Booze & Beats

FODDER BOOZE & BEATS

THE COCKTAIL - BLOODY HELL, THAT’S GOOD

Whether you’re at the tail-end of summer or just seeing it start as we are in the Southern hemisphere, there’s one cocktail that stands head and shoulders above the rest for boozing on baking hot days, and that’s the Bloody Mary. Part cocktail, part soup, part of a balanced diet – it’s thirstquenching and moreish thanks to the endorphins released by the capsaicin in whatever chilli sauce you add to it. It’s also nigh on impossible to make it exactly the same way every time. It’s a drink that takes well to slightly buzzed, or hungover, improvisation, like tossing in some Guinness in place of Worcestershire sauce, or some blanco tequila in place of vodka. Personally, we like to use two different tomato products, ideally tomato juice and Clamato, a commercially produced tomato juice/clam broth blend available in South Africa from olivebranchdeli.com. The Clamato just brings a next level umami kick to your Bloody Mary. Make your Bloody Mary just with Clamato and you have a Bloody Caesar, a Canadian favourite.

120ml (half a cup) Clamato 120ml (half a cup) tomato juice 1 tsp ketchup (makes it thicker and super savory) 50ml vodka or other spirit Juice of 1/2 lime 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 2 dashes hot sauce or sriracha 1 tsp horseradish Several grinds of black pepper. Combine all ingredients, then gently roll the drink between two mixing or pint glasses. Stirring leaves the chewy ingredients on the bottom, and shaking makes it frothy. Make sure you roll it! Also, if you can get reusable milkshake straws they are perfect, because they won’t clog up with horseradish of other bulky ingredients. Garnish with a celery stick and wedge of lime.

“TAKE IRISH FOLK, MIX IN SOME SKA, PUNK, DJEMBE DRUMS AND LEFTFIELD PERCUSSION AND YOU START TO GET AN IDEA”

THE BEATS – WEST COAST WOLVES

Our main profile in this issue, freshwater conservationist Jeremy Shelton, is also a member of the band the West Coast Wolves (westcoastwolves.co.za). Take Irish folk, mix in some ska, punk, djembe drums and leftfield percussion and you start to get an idea of their unique sound. The Wolves put together this playlist, which includes (as per our insistence) a few tunes from a new album they have put together under lockdown.

TRACK LISTING

Blue Side of The Mountain - The Steeldrivers Uncle Tin - West Coast Wolves Banjo Odyssey - The Dead South Golden Embers - Mandolin Orange Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake - Small Faces Make It Wit Chu - Queens of the Stone Age Thompson Would - West Coast Wolves Rumble - Link Wray Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny Flames - West Coast Wolves Been Caught Stealing - Jane’s Addiction So Lonely - The Police Lufuno - Tidal Waves Burnin’ And Lootin’ - Bob Marley & The Wailers Country Boy - Alan Jackson

Press Play

THE BEER – GOLDEN MOLE IPA

“Goes down like a homesick mole” is an apt description of how good this beer from Featherstone Brewery is. The brewery is one of two owned by brewer William Yell, the other being Entrepid Brewing. Yell took over Featherstone in 2020 and with it the beers – Drostdy English Ale, Oldenburgia White Beer, Bell Ringer Rooibos Pale Ale and Golden Mole IPA - named for cultural touchpoints of the Eastern Cape or endemic flora/fauna. The grains used in the Golden Mole IPA are 100% malted barley, 10% of which are crystal malts, to balance out the beer’s hoppiness. According to Yell, “five hop additions are made through the boiling process as well as a generous dose of dry hops in the fermenter.”

With that much attention given to hops you might think it would be overpowering, but the 5.2% ABV Golden Mole IPA hits that hops Goldilocks-zone with just the right amount of hop bitterness, aroma and flavour. A crisp clean finish is provided by the American-style yeast Yell uses. For those looking to keep it tidy, but still keen on drinking a flavoursome beer, there’s a non-alcoholic version of the Golden Mole. Yell also makes other low or lite alcohol beers like the Entrepid Brewing Pacer (3.9% ABV). If you’re heading to Rhodes or Thrift, ensure a brewery pit-stop is on the cards at Featherstone, which is based at the Aloe & Elephant Lodge just outside of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown). Most of the range is available from Kwench Taproom & Pizzeria in Cape Town (kwenchbeer.co.za) or can be bought online from featherstonebrewery.co.za