Women are making a splash in the South African liquor industry. We raise a glass to these four game changers. 

When thinking about alcoholic drinks, which images flood the mind? Which colours takeover? Who fills the space?  

For centuries, the Western world has marketed drinks such as beer, wine and tequila as a drink by men, for men. If you take beer for example, it is often more than a drink. In South Africa, it’s a culture, a psychology and a mindset. Beer symbolises community, bonding and memories. It goes hand in hand with sports and braais on a Sunday afternoon or camping trips.  

Whether the ad says “Champion men deserve champion beer” or “Grootman of laaitie? Vra vir die voile 750ml” (Big man or boy? Ask for the 750ml), beer has flooded our television screens, billboards and now phones — marketed exclusively towards men. This drink is considered the approved drink for men. Ten plus years ago, when women were included in the narrative, they were shown as the prize a man got for enjoying beer. These days, women are included more in adverts as participants in a group, but almost never alone or with other women. These social (earnings harm men too, creating further divides between people. The assumption that only men like beer removes choice while adding pressure. Women are relegated to enjoying wine or cocktails, left out of the idea entirely.  

Despite the heavy damage old-school marketing has done, there are South African women changing this narrative, one brew at a time. Despite making up less than 5% of head brewers or owners in South Africa right now, women were actually once in charge of brewing. In the Xhosa and Zulu culture, women were the makers of umqombothi, a sacred fermented drink that has been around for centuries. It is a thick, tangy drink made using a mixture of maize, sorghum, yeast and water. Low in alcohol but high in nutrients, it was communally enjoyed and considered essential in ceremonies. These brewing techniques were passed down to each generation.  

Aspiring female brewers can take plenty of inspiration from Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, the first black woman to own a microbrewery in South Africa. “This range of craft beer and ciders pays homage to the female brewers of the African soil, drawing inspiration from the Tolo clan’s rich brewing history” is how Apiwe’s brewery, Tolokazi Beer, describes itself. Using premium indigenous African ingredients such as sorghum, rooibos and perhaps the continent’s most unique hop variety, African Queen, they are brewing up a storm! Making even further strides in the industry, she started the first accredited brewery school in South Africa.  

“I don’t want to be the first and the last”, says Apiwe, who is passionate about empowering other women and preserving the rich heritage of beer-making.  

The upside to the never-ending pursuit for change means more women are breaking the mould, taking up space and calling for more diversity not just in brewing beer, but beyond in the world of wine and spirits. Take this chance to meet three more women changing the game. 

Danielle Schoeman

– Doña Distillery  

After finishing her business degree and powering up in the corporate world, passion pushed Danielle Schoeman down the long, dusty Karoo Road to learn all about tequila. She then took her knowledge and opened Doña Distillery in Cape Town. Meaning ‘women of rank’, Doña comprises a majority women-led team with a goal to create the best spirits in the market.

Doña sources local raw ingredients that are then fermented, distilled, bottled and labelled all in-house by the team. Doña offers authentic tequila called Fuego, produced in collaboration with farms in Jalisco, Mexico, a non-alcoholic butter orange spritz called Harry Spritz as well as a single grain whisky aged in ex-bourbon American oak called Toor.

Last but not least, she’s created an alcohol-free gin called Mahala (de-alcoholised through a process of vacuum distillation). Doña also works with small businesses and start-ups, aiding in product conception, final bottling and distribution. 

Ntsiki Biyela

– Aslina wines 

Ntsiki Biyela of Aslina Wines in Stellenbosch has been producing wine for just over 20 years.  

In addition to the many accolades her wines have received, she has been acknowledged for being the first black woman winemaker and has played a significant part in revolutionising the South African wine business. In addition to producing exceptional wines, she mentors aspiring winemakers at the Pinotage Youth Development Academy in her spare time. She was one of them, after all.  

After working as a domestic worker for a year, Ntsiki, who was born and raised in the KZN community of Mahlabathini, far from the Cape Winelands, received a scholarship to study winemaking at Stellenbosch University in 1999.  

She had never tried wine before arriving at college, and the Afrikaans language instruction was difficult, so she required the assistance of language tutors. But she persisted because she believed that the degree would transform her life.  

