KWV launches search for KWV Brandy’s Futurists

This year, KWV celebrates 100 years of excellence. To mark this milestone, the brand has launched a nationwide competition called KWV Brandy Reimagined to showcase the drink’s versatility.

In recognition of its proudest supporters, KWV Brandy has identified top mixologists to “shake, stir and swirl” KWV Brandy in a mixology competition to win a limited-release bottle of KWV Nexus – valued at R24,000. 

The judges in the KWV Brandy Reimagined competition will search for mixologists who can carve out the path that KWV Brandy will follow for the next 100 years: More than mixologists, these bartenders are futurologists.

Regional competitions will be held in Cape Town (May 8) and Johannesburg (May 22). Contenders from the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal will battle for the ultimate title, and the winner will be announced at a grand finale and awards ceremony at the home of KWV Brandy, the House of Fire, in Paarl on June 12.

KWV Brandy Reimagined: the judges

The judges for this competition are KWV master distiller Pieter de Bod; Dominic Walsh, owner of Mootee Cocktail Bar in Johannesburg; prolific drinks commentator Jan Laubscher; respected drinks writer Leah van Deventer; charismatic Sowetan SMag editor Thembalethu Zulu; influential trendsetter Seth Shezi; and actress and singer Bianca Le Grange.

The panel will be chaired by Kurt Schlechter, owner of the vibrant Cause | Effect Cocktail Kitchen and Brandy Bar in Cape Town. According to De Bod, the KWV Brandy Reimagined campaign is an opportunity to showcase the layered profile of KWV’s brandies. “Brandy is far from being a one-dimensional drink. In fact, it is its versatility that has garnered KWV Brandy its popularity,” he says. “It is a product that lends itself to fun and should not be pigeon-holed as an after-dinner drink to be enjoyed in the cigar lounge.”

Last year, the KWV 15 was named the Best Brandy in the World at the International Wine and Spirits Competition, and KWV has just been named a “World-Class Distillery” at the World Spirits Awards in Germany.

The judges in the KWV Brandy Reimagined competition will be looking for cocktails that reflect this excellence.

About the competition

“This is the first KWV Brandy competition of its kind in South Africa, and I’m excited to taste what SA’s bartenders create,” says Schlechter, who has run various bar schools and cocktail competitions across the globe.

Walsh, who himself competed in numerous international mixology competitions before opening Mootee, says the competition is an excellent opportunity to celebrate local quality – something he is passionate about. “In 2018 I hope to see more bartenders using home-grown ingredients to create unique cocktails.”

In one of the most competitive brandy markets in the world, KWV Brandy continues to set the benchmark in trusted quality and always puts consumers and their delight first. KWV Brandy Reimagined is just another way this brand is placing innovation at the forefront of SA’s evolving bar scene.

You can track the bartenders’ journey by following the hashtag #KWVBrandyReimagined and liking KWV Brandy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Shop online at www.kwvonlineshop.co.za.

How to win tickets to the regional events and finale

You could win two double tickets to the event at Cause | Effect Cocktail Kitchen and Brandy Bar in Cape Town (May 8); two double tickets to the event at Mootee Bar in Johannesburg (May 22); or five double tickets to the finale in House of Fire, The House of Brandy in Paarl, Western Cape (June 12).

To enter the competition, you need to:

• invent a name for the KWV Reimagined Cocktail, pictured below;
• put the name into a tweet and tag @KWVBrandy;
• and use the hashtag #KWVBrandyReimagined.

The most creative names will win tickets to the events.

(Please note: transport to and from events is not included.)

This article was paid for by KWV Brandy.