Holiday drinks trolley

A selection of new tipples to try this summer

No pink elephants, just pink gin – in addition to the traditional ingredients, this one is also infused with raspberries, hibiscus, blueberries and rose water (which results in a whiff of Turkish delight and crushed peppercorns each time you sip). Prohibition Gin (R360) is made in small batches in SA; distiller Mark Taverner set out to make a ‘fresh, crisp and happy’ gin. For a ‘party-in-a-bottle’,

Margarita Moonshine (R260) is a delicious killer combo. It’s the latest in Silver Creek’s range of flavoured ’shines’. The Gauteng distillery makes real American moonshine, a surprisingly smooth drink. It can be a shooter, but rather serve it properly: in a salt-rimmed glass with crushed ice and a limewheel garnish (plus a splash of soda, if you like).

Make way, gin and rum, for craft tequila… two British barmen partnered with maestro tequilero Jesús Hernández at Mexico’s Jalisco distillery to produce 100% agave Altos Tequila (R289), made the proper way: hand-cut agave slow-cooked in brick ovens, pressed with a two-ton volcanic Tahona stone, then fermented and aged in whisky barrels. It’s too good for shooters, so see getaway.co.za for cocktail recipes.

SA’s first wine label that ‘comes to life’ with an augmented reality app is on the Mensa range (Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and award-winning Chardonnay Pinot Noir, R75). The label, depicting a woman relaxing in an easy chair with her dog looking on, opens as a ‘book’ on your smartphone, telling the story of the wine. It also has a helix cork that can be twisted open and resealed by hand (no worries if you haven’t packed the corkscrew!)