Whiskey with flavour, scent of Limpopo
A NEW entrant in the whiskey market hopes to make a strong presence in an area where few black people have dared to go. Pule Malahlela, a 33-year-old from Limpopo, launched ZAR Whiskey in Durban last weekend.
The single grain, three years in the making, was on display at the ANC’S 107th anniversary gala dinner at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre in Durban.
Malahlela, an advocate, teamed up with Mokgoba Nakeng, a scientist, to create the brand. “We saw an opportunity to get into a market that was closed to a lot of people. If we get 1% of that, it will make all the difference.”
ZAR Whiskey is distilled by Qualito Craft Distillery in Phalaborwa.
Maize, water and yeast are combined to create the fermentation that forms the base of the alcohol, but the secret to its flavour and aroma lies in the Lowveld grain.
“It has a chocolatey aroma that fills the room as you open the bottle. We found this was the result of growing the maize on a small farm in Limpopo. If we tried the same process elsewhere, it would not be the same.”
Malahlela runs a programme with support from the Department of Trade and Industry for local farmers who supply the distillery. He’s so confident about the quality of the whisky that he is to enter it in the London Spirits Competition in March.
ZAR is distributed by 90 Degrees Lounge in Durban. |