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Micro distilleries, also known as boutique or craft distilleries for marketing purposes, became viable in South Africa in 2003 and the consequence has been fantastic on so many levels including...
Established in 2005 Qualito Craft Distillery is a small batch craft distillery, located in Phalaborwa. Here a great variety of gins, vodkas, whiskies and vodka fusions are created by Master...
Tracing its history back to around 2010, Copper Republic Distilling Company has been quietly amassing local and international awards for its unique take on what a good whisky, gin and...
The Helden Distillery, a small batch whisky distillery located in the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Area, produces superb, innovative spirits. Established in 2018 by Dr Pieter van Helden, the focus...
This year’s Spirit Tasting was hosted by the wonderful Brickmakers Distilling Company in Gqeberha and was the best tasting to date. What made this event particularly special were the quality...
The Deep South Distillery, located in the seaside area of Kommetjie in Cape Town, boasts a great selection of spirits. This small, but well-equipped distillery is able to manufacture and...
Thirsty Travelers Annual Spirit tasting was held at the Brickmakers Distillery in Port Elizabeth in November 2020 and was a roaring success. This was a particularly dry year thanks to...
Whisky comes out with all the bells and whistles over the festive season with gift packs galore and huge displays in every liquor store… But it can all be a...
Label 5 whisky is not very well known in South Africa but is in fact the 9th best-selling Scotch brand in the world, with 31 million bottles sold globally. It...
Ireland’s national drink, whiskey is truly considered the travellers’ drink, with many debating its true origins; this drink has its own unique blend in many different countries. Depending on the...
Thirsty Traveler is all about South African gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and more.
We love to travel and we love to sample the wares of the craft brewer, distiller and wine maker.
In the mid 1900’s, governments worldwide almost killed off the art of distilling and brewing. The thousands of micro, boutique or craft distilleries and breweries that had been handed down from father to son were banned and destroyed and large corporations obtained the sole rights to distill mediocre, mass produced, but well-marketed spirits.
Craft gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and other spirits.
Thankfully laws around the world are being liberalised and craftsmen, with their passion for perfection and their desire to explore are producing amazing gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and other spirits.
Winemaking in South Africa had a terrible reputation until the 1980’s when many farmers decided to establish their own brands and produce their own wine. Competition, inspiration and a hard work ensure that today South African wines are some of the best in the world.
For those of you, who enjoy something special and want to pair their spirits, brew or wine with their food, mood and the atmosphere, there are new delightful, well-crafted and very special products appearing on shelves and more importantly, in on-line stores.
At the Thirsty Traveler, we take our food, brews, wine and spirits very seriously and, at times, light-heartedly too. Thus, in the true spirit of investigative journalism, we embarked on some very careful research into South Africa’s wines, brews and spirits.
Tastings
We frequently conduct tastings of gin, vodka, wine, brandy, beer and other well crafted spirits.
Each Heritage Day we invite micro brewers from around the country to send us their wares for a tasting. We and the brewers have had great success with these tastings in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
We also conduct regular tastings of wines, gins and other spirits.
Read on to find out more about what South Africa has to offer those with discerning taste buds.
My mother was a Cordon Bleu chef and insisted that we eat with a near Victorian array of cutlery and crockery every night. As a young adult, I learned to appreciate the dedication and art of good cooking and as I came of age, I realised how a glass of wine and even more so, good conversation, could make a meal complete.
As a teenager our family took a holiday to the Winelands and I was in awe of the beauty, heritage and sophistication of South Africa’s wine industry. Although not yet 18 I started to collect wines.
Lagers and pilsners where the beer universe for Generation X South Africans. When I traveled through Europe in the ‘90s I was disgusted by warm English beer, revolted by Irish stouts and Belgian sours where the worst thing that my delicate palate had ever encountered.
However, like Copernicus my view has expanded. I have discovered that the beer universe does not rotate around a cold lager. In fact I have since discovered that the beer universe is literally limitless. My Dark Age view on beer progressed into a Renaissance of awaking and then hyper-drived to an unbridled voyage of discovery.
As a student in the ‘90s I thought I was rather chic because I drank J&B rather than Bells and even sampled Campari. It was not until I visited the Oban Distillery in Scotland that I learned about Single Malt Scotch and I entered a whole new world of discovery.
When I first visited the New World I discovered Bourbon and that it too has a proud heritage. On a visit to Cuba I learned that Rum was not just a compliment to Coke, and that, after 12 years of aging, is as sublime as a Scotch.
Today I remain in awe of the craftsman who, with passion, skill and experience, produce such nuanced flavours and aromas in wine, beer and spirts. This website is about my journey of discovery and also of return visits to old favorites.
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© 2021 THIRSTY TRAVELER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED