Delicious cocktails that’ll raise the bar

Drinking cocktails at the Twankey Bar at the Taj. Pictures: BIANCA COLEMAN

Drinking cocktails at the Twankey Bar at the Taj. Pictures: BIANCA COLEMAN

Published Dec 21, 2016

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’TIS the season to be jolly and drink cocktails. Whether it’s something traditional like a daiquiri or a raspberry Collins - they make a lovely one at the Table Bay Hotel - or something much further out on the perimeter, you can find it in Cape Town.

It’s also a good way to get in your five-a-day fruit and even vegetables. We went to Outrage Of Modesty last week to sample the tasting menu, where the operative word is definitely “outrageous”.

The menu comprises cocktails as well as snacks, and the option to have them paired, which is what we did. The first course is Peas & Flowers, and although the team at Outrage imbue everything they do with multiple-crafted ingredients involving many techniques, what you see in the name is dominant. The dish uses peas with flavours of rose, milk, sorrel oil and hazelnuts while the accompanying drink contains peas (yes, really), nectarine, rose and lemon pelargonium.

The Avo On Toast cocktail is made with avocado (I would say “obviously” but that’s not always true here), agave, chilli, lime and burnt brioche toast (not in its solid form). A frozen avocado pip is plopped in the middle to provide a visual cue while keeping the drink cool at the same time.

Dessert is something called Banana Oil in which fermented banana granite is topped with olive oil powder to create the most incredible contrasting textures and temperatures in the mouth. The tiniest sprigs of micro coriander deliver a surprising punch of complementary flavour.

Outrage Of Modesty is at 88 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town. Book your table by calling 021422290 and be prepared for an experience of a lifetime.

The Twankey Bar at The Taj (Wale Street, Cape Town, telephone 0218192000) rhymes with swanky. Even the little towels in the restroom are edged with satin lace. The press release says it has been relaunched following a creative reinvention, but I’ve not spent enough time there to notice a difference. The seating is plush and comfortable, the marble bar is a cocktail mixologist’s dream, and the discreet TV screens mounted on the wall show vintage Betty Boop black and white cartoons.

“The bar’s update is strongly influenced by prohibition America, where sipping cocktails was a luxury and innovation was used to make the most of the ingredients on offer. The Twankey Bar’s renaissance is spearheaded by mixologist, AJ Snetler, winner of numerous mixology awards and custodian of the decadent, crafted cocktail menu,” continues the release.

Extended descriptions of most of the cocktails are written in elaborate cursive on the wall alongside the staircase leading to the upper-seating level, but there will be someone on hand to explain them all to you. You also get a complimentary masala poppadum to nibble on with your drink(s).

Here we ran into a tiny problem that one often encounters with cocktails: the ingredients all sound fantastic, except for one, I don’t like peppermint. I finally chose Bubbles ‘* Suds, a “twist on the French 75” with Tanqueray gin, limoncello, amber weiss syrup (all syrups are made on-site), and topped with sparkling wine, which turned out to be a great choice.

A traditional French 75 is made from Cognac or gin, Champagne, lemon juice and sugar. It is also called a 75 cocktail, or in French simply a Soixante Quinze, because they can make anything sound even sexier.

Bubbles * Suds at Twankey Bar, The Taj.

My friend had a King Louis Obsession which involved two types of whisky (one of which was infused with peanuts) and banana. Thankfully, we couldn’t taste those two ingredients and the whisky prevailed.

The Twankey bar has a small menu of snacks and light sharing plates. For more information, see http://tajcapetown.co.za/dining/twankeybar/

While cocktail bars abound in the city, now that it’s holidays why not head out to La Petite Ferme in Franschhoek? It’s a stunning venue with breathtaking views over the valley and since it faces west, it’s ideal for sundowners. Taking advantage of that, the venue has introduced Festive Fridays, which run until mid-January, and developed a delicious menu of beverages that are served with live music and the requisite nibblies.

Made with vodka, strawberries, lime juice, lemonade and fresh basil, the Pretty Lisa is inspired by a La Petit Ferme legend with three decades service and who still shines; the Mariano is a vodka-spangled blitz of berries adorning a drink made with mango and lime juice and fresh mint.

The Spa is the perfect cocktail to slow-sip while taking in nature’s spectacle. Named for the restorative fresh cucumber juice that is its main ingredient, it uses a base of gin along with lime juice, fresh mint and a just a touch of sugar for balance.

The Garden breaks the cocktail mould. In addition to grapefruit and lime juice and mixed peppers, this beverage extravaganza includes coriander - fresh from the farm’s new herb garden. All you need to decide is: vodka or gin?

Dates for Festive Fridays are December 30, and January 6 and 13, from 4pm till 6pm. For more information, see www.lapetiteferme.co.za or call 0218763016.

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