IN THE SPIRIT

TEQUILA IS MUCH MORE THAN A BOTTLED HEADACHE

Believe it or not, tequila is much more than a low-quality shot that gave you headaches at university. It can be an exquisite experience similar to the fine cognacs and single malts we enjoy as South Africans. A wave of upmarket restaurants that celebrate Mexican culture and cuisine have taken root in our country and with this, the demand for 100% agave tequilas has increased. Enter Fortaleza, one of the world’s finest premium smallbatch tequilas which is hand-crafted in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, in Mexico. Fifth generation tequila maker, Guillermo Erickson Souza, makes tequila using the same production methods employed by his forefathers. This includes old-world machinery and practices that allow you to experience tequila the way it tasted 150 years ago, without the technology and processes of the modern era. www.tequilafortaleza.com www.trumanandorange.com

RECIPROCAL WINE TRADING

For almost half a century the Reciprocal Wine Trading Company has been South Africa’s primary source of the finest international wines. With a focus on the major family-owned estates and wineries of Europe, Reciprocal imports Champagne Louis Roederer, estate Burgundies from Latour, Jadot and Malandes, profound Loire sauvignons from Baron Patrick de Ladoucette, the greatest Rhone wines in the world from Marcel and Philippe Guigal, Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Perrin family at Beaucastel, Right Bank Bordeaux from the Moueix estates (La Fleur Petrus and Latour a Pomerol) and the legendary Cru Classe wines from the Médoc. Complementing these French classics are top Riojas from Marques de Riscal, Tio Pepe sherry from Gonzalez Byass, Tuscan wines from the Frescobaldi family (vineyard owners and wine producers for over 700 years), Cloudy Bay from New Zealand, and fabulous rieslings from the Mosel and Alsace. Reciprocal is also the source of the varietal-specific stemware developed over several generations by the Riedel family in Austria, and Cellarax Wine Racks, handcrafted in wrought iron stands to optimise wine storage in the most space efficient way. www.reciprocal.co.za

WORLD’S FIRST NON-ALCOHOLIC BOTANICAL MICRO-BREWERY Coco Safar, couture espresso and patisserie in Cape Town, recently launched its new micro-brewery along with four refreshing house brewed drinks which are made completely from natural botanical ingredients and “superfoods”, at their Sea Point flagship store. With the rising societal awareness of health problems associated with excessive sugar and alcohol intake, the non-alcoholic beverage market is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. The founders of the brand took a bold decision to not only develop a bespoke cold brew coffee and rooibos beverage line, but to also create a streetlevel in-house botanical micro-brewery to deliver a signature collection of lightly sparkling bottled drinks that can now be enjoyed at home, and soon in world-class 5-star hospitality establishments across Africa. www.cocosafar.com