Safari Sips
Quenching your thirst with Africa’s safari drinks
There’s a safari beverage journey to be had – it is a holiday after all! So as the sun sets over the African bush, you may just find yourself (in fact we know you will) toasting another unforgettable day with a gin and tonic – a legacy left by the colonial days (thank you!).
Originally believed to ward off mosquitoes and malaria, these days, it’s just a darn good thirst quenching drink that we think captures the essence of an afternoon on safari.
Boutique gins aplenty in Africa – it became a ‘thing’ long before it did here in Australia.
You may also indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of Amarula – a whisky-style liquor (like Baileys) made from the amarula nut, perfect for savouring on the rocks or neat as night falls.
But we don’t just confine this delicious drink to evenings – it’s divine as a dash in your morning coffee!
Here’s some of our favourite Safari Sips that have been made and enjoyed regularly in Africa’s wild places.
Sunset Safari
This is like drinking your favourite milkshake as a child. The ultimate safari sip after a long day in the sun!
Ingredients:
Amarula Cream Liquer
Amaretto
Citrus Vodka
Pinch of sinnamon
Garnished with orange and cinnamon
Method:
Simply shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice, garnish and enjoy!
Gin Botanical
On safari these days, it’s less about lemon and more about endemic botanicals plucked right out of South Africa’s Western Cape region. Local brand Inverroche was first cab off the rank back in 2011 (yep, long before Australia got into serious boutique gins!) to experiment with fynbos. These days, the label is in demand all over the world with its botanical flavourings! From Rooibos to Fynbos, Inverroche is the gin boss!
Don’t underestimate the underdogs and smaller distilleries that are quickly emerging on the market. There’s KWV’s Cruxland gin flavoured with Kalahari Truffle, Musgrave Gin with its 11 botanicals and The Salt River Gin featuring native medicinal herbs like buchu and kapokbos (wild rosemary).
To try some of these delightful elixirs while you’re in Cape Town, visit Mother’s Ruin on Bree Street or the Gin Bar hidden behind a chocolate shop no less!
Or in Namibia, you have to try Desolate Gin, made in Walvis Bay by Andries and Mariana Van Schalkwyk. These are award winning gins for good reason. The flavours are so divine – each gin is infused delicately with the finest hand selected botanicals.
Cheers!
Don Pedro
This is a divine South African favourite dessert drink rich with ice cream, lavish with Amarula and decadent with dark chocolate grated over the top! Are you ready?
Ingredients:
4 cups vanilla ice cream slightly softened
1/2 cup Amarula Liquer
3/4 cup fresh cream (double cream or thickened cream)
1 flake chocolate bar crumbled or dark chocolate grated
Method:
Place all ingredients except your crumbled or grated chocolate into a blender and blitz until combined
Pour into serving glasses of your choice and sprinkle with your favourite chocolate crumbled or grated