5 cocktail trends to look out for this Summer

Low on the alcohol 

The low- to no-alcohol wave has been gathering momentum and, with it, bars are getting creative with sophisticated mocktails and low ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks. Last year, the Mindful Drinking Festival, celebrating an alcohol-free lifestyle, launched in Cape Town with over 1,300 people in attendance, and this year we welcomed Niks Bar, Joburg’s first alcohol-free watering hole. This is why the Rock Shandy - made with only soda, lemonade and aromatic bitters - has become even more popular of late in the bar scene

New alcohol-free Mindful Drinking Festival to launch in Cape Town

9 Oct 2019

Look to the local ingredients 

Like the farm-to-table movement changed the way restaurants make food, so has it changed the cocktail scene. Bars are continuing to highlight the importance of fresh, local ingredients. And there isn’t a bigger proponent of this than Cause|Effect Cocktail Kitchen and Cape Brandy bar.

Nkuli Khanyile, the joint winner of the Newcomer of the Year category at the 2019 Bar Awards, celebrated one of our most renowned local ingredients, the ever-versatile rooibos with her cocktail of gin, lemon juice, rooibos syrup, vanilla soda and aromatic bitters.

All the SA Bar Awards winners

28 Sep 2020

Simple is the best 

Rather than mudding spirits with over-simplified, sugar forward mixers, we’re returning to a time where the spirit of the drink is celebrated. The Old Fashioned is the perfect embodiment of this with it’s simple yet elegant handling of the star spirit, bourbon, using sugar and aromatic bitters to enhance the tannins (and with Old Fashioned Week fast approaching you better get practising for the perfect serve!).

Hella healthy 

Consumer interest in healthy eating has infiltrated the drinks industry with the rising popularity of ingredients like Kombucha, Matcha, Moringa and chia seeds. With CBD-infused foods, water and skin care products continuing to be in demand, of course, cocktails aren’t immune either. Aromatic bitters have long been lauded for its health benefits to curb sugar cravings, help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, encourage digestive enzymes, soothe gas and bloating, calm upset stomachs and nausea, and relieve occasional heartburn.

#BizTrends2020: 15 growing cocktail trends for 2020

10 Jan 2020

Fast cocktails 

Egged on by the lockdown, ready-to-drink cocktails have firmly laid claim to the at-home entertainment scene. People are embracing convenient, quality cocktail creations that they can enjoy anywhere. The Little Fox says that their Batched n Bottled PB&H Old Fashion has proven popular with its nutty, peanut butter fat-washed bourbon, honey and aromatic bitters winning over fans.