Booze, Beats & Munchies

THE COCKTAIL - KARO BRANDY AFRICAN SIDECAR

As made for us by Jeep Apparel’s menswear designer Odette Kleynhans on the banks of the Orange River, this phenomenally tasty cocktail is made with the Karo 13-year-old Cape Brandy, which is distilled under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Kobus Gelderblom at Oude Molen Distillery. It provided a welcome break from the usual beer and braai fare that these sort of trips entail. kinshipspirits.co.za

Ingredients

- Karo Brandy - Lemons - Orange Liqueur - Fig jam

Method

- In a shaker add 50mls of Caro Brandy - 20mls of lemon juice - 15mls Orange Liqueur - 1 bar spoon fig jam - Half rim a glass with salt - Shake and fine strain into glass - Garnish with lemon zest

FODDER BOOZE, BEATS

THE BEER – KENNEL BREWERY

We’re loving the range of beers coming out of Durbanville brewery, The Kennel (thekennelbrewery.beer). The can designs are striking, from the prescription drug pop pack of Take Your Pils Pilsner, to the Garbage Patch Kids horror styling of their The Grass Ain’t Greener NEIPA and the inter-planetary dogwalk of their Tailwagger Extra Pale Ale (a collab with Old Hands Brewery). However, we are just as smitten by what’s inside. The Tailwagger, in particular, has become a firm favourite. We caught up with The Kennel’s brewer Paul Pablo Freysen.

Do you guys have a specific approach/philosophy when it comes to brewing beer?

I think the first rule for us is, to brew something we ourselves would want to drink, something you are proud to sell. No point in brewing the “it beer” for the season if you are not a fan of the style. I think then that our main philosophy will be stay creative and keep it fun.

Tell us about the collaboration with Old Hands Brewing Co. on the Tailwagger Extra Pale Ale.

We organically grew a little and needed another extra hand in the brewery. Braam, who still brewed at Hey Joe at the time, was looking to start something on his own. So we invited him over, started him a little brand named Old Hands Brewing Co. under The Kennel Brand. We’re another family member richer and he has his own brand/label. But we are all still part of the same litter, so to speak.

Your can art is fantastic, who is the brains behind that?

Thanks a lot. Yeah we pride ourselves on the design and can art. Long story short, a good mate and I started a little company called The Kennel Creative. I can’t design for shit, but the creative part seems to be there. Wynand (designer) seems to get and understand my ideas and way of thinking. Sometimes I’ll just send him a beer title and say “Open canvas...and go!”

What can we expect from you in the months to come? Any new releases on the horizon?

At the moment we are searching for a taproom space in the Durbanville area with an exciting liquor licence on the premises. Other than that, we still definitely have a few new beers coming out for the year and, in December, we will have a big 24 mixed case for the holiday season.

& MUNCHIES

THE BANANA REPUBLIC - BOERIE ROLL

A boerie roll is mos a boerie roll, right? Not when awardwinning chef and judge on the Ultimate Braai Master, Bertus Basson, weighs in with a recipe from his brilliant cookbook, Homegrown (bertusbasson.com). “Boerewors is an essential part of every South African braai and doesn’t go without emotion. No one can resist the smell of a boerie outside the supermarket on a Saturday morning; it is an absolute South African treat.

Boerewors comes in different lengths and sizes and is very region specific. Here in the Western Cape we produce the Grabouw boerewors which has its own spice variety and recipe. The best boerewors roll you’ll ever taste is in the Paarden Eiland Builders Warehouse car park outside Cape Town. Like so many other traditional Afrikaner foods, the boerewors in a roll has been turned by many into an economic survival mechanism. There are many ooms and tannies putting the kids through school or paying the rent by selling boerie rolls at pop-up stalls around the country. On the first season of the Ultimate Braai Master we had a boerewors cook-off at the Shark Tank in Durban as one of the contestants’ challenges. One of the teams prepared this incredible bacon, banana and garlic mayo boerie roll. What a combo. I have used it a few times and it really deserves to be preserved for posterity.

Method

• Grill the boerewors over medium to low coals or on a gas grill. As the fat drips, there will be some flare-ups and smoke that add to the flavour. Depending on the thickness, cook the wors for 3 minutes per side. Keep it juicy. • Grill the bacon and banana on the same fire – it should only take a minute. • Toss the onions through the milk and drain. Mix the flour, salt and paprika and toss the onions in this seasoned flour. Fry them in a deep fryer at 160°C until golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen towel until you need them. • For the mayo, whisk the yolk, both mustards and vinegar together. Add the oil a little at a time while whisking vigorously. As soon as an emulsion starts to form, you can add the oil a little faster. Whisk until the mayo is firm. Season with a pinch of salt and lemon juice. Add the water a little at a time to make the mayo creamy. Make in advance, it will keep for a week in the fridge. • To finish, slice the rolls open, smear generously with the mayo, pop in the wors and top with the grilled bacon and banana, finish with the crisp onions. Feast.

WORS ROLL

4 x 150 g lengths of boerewors 4 hot dog rolls 2 bananas 8 rashers bacon

CRISPY ONIONS

2 medium onions, thickly sliced 100 ml milk 100 g flour pinch of salt paprika

MUSTARD & GARLIC MAYO

1 egg yolk 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 tsp vinegar 2 cloves garlic, crushed 250 ml vegetable oil salt a few drops of fresh lemon juice 15 ml water

Banana Republic Boerie serves 4

THE BEATS – THE DOUBLE O PLAYLISTS From bellowing, “You can’t find love in a hole!” on the Okavango (in reference to Frightened Rabbit’s Keep Yourself Warm), to PJ Harvey’s We Float on the Orange River, here’s what we have had on repeat at The Mission of late. With thanks to Odette Kleinhans, Andre van Wyk and Milly Souvlaki.

OKAVANGO GOODNESS PLAYLIST – PRESS PLAY ORANGE RIVER PLAYLIST – PRESS PLAY