16 recipes

South African cocktail recipes

South Africa has a drinks culture that almost never gets written down properly. The Dom Pedro is on more restaurant menus here than the Espresso Martini, the Springbokkie is a rugby institution, and a Rock Shandy is what half the country orders at a braai. They rarely appear in international cocktail books, and when they do the measurements are guesswork.

These are ours, written down properly: every ingredient in millilitres and in grams, with the density we used, so you can build them on a kitchen scale and get the same drink every time. Amarula, Van der Hum, rooibos, cane spirit and kola tonic all behave differently on a scale to how they behave in a jigger — the syrupy ones weigh materially more than their volume, and that is exactly where home-made versions drift.

Dom Pedro

South Africa's beloved dessert cocktail — whisky blended with vanilla ice cream and cream.

3 ingredients · 150 ml · 6.7%

Springbokkie

The green-and-gold layered shooter — peppermint liqueur under a float of Amarula. Rugby fuel.

2 ingredients · 30 ml · 20.5%

Brandy & Coke

The national drink — 'Klippies & Coke'. South African brandy over ice, topped with cola.

2 ingredients · 200 ml · 10%

Steelworks

The classic South African non-alcoholic bar drink — kola tonic, bitters, ginger beer and soda.

4 ingredients · 227 ml · 0.4%

Rock Shandy

Half lemonade, half soda, a good splash of bitters. The SA sundowner that keeps you sharp.

3 ingredients · 202 ml · 0.4%

Cane & Cream Soda

Cane spirit and green cream soda — the legendary SA student combo.

2 ingredients · 200 ml · 10.8%

Green Mamba

Bright green and dangerous — cane spirit and blue curaçao turned green with orange juice and lemonade.

4 ingredients · 175 ml · 9.1%

Soweto Toilet

A cheeky layered SA shooter — banana liqueur with a float of Amarula.

2 ingredients · 30 ml · 18.5%

Amarula Espresso Martini

The espresso martini gone South African — marula cream, vodka and fresh espresso.

4 ingredients · 105 ml · 19.1%

Umqombothi

Traditional Xhosa and Zulu maize-and-sorghum beer — brewed, not mixed. Served generously and shared.

1 ingredient · 300 ml · 3%

Durban Poison

A green tropical stinger from the east coast — cane spirit, melon liqueur, pineapple and lime.

4 ingredients · 160 ml · 13.3%

Soweto Sunrise

A township twist on the sunrise — vodka and orange juice over a slow-sinking grenadine dawn.

3 ingredients · 175 ml · 9.1%

Rooibos Gin & Tonic

A Cape G&T — gin with chilled rooibos tea and tonic, warm amber and gently earthy.

3 ingredients · 200 ml · 10%

Cape of Good Hope

Cape brandy shaken with Van der Hum tangerine liqueur, lemon and a touch of sugar.

4 ingredients · 85 ml · 25.9%

Melktertjie (Milk Tart Shot)

South Africa's milk tart as a shooter — vodka, condensed milk and milk, dusted with cinnamon.

3 ingredients · 45 ml · 13.3%

Fynbos Gin & Tonic

A botanical G&T built on Cape fynbos gin, finished with a sprig from the veld.

2 ingredients · 200 ml · 10.8%

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Every one of these, weighed for you

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