Ntsiki’s passion for her craft runs far deeper than just a love for wine — it’s a soulful expression of faith, patience and purpose. For her, making wine is an act of trust: a vision held in her heart long before it touched the vineyard. She dreamed of a skin-fermented Chenin Blanc for years, tasting it in her mind before ever pressing a grape. When the moment finally came in 2021, it wasn’t science that led the process — it was instinct, memory and heart. 

Ntsiki’s greatest inspiration comes from her village and the women who raised her, especially her grandmother. Through winemaking, she honours that legacy — crafting each bottle as a tribute to those who came before her.  

Sarah Kennan

– Leonista 

Sarah Kennan was hungry for a South African tequila that could echo her love for the wild. After travels to Mexico and immersing herself in the world of tequila, she came back invigorated and ready to make her own.

The Karoo was the land of plenty for Sarah, where she found farmers with rolling plains of agave bushes ready to be harvested. Using traditional Mexican processes, the first South African 100% Karoo agave spirit was created. Leonista, meaning ‘lion person’ or ‘lion energy’, opened in 2017 with the motto #rewildyourself. Leonista offers blanco, reposado and black agave spirits, each donning their own well-deserved awards.

Sarah’s other passion is conservation, and Leonista belongs to the NPO 1% for the planet. Leonista has donated 1% of its yearly earnings to Samara Game Reserve, helping to preserve the vital habitat and wildlife.  

By: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography by: Getty images, Supplied
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine 

The post Women who are making a splash in the liquor industry  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Sweet, sour or zesty, these classic whiskey cocktails deserve a spot in your repertoire this World Whiskey Day on 20 May.  

Old-Fashioned  

Serves 2 • Total Time 10 Min  

Ingredients 

2 tsp sugar  
6 dashes bitters  
4 tsp water  
6 ice cubes  
¼ cup whiskey  
2 orange wedges or twists  

Method

1. Add sugar, bitters and water to two glasses. 
2. Use a cocktail muddler to mix until sugar dissolves. 
3. Add ice and whiskey. 
4. Stir, and finish off with orange wedges. 

Chef’s Tip
To make a simple syrup, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water. Boil for 3 minutes, remove from  heat and cool. Store in a sealed jar for two weeks.

Whiskey Sour  

Serves 2 • Total Time 10 Min  

Ingredients

½ cup whiskey  
¼ cup lemon juice  
2 Tbsp simple syrup  
1 Tbsp egg white  
2 orange peel twists  
6 maraschino cherries  

Method

1. Add whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to cocktail shaker. 
2. Shake for 30 seconds, and strain into cold glasses. 
3. Garnish with orange peel and maraschino cherries. 

Mint Julep  

Serves 2 • Total Time 10 Min  

Ingredients

12 mint sprigs, plus extra to garnish 
2 Tbsp simple syrup  
¾ cup bourbon  
4 cups crushed ice lemon slices, to garnish  

Method

1. Divide mint and simple syrup between two glasses. 
2. Use a cocktail muddler or pestle and mortar to crush mint leaves, no stalks, and sugar together to release mint’s aroma. 
3. Add bourbon to both glasses, stir and fill with crushed ice. 
4. To serve, top with extra mint sprig. 

Foodie Fact 
In Scotland, Canada and Japan, distillers call their tot ‘whisky’ – take note, that’s without an `e’. ‘Whiskey’ is distilled and drunk by the Irish and the Americans. 

Words by Sjaan Van Der Ploeg 
Photography: Fresh Living Magazine  

The post Classic Whiskey Cocktails To Add To Your Repertoire appeared first on MyKitchen.

Your breakdown on the best booze in the biz and how to use it effectively in baking

Most people enjoy some form of dessert. Whether you’re a chocolate-, meringue-, bread-, cake-, or even a cheeseboard person, experimenting with alcohol flavours can take your desserts to a completely different level. Other than flavour, alcohol can change the texture of your dessert, too. 

Depending on what flavour and strength you’re going for, you can add alcohol to your dessert before baking, thus resulting in a more subtle, complex hinted flavour (for example: to your cake batter) or after baking, thus resulting in a punchy, heated flavour (such as adding it to your icing). Specific types of alcohol pair better with certain desserts, so  let us guide you through the basics.

How much booze to go for?

When you’re looking to only add flavour, it’s a good idea to add alcohol in the same quantity that you would add something like vanilla extract to your bakes. A little goes a long way, and both alcohol and vanilla are super strong so they work well when used carefully. Start small, taste, then add more if you’re looking for a stronger flavour. Adding too much alcohol to a dessert, even if you enjoy the taste, can ultimately ruin your final result.

