New tipples to lift your spirits

Everyone has their favourite drink. Whether yours is a classic G&T, a stiff whisky on the rocks or a good old brandy and coke, sometimes it’s refreshing to try something different.

If you’re on the lookout for new tipples to add to your drinks cabinet, we take a look here at four additions on South African shelves and what you can — and shouldn’t — expect from them. 

THREE SHIPS BOURBON CASK WHISKY

A new addition to the Three Ships Whisky range, this Bourbon cask whisky is produced on home soil at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington where the South African sun and warm climate have been embraced to accelerate maturation.

Made using South African grain and malt whiskies which are distilled in pot and copper stills, the whisky is matured in ex-Bourbon, American oak casks for three years. The end result is not a Bourbon whisky — if that’s what you’re after — but it does offer a subtle Bourbon finish which lingers on the palate without being overbearing, making it an easy drink for whisky lovers, new drinkers or those starting to drink Bourbon.

This whisky can be enjoyed on the rocks, with a dash of water to open up the sweet and spicy aromas or with your choice of soda.

• Three Ships Bourbon Cask Whisky is available at leading retailers for R249.99 a bottle.

STRETTON’S RUBY ORANGE

Another bottle to add to the collection of flavoured spirits and the latest offering in the locally produced Stretton’s range is the Ruby Orange.

Flavoured with blood orange to produce a zesty finish, this tipple has been made to be easy to drink and versatile: you can drink it with orange juice for a new take on a mimosa or have it with ginger ale or lemonade. We preferred the more traditional addition of tonic which produces a bright, light orange colour with a prominent blood orange taste.

That said, gin lovers consider yourselves warned: this is a flavoured spirit aperitif, not a craft gin. If you prefer gins that derive their flavours from botanicals during the distillation process, without added flavours or colours, this one is not for you.

• Stretton’s Ruby Orange is available at leading retailers for R179.99 a bottle. 

KLIPDRIFT COPPER ROYALE

The latest product from locally produced brandy house Klipdrift is Copper Royale. Infused with potstill brandy and blood orange, melon and peach flavours, this is a liqueur, not a brandy — or a brandy-inspired liqueur, if you will.

The suggested way to drink this is neat over ice or by mixing one third Copper Royale, one third cola and one third ice.

If you’re a seasoned brandy drinker, this tipple might not work for you — but the reverse is also true if you’re not. Mixing Copper Royale with coke produces a lighter, easier to drink brandy-inspired tipple which is sweeter, smoother and not as rough around the edges. The sweetness also lends itself to an easy drink on ice.

• Klipdrift Copper Royale is available at leading retailers for R129.99 a bottle.

BALLANTINE’S 7 AMERICAN BARREL

The latest offering from Scotch whisky brand Ballentine's is 7 American Barrel: a blended whisky which has been aged in oak casks for seven years and finished in charred American barrels sourced from Kentucky to produce a Scotch with a distinctively American attitude.

The end result is a layered whisky with notes of caramel and a sweet finish that won’t disappoint fans of the brand.

It can be enjoyed neat over ice, with a splash of water or as a top-notch addition to your favourite whisky cocktail.

• Ballentine’s 7 American Barrel is available at leading retailers for R349 a bottle.

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