BRANDY ROCKS! FINE BRANDY FESTIVAL IGNITES EXCITEMENT FOR SA'S FAVOURITE SPIRIT
From tutored masterclasses to high kicking Can Can dancers; from world-acclaimed brandy icons to inventive cocktails muddled and mixed at a trendy Round Bar - the Fine Brandy Festival, held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 25 to 27 May, offered a record number of festival visitors the chance to experience brandy's modern image.
"We are delighted with the success of this year's festival," says Christelle Reade-Jahn, director of the South African Brandy Foundation, organisers of the brandy industry's flagship event. "We went all out to revamp the festival, to make it bigger, more experience-driven, glitzier and much more entertaining - befitting brandy's new image as the sexy new kid on the block."
And it paid off. The three night event saw numbers more than double from 2010 at this, the country's premier event dedicated to South Africa's number one national spirit, acclaimed as the best in the world.
"Our decision to move to a larger venue to accommodate more people and expand the lifestyle-focused features proved to be perfectly synchronized with the incredible thirst for knowledge about brandy in this country. The festival's new format provided a perfect stage for the various 'brandy homes' to express their diverse personalities, appeal to their target market and interact more intimately with them about the character and quality of their brandy products."
She adds: "the fact that aspirational brands such as Aston Martin, Nespresso and Dunhill participated in the event is a further indication that brandy has become part of a sophisticated lifestyle."
Dave Hughes, a master distiller and international wine and spirits judge who presented tutored tastings, commented: "I was impressed with the penetrating questions asked during my master class presentations, and especially with the eagerness to learn more. One comment was that 'us South Africans need to learn more about this wonderful product, and appreciate the amazing brandies on offer'."
The well-honed target-market focus appealed to the desired audience, drawing a stylish, cosmopolitan crowd of brandy aficionados and enthusiastic novices looking to learn more about South Africa's biggest-selling spirit, enchanted by the modern image of brandy as the refined, sophisticated, complex drink that it is.
There was indeed something for everyone. Mixologists whipped up on-trend cocktails such as the Collison's Cosmo with brandy, Triple Sec, cranberry juicy and fresh lime as well as 'Apple Breeze' - white brandy with the juice of lime, cloudy apple and cranberry. 'Manhattan's Last Call' featured Fish Eagle brandy muddled with fresh clementine and cherry liqueur, shaken with lemon juice and bitters. 'Central Park', a delicious concoction of brandy, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice and cloudy apple juice, topped with ginger beer - and its garnish of apple and a cinnamon quill - showcased the move to spicy rather than overly sweet cocktails. Also a hit with the party crowd were the KWV Rusty 5 with its dash of bitters and ginger ale, as well as the pared-down Apricot Vice - showing that brandy simply topped with fresh juice is a perfect tall drink.
One of the special exhibits at the festival - the Walk of Fame - showcased the Cape brandies that have won the coveted trophy for 'Best Worldwide Brandy' at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, one of the global industry's most established and prestigious competitions. Local brandies have been thus lauded no fewer than nine times in the last 12 years alone. And this year's festival showed that, for the thousands of brandy lovers that attended, the penny has dropped - South African brandy deserves its title as the world's finest.
What the future holds? Reade-Jahn reveals that this year's invigorated festival is only the start of much bigger plans to get South Africans more excited about brandy.
