It’s that time of the year again… honouring the father of cocktails, the Old Fashioned. Old Fashioned Week is an annual celebration which is currently in its fourth year and still going strong, with an entire week dedicated to its beauty. Ten days, 1200 bars nationwide and one cocktail makes this a global event for every discerning whisky drinker.
Launched in 2015 by Michael Landart of the Maria Loca Bar in Paris, and Cyrille Hugon of Rhum Fest France/Rumporter, Old Fashioned Week is now an international phenomenon. Old Fashioned Week is an open festival which gives prominence to spirit connoisseurs’ favourite cocktail and bartenders’ creativity. Whether you are in Tokyo or San Francisco, find the closest bar to your place and celebrate!
The Mvulamlomo cocktail, whisky- based and inspired by the tradition of lobola negotiations. Picture supplied.
The Old Fashioned cocktail may come from 100 years ago, but it’s well and truly still in fashion. Boasting serious street cred, it has been named the world’s most popular cocktail for the last four years in a row. Mootee Bar, that has been named in this year’s top 10 best new cocktail bars in the world by the Spirited Awards, will also honour Old Fashioned Week. Celebrating its history and many variations, Mootee Bar created a special menu for this week-long event.
Inspired by the very essence of Africa, Mootee Bar takes all the juxtapositions of the beautiful continent, shakes it up and takes your senses on a journey from Cape to Cairo. Having opened their doors less than a year ago, Mootee Bar is already receiving critical acclaim and is being recognized on the global stage after recently being named one of the 10 Best New Cocktail Bars in the 2018 Spirit Awards.
Their standard cocktail menu took eight months to develop and, unlike traditional cocktail menus, the recipes are not displayed. Instead, patrons are enticed to explore the twelve cocktails - each inspired by a classic African tale – through a unique visual interpretative technique, and their Old Fashioned cocktail menu commands just as much attention.
The interior of Mootee Bar. Picture supplied.
This OG cocktail is quite versatile and can be made with just about any spirit – whiskey, brandy, rum and even gin. A firm favourite on Mootee Bar’s menu is the Baksteen Fashioned, clay-aged underground in Melville for 30 days. This Old Fashioned includes ingredients such as Woodford Reserve, Monkey Shoulder Blend, Brick Distillate, Sour Fig and Clay Syrup and Earth Bitter. They’ve created five Old Fashioned cocktails for you to choose from - so be sure to try them all (responsibly, of course)
It’s an entire week dedicated to a classic cocktail, kicking off on Thursday, 1 November and running through to Saturday, 10 November. Head over to Mootee Bar and celebrate Old Fashioned Week with friends.
Bookings highly recommended as space is limited. Visit www.mootee.co.za for more information or email [email protected] for reservations.