Africa was source of
inspiration when ten of the top bartenders from Cape Town came together on
Tuesday, 8 May, to compete in the KWV Brandy Reimagined competition at
Cause|Effect Cocktail Kitchen and Brandy Bar.
This competition seeks to identify SA’s top bartender, who will be
crowned KWV Brandy’s Futurist – and walk away with a rare bottle of KWV Nexus
valued at R24 000!
KWV Brandy is considered part
and parcel of South African culture, and it was, therefore, appropriate that
most competitors led with ‘African-infused’ flavours and memories in their
cocktails. Mixology consultant Roxanne Read was inspired by her childhood
weekends spent swimming in the rain with the smell of braaivleis in the air.
She brought these memories to life with ingredients smelling like freshly cut grass
and used activated charcoal to emulate the smell of a dwindling braai fire.
Aiden Powrie, who is not only a bartender but a chef and world traveller, continued
the element of nostalgia by taking the judges on an African safari while
preparing his drink. As a homage to his grandfather he dressed in his safari
attire, as a tribute to a man that was born in the same year as KWV – 1918.
Other competitors included
Thirst Bar Services’ own Sabrina Traubner who showed off her sassy personality
not only in her presentation but with her aptly named brandy-based cocktail,
the ‘Spicy Sabrina’ too. Talent Sawula, representing Haiku, drew his
inspiration from the beautiful Cape Winelands by introducing flavours of
Sauvignon Blanc wine to his cocktail named the Cape Wine Grape. Iranian born Marshall Behaein, representing
Cause|Effect decided to focus on a drink specifically created for ladies,
bringing in flavours of ginger, beetroot and chocolate. Marshall expressed his
profound respect for KWV as a brand by boldly commenting that what most brands
see as a goal to look towards, KWV brandy has already achieved, cementing KWV’s
status as an industry leader. This respect for KWV Brandy was a constant theme
throughout the night with almost all of the competitors mentioning that KWV
Brandy played a significant role in their lives in one way or another.
The KWV Brandy judges, KWV
master distiller, Pieter de Bod; Dominic Walsh, owner of Mootee Cocktail Bar in
Johannesburg; Jan Laubscher, prolific drinks commentator; respected drinks
writer Leah van Deventer; charismatic Sunday Times S Mag editor, Thembalethu
Zulu; influential trendsetter, Seth Shezi; and Cause|Effect owner and cocktail
expert Kurt Schlechter were left with the challenging task of deciding on a Top
5.
De Bod, Walsh and Zulu all
mentioned their joy in seeing African themes and ideas inspiring the various
cocktail recipes. “It is exciting to see KWV Brandy reimagined in such unique
ways,” said Walsh.
Judged on criteria of aroma,
taste, appearance, balance, brandy pairing and presentation, it was Sabrina
Traubner, Roxanne Read, Brent Perremore (consultant), Peter Labese (Botanical
Bar) and Melrick Harrison (Twankey Bar) who won the judges’ favour. The scores
of the Top 5 from Cape Town will now be entered and considered against the Top
5 scoring bartenders from Johannesburg and Durban, following regionals at
Mootee Bar in Johannesburg on the 22nd of May. The overall winner of KWV’s
bartending competition will be announced at a Grand Finale at the House of Fire
– the home of KWV Brandy in Paarl on the 12th of June.
“Brandy has traditionally been
considered as a mixer with coke. This one-dimensional approach was definitely
challenged tonight, with cocktails incorporating KWV’s award-winning brandies.
It is inspiring to see that KWV Brandy elicited so much creativity from Cape
Town’s top bartenders. Cape Town’s bartenders proved that KWV Brandies are
incredibly versatile in their offering,” said Jerome Adonis, Brand Manager for
Brown Spirits at KWV.
A selection of the Top 5 KWV
Brandy Reimagined cocktails from the Cape Town regionals will be served at
Cause|Effect Cocktail Kitchen and Brandy Bar from the 29th of May to the 9th of
June and KWV Brandy lovers are invited to sample these for a glimpse into the
journeys the bartenders took in the development of their drinks.
You can track the bartenders’
journey by following the hashtag #KWVBrandyReimagined and following KWV Brandy
on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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