At the launch of five fabulous new Gordon’s Gin cocktails at Andrea Foulkes’ Bloomsbury-esque Dish Food & Social studio in Gardens at lunchtime, the penny dropped. Spirit scribblers are a heck of a lot more fun than wine writers – an observation confirmed by Brink Liebenberg, Group General Manager of Spirits at Distell. They really enjoy the product and lack the bitter, mean-spirited and envious streak of their Bacchus Brothers. As they say in academe, “the fights are so bitter because the stakes are so low.”

Andrea and Brink

Spirit scribblers also have a sense of humour, unlike the corporate apparatchik I asked whether it was true KWV would be renamed PSG at Danie de Wet’s retirement dinner last night. “Nou speel jy op Avbob se stoep” (now you’re playing on the verandah of the funeral parlour) without any irony or mirth at all. Luckily I was in a better linguistic position than the Johannesburg-based Phetogo investor. “What did you think of Johann’s talk?” I ventured (which was delivered 90% in richly idiomatic Afrikaans). “Afrikaans is the only one of the 11 official languages I don’t understand.” No wonder he ducked before the 1947 Port was served.

The jokes of winos are invariably lame, like Tim Atkin’s nickname for me at the WOSA Mega-Tasting in London yesterday “Nobby Pincock.” When The People’s Guide is launched next month, how long before some wag dubs it The Poephol’s Guide? Side-splitting stuff!

Andrea’s cocktails were no joke. An interesting comment on language efficiency in the press release containing the cocktail recipes: those given in the language of Shakespeare run to 31Kb. In the language of Leipoldt – 60Kb so I’ll be sure to order in Afrikaans as you get twice as many ingredients! My favorite was the reverse James Bond Bloody Mary called Lady in Red (the kind of name Mike Ratcliffe might consider for a single vineyard Warwick Merlot):

1 tot (30ml) Gordon’s London Dry
5 ml chili oil or Tabasco sauce
100 ml chilled tomato juice
10 ml sugar syrup
chiffonaded basil leaves (cut into thin strips)
black pepper to taste

Make up the syrup by placing equal quantities of sugar (100ml) and water (100ml) flavour in a pan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has melted. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until liquid thickens. Leave to cool and measure out the desired amount.

Mix together all ingredients except the basil and pepper. Pour over an ice-filled tumbler. Add a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and garnish with the basil.

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