Up for some gin-spiration and voddy voodoo in a hip urban setting? Slap bang in the city center, ex-rocker André Pienaar, his chemical engineer dad Schalk and ever-dutiful doggo Bear make moonshine magic, crafting artisanal spirits to rival the best. And guess what, they want to show you exactly how it’s done in the heart of the Pienaar and Son distillery.
Highlights
- Enjoy a guided experience with the distiller of the Pienaar and Son including an overview of the distilling process
- You will get a cocktail course on how to make 3 cocktails
- Tasting on 2 handcrafted gins and 1 vodka
- Take home 1 bottle of your favourite Pienaar and Son spirit
- You will also receive snacks during the experience
Duration
15h00 – 18h00 (3 hours)
Schedule
- Monthly (more details…)
Overview
While the cool kids might remember André Pienaar as the frontman of indie band Ashtray Electric, these days he has a steady stream of groupies for a whole different reason: craft gin and vodka, packaged in the most achingly hip, gorgeously designed bottles, made right in the city center.
Dad Schalk, who is a chemical engineer and boasts decades of experience in distilling technology, is the mastermind behind the three gleaming stainless steel stills taking pride of place at Pienaar and Son HQ. Think cutting edge; not olde worlde quaint. “A lot of people like the notion of those old-fashioned copper pot stills stoked with fire, but it’s old technology,” says André. “The steady-state still that my dad custom built to make our vodka, for example, is more like a nerdy Lamborghini, whereas those old stills are like vintage Fords.
It doesn’t have the nostalgic appeal, but it produces a far superior product.” But you don’t have to take André’s word on it. During Pienaar and Son’s distillery tour and tasting experience, he lets you taste exactly what happens when time-honoured tradition meets future-forward technology. The Waskis vodka, made from 100% corn, might just convince you to start sipping the spirit straight with its full-bodied mouthfeel and butterscotch notes; the Empire gin, made with a half corn, half grain spirit base is all cucumber sandwich sophistication with its delicate notes of grapefruit, lemon and cardamom; while the Orient, paying homage to Cape Town’s Cape Malay heritage, offers a warming combination of vanilla, rosemary, ginger and orange.
After André has given you the grand tour of the distillery and gotten you on a first name basis with his spirit babies, it’s cocktail time. No shakers and stirrers, just straight-up delicious drinks made with whatever’s seasonal and André feels in the mood for. Vodka bloody Marys with toasted cheese, a good ol’ white Russian, a vanilla and pear G&T… the kind of drinks you can kick back with while getting to know your fellow spirit enthusiasts, basically. And we can certainly drink to that!
What’s included
- Tastings and Tour
- 3 X Cocktails
- Snacks
- 1 bottle of Gin/Vodka
What’s not included
- Gratuity
- Transfers
Important Information
- A minimum of 4 bookings is needed for the Pienaar and Son Distillery experience to take place. If the minimum is not achieved the experience will be cancelled and you will receive a full refund
- The experience can accommodate a maximum of 10 bookings
- Parking only available in Roeland street
- Uber and Taxis recommended
Photography: Luke Kuisis