If you’re looking for a proper alcohol kick, try adding your choice of liquor to your bake after cooking. If you want to add it to a cake, make a sugar syrup over the stove and add in the alcohol at the end – use this to brush over your cake to keep it moist. You can also add a few teaspoons of it to your frosting or ganache before icing your cake. Some desserts, such as tiramisu, call for the biscuits to be soaked in a coffee, marsala wine and rum syrup, and since tiramisu is not cooked, the alcohol is quite strong.

What about the other factors?

If you’re looking for moisture or flakiness, alcohol has got you covered. Adding some vodka to your pastry for a pie or tart will make it flakier when baked, and adding wine to your cake will help keep it moist. In addition
to moisture, alcohol will change the structure of something like a cake. Depending on the type of alcohol used, the cake will become denser such as when using Sherry.

Flavour combinations 

When pairing alcohol with desserts, it’s important to look at the overall theme of what you are baking: Is it light and creamy, tangy and fruity or deep and chocolatey? Different alcohols will magnify these flavours better than others:

Chocolate: When baking with dark chocolate, look at adding Merlot, Port or Cabernet. White chocolate works well with Champagne, MCC or Prosecco. Bourbon and whiskey also pair well with chocolate and caramel. If you’re baking something with rich fruits such as plums or berries, try to use Moscato or Sherry. Lighter fruits such as apples and pears work well with white wine such as Chenin Blanc.

Creamy liqueurs such as Baileys, Amarula and Magnum cream liqueur complement ice cream, cheesecake, and biscuits. When adding alcohol to meringue desserts, pairing the meringue with a fruity component will work best. For example, vodka strawberry compote or rum added to a lemon meringue pie.

When experimenting with adding alcohol to your dessert, it’s important to use alcohol that you actually enjoy drinking. Think of your favourite wine or liqueur, or perhaps something you already have on hand that you would be happy to use in a recipe. If you’re feeling flush and experimental, go out and purchase something new, but you’re ultimately going to eat this dessert yourself or present it to friends.

It’s important to believe in the ingredients that you’re using. Remember to have fun with it, ask friends and family for their opinion and see for yourself how alcohol can transform your baking.

Words by Sjaan Van der Ploeg
Photography: Pexels

The post How To Effectively Use Booze In Baking appeared first on MyKitchen.

There’s no better way to start off the weekend than by sipping on a refreshing and delicious drink. Gin is definitely making its mark as the drink of 2018, and can be paired with many different herbs and flavours. For these stunning gin martinis, we’ve opted for a bitter-sweet taste to forget about those weekday stresses.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 10 min, plus chilling time

INGREDIENTS
3 grapefruits (2 juiced, 1 sliced into wedges)
2 tbsp syrup
15 g fresh thyme, plus extra to garnish
2 shots gin

METHOD
1. Place the juice, syrup and thyme in a pan over low heat. Whisk until the syrup has dissolved. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.
2. Strain the juice into two glasses, along with a shot of gin in each glass. Serve with thyme and a wedge of grapefruit.

The post Grapefruit and gin martinis appeared first on MyKitchen.

Want a taste of Italy’s most popular cocktail? Serve Aperol Spritz in wine glasses as the Italians do or omit the Prosecco and soda, and serve the straight Aperol in a tumbler over ice.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
3 cups Prosecco (or dry sparkling wine)
2 cups Aperol
1 cup soda water
Ice, to serve
8 orange slices

METHOD
1. Combine the Prosecco, Aperol and soda water in a jug.
2. Fill glasses with a generous amount of ice, pour in the Aperol Spritz and add an orange slice to each one.

The post Aperol Spritz appeared first on MyKitchen.

Do you love the taste of jelly babies as much as we do? We decided to take things a step further for the long weekend and try to turn this flavour into a fun boozy treat. Try these babies out and let us know what you think.

MAKES 2 double shots // COOKING TIME 5 mins

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp cherry vodka
1 tbsp peach schnapps
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1 tbsp Sprite

METHOD
1. Shake ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.
2. Pour into double-shot glasses. Garnish each one with a jelly baby for a fun touch (or a raspberry, if you want to be classy).

The post Jelly babies appeared first on MyKitchen.