe en Pieter maklik al in sy twintigs want sien, tannie Suster was die oudste en my pa tweede jongste van agt.

“Hmmm...” sê Pieter terwyl hy na die plat sente kyk. “Julle moet pasop hiermee.”

“Hoekom?” wou ons dadelik weet.

“Want ’n trein is ’n baie gesofistikeerde stuk masjien. Hy is baie delikaat gebalanseer. Julle kan die ding laat ontspoor!” verduidelik hy en almal

gaan hartlik aan’t lag. Maar ek sluk en verloor skielik my eetlus. Want ek dink aan die laaste sent. Die trein was so swaar hy’t dit binne-in die spoor ingetrap. So elke trein daarna het ’n kans om te ontspoor ...

Hoe ook al, Kersfees het gekom en gegaan. Elke keer as Stille Nag gesing word, het ek geprewelbid. Vir die treine. Ek wou nie tronk toe gaan as ’n trein-ontspoorder nie.

Maande later terug by die huis sit Ma en Pa op die stoep en koerant lees (dit was lank voor TV) terwyl ek en my broer in die tuin speel. Ek hoor die foon in die gang lui. Ma gaan tel op.

“Dit was Suster,” sê sy met haar terugkeer. “Sy sê dit gaan goed, behalwe dat daar erts amper tot in die agterplaas gestrooi lê. Een van die myntreine het ontspoor.”

En net daar begin my lyding ...

HAT RK T Y O W FEL NET I A L OM E S A C O S H BY THE TS YOU OU TO Y E G GHT BRO

U

TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS\DURBAN 40880

ister g e R In Log

LOOKING FOR A SAFE RIDE HOME AFTER THE PARTY? Then be responsible and download DRYVER – a free mobile app for party hoppers and lift swoppers. To download DRYVER visit dryver.mobi or scan the QR code on the left with your smart phone.

TOPS at SPAR supports responsible drinking.