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BITTERLY CORDIAL F
or a long time, a mixer in the average bar generally referred to big-brand cool drinks. Pizzazz was a bartender who could make drinks like Tom Cruise. Now, the leading edge of the drinks world has plenty that’s interesting and new. Think jazzy cordials, mystic tinctures and craft tonic waters. A place like Cause|Effect in the V&A Waterfront is one of the showcases when it comes to this – the brainchild of Kurt Schlechter, who has been in the business longer than most and remains an eternal student of the field. Of course, schweet décor is still part of this bar experience – there’s muted lighting, raw stone walls, copper and wood. Fynbos shrubbery hangs over the bar and is occasionally plucked for drinks. Alongside backlit brands on the back-bar stand unlabelled bottles of mysterious, slowinfusing concoctions. The enterprise is the result of observation, says Kurt. “Cape Town has many epicures [people who take particular pleasure in food and drink] and we saw they were getting younger every year. We thought perhaps the time for experiential drinks had come. So, we set about making a space where people could drink better, not necessarily more.” Those home-grown preparations behind his bar include naartjie bitters and floral tinctures like the blend of hibiscus and
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THERE’S A SMALL REVOLUTION HAPPENING AT THE BAR, REPORTS CLIFFORD ROBERTS.
artemisia. “We use local wormwood and we chose three to pursue – our Aromatic lion’s tail as bittering agents instead of the (Original), Spiced Orange and the world first popular gentian or angelica root,” he says. Rooibos Bitters.” Of course, not everything that’s seems Together they make up the Mutiny new is new, points out Shane Smith portfolio. Selling them isn’t easy, he admits. who co-owns West Coast Distillery in “It is a product we need to push hard and Langebaan with Shaun Bebington. “I think educate South Africans as to the potential South Africans have always been ready for for mixers and cocktails.” developments like craft bitters. They tweaked the recipe for an Old Fashioned, suggesting Bains Cape In fact, people have never realised Mountain Whisky served with the Orange they’ve been drinking bitters in most Bitters and sugar. “We’ve cocktails they order.” dubbed it the New The distillery, Fashioned,” says Shane. which produces “In recent years They did likewise with the the Caspyn and rock shandy, switching Belladonna Night we’ve seen a growing out the traditional Shade gins, started trend of bartenders recipe to include Mutiny making bitters collaborating with Rooibos Bitters. soon after it was At the other end established in 2017. chefs and similarly of the scale is the Its Rooibos bitters more chefs using granddaddy of bitters, won the trophy for Angostura aromatic which often is still best innovation at synonymous with the the Michelangelo bitters in the category. The story goes International Wine kitchen.” – that Dr Johann Siegert & Spirit Awards this Vanessa Nel, DGB first produced aromatic year. bitters as a medicinal The bitters came tincture designed to about after seeing alleviate stomach ailments. In the 1870’s, the trend in the UK and wanting to create Siegert’s three sons migrated to Trinidad, diversity in the portfolio. among them Don Carlos, who founded “We loved the idea of diving deeper Angostura aromatic bitters and established into the world of mixology,” says Shane. an ingredient made famous in cocktails. “After some eight months of development,
