South African Inspired Cocktails

Kickstart your weekend with some incredible South African cocktail recipes, a twist on some of your favourite classics!

With a big summer ahead of us, we’ve got a lot of catch-ups to schedule and lost time to make up for, so there has never been a better excuse to get the gang together for some cocktails. Whether you’re sipping in the sunshine, getting your dancing shoes on or just kicking back for a relaxing evening, you’re sure to enjoy these South African cocktails.

We’ve made these recipes fairly straight forward, giving you more time to enjoy spending with loved ones, and less time stressing over ingredients! Simply stock up on South African liqueur and a few added extras, and you’re good to go!

Amarula Espresso Martini

A South African take on a popular classic cocktail, the Amarula Espresso Martini is an evening delight. This sophisticated Amarula cocktail will have you feeling like a million dollars whilst you kick back in style and share stories with loved ones. We recommend serving these South African inspired cocktails at an intimate dinner party and candle-lit date night for two!

What you'll need (Serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 30ml Vodka
• 30ml Amarula liqueur
• 60ml Espresso coffee (chilled)
• 2tsp Sugar
• Ice
  

• Martini glass
• Cocktail shaker

How to make it

1. Add the coffee, vodka and sugar together into the cocktail shaker, along with some ice to cool the drink. Then, give it a good shake!
2. Pour the contents of the shaker into your martini glass using a strainer to keep back any ice or lumps.
3. Top up the glass with the Amarula liquor and serve!

South African 'Sangria'

We’re putting a twist on traditional Spanish sangria, by swapping the ingredients for special South African liquor alternatives! This South African cocktail recipe requires a few more ingredients than the others, but nonetheless, it’s a fairly simple one. We recommend our South African sangria to be shared with friends outside in the sunshine, as a mid-afternoon treat or to serve at a braai with family.

What you'll need (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 100ml Klipdrift South African brandy
• 750ml Tassenberg red wine
• 2 chopped oranges
• 2 chopped pears
• 2 chopped lemons
• 200g chopped strawberries
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 300ml sparkling water
• Ice

• A large bowl
• Serving jug
• 6 glasses

How to make it

1. Add the chopped fruit into a large bowl and coat with the caster sugar and cinnamon. Leave this in a fridge for 2 hrs (the longer, the better the flavour). 
2. Fill your serving jug with ice, then add your chopped fruit mixture.
3. Next, pour in the Tassenberg wine, followed by the Klipdrift brandy. Top up with the sparkling water and serve!

Apple Tang Sour Spritz

For a cocktail with a tangy kick, you’ll love the Apple Tang Sour Spritz! You can serve this drink as an individual cocktail, or we recommend serving up into a sharing jug to save you time and effort. This refreshingly cool cocktail is great for a sunny day, sharing with friends in the garden. Or, if you’re heading out for the evening, the Tang Sour Apple cocktail is the perfect pre-drink!

What you'll need (Serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 30ml Tang Sour Apple Liqueur
• 100ml Sparletta Apple Rush
• Lime slice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Mint
• Crushed ice

• Cocktail shaker
• Tumbler or tall glass

How to make it

1. Coat your lime slice (s) with cinnamon, then leave in the fridge for 2 hours.
   
2. Add ice, Tang Sour liquor and Sparletta Apple Rush into your cocktail shaker. Give it a good shake – watch out for the fizz!
   
3. Pour into your glass, then finish off the South African cocktail with your cinnamon-coated slice of lime and a sprig of mint.
   

Enjoy your cocktails!

We hope that you get chance to try out these 3 South African inspired recipes!

You can find all of the South African liquor and wines for these recipes, online at Susmans Biltong. Or, why not get creative and create your own South African cocktails? Browse our range of South African spirits, wines, liquors and mixers to stock up your drinks cabinet, then get experimental with flavours. For a fun-filled evening, we recommend a cocktail making competition with friends, to see who can produce the best-tasting cocktail, whilst having a lot of laughs along the way!

Visit our South African liquor store here.