Yep, it’s winter and therefore it’s firewater season. But wait a minute, brandy is for all seasons! And for all reasons!
Well, for those of you who have somewhat of an adventurous nature, who enjoy South Africa’s national drink and who have enough wisdom and experience to know how versatile brandy is, here are a few brandy cocktails to knock your socks off.
Tropical Bullion
Serves 4
Ingredients
200ml Fight of the Fish Eagle
1 fresh pineapple cut into chunks
1 red chilli coarsely chopped
10g fresh coriander
800ml mango juice
ice cubes
Method
Combine the brandy, pineapple, chilli and coriander in a bar blender and blitz until smooth. Add mango juice, a few ice cubes and blitz again briefly. Divide equally amongst four martini glasses. Don’t strain the mix, as you want to retain the green and red flecks of the chilli and coriander.
Green ‘n Gold
Serves 4
Ingredients
200ml Flight of the Fish Eagle
400ml Verjuice
600ml ginger beer
1 fresh lime sliced
Method
Pour 50ml brandy into each glass, followed by 100ml verjuice. Add two slices of lime per glass and then top with 150ml ginger beer, swizzle and serve.
Cape’s Golden Toddy
Serves 4
Ingredients
200ml Klipdrift Gold
1 litre boiling water
40ml rooibos or other honey
4 sticks cassia
8 pods cardamom
8 cloves
2 naartjies, using juice and rind
Method
Squeeze the naartjies and retain the rind for garnishing. Pour 50ml brandy into each glass, followed by 250ml of boiling water, using a spoon to prevent the glass from cracking. Add 10ml (2 teaspoons) of honey to each glass. Add the spices (1 cassia stick, two cardamom pods and 2 cloves per glass), the naartjie juice divided equally amongst the four glasses. Garnish with some rind and serve hot.
Enjoy! And watch this space for more cocktails in the not too distant future. And if you’ve already made up your own brandy cocktails, and you believe they’re something special, let’s hear from you. Send your recipes (ingredients and methods) to bacchus@planeetwyn.co.za.
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