Wait, what, no mention of Vodka? Do not despair, novelty drink lovers! I have taken the way-back machine to my misspent youth and brought every vodka trick in the book back with us. This novelty drink season, you will have success. You will have vodka G&T.

Our signature G&T features the newly launched Absolut Grapefruit, a refreshing new flavour to its citrus range. The new edition has a truly refreshing taste and is naturally fruity with a distinct note of pink grapefruit, no added sugar and a well-balanced natural sweetness.

Absolut Grapefruit is the latest in a long line of citrus flavours, coming in a frosted bottle and is part of Absolut’s long-standing heritage of creating high-quality products with natural flavours and no added sugars.

And the best way to enjoy it is as a refreshing Grapefruit and Tonic – served over ice, with a slice of real grapefruit and tonic, creating a fun and fruity twist on the classic. Say hello to the new G&T – Grapefruit and Tonic.

And remember, always novelty-drink responsibly.

SA Vibe: With the theme Decades of Glamour, what would you say guys should draw inspiration from?

Ole: The glam-guys need to try and incorporate glamourous accessories as opposed to glamourous outfits. Evolution of mens fashion has been on detail and colour not actual sillouttes.when you take decades of fashion-what weve seen change is lining, colourful buttons ; use of prints; flower power etc…

SAv: When you think Decades of Glamour, what first comes to mind?

Bringing back the genteleman; the elders used to have walking sticks and hats etc-how you look and how you act; the aura of dressing, dressing well also conveys good manners of a man

Ole rocking one of his creations

SAv: The do’s and don’ts of any horse-racing event?

Guys must draw inspiration from social media not copy; the flower lapel needs to go to rest-its been “killed”

This season, guys shouldn’t be seen wearing a flower lapel.

This season, guys should be seen wearing a crisp white shirt.

SAv: Any colours that are dope AF (hot) this season?

White and dark suites with a twist

Be sure to look out for part 2 of our Ole Fashion Tips with G.H. Mumm next week. 

This weeks G.H. Mumm top tip:

· The art of sobrage, like Maison Mumm is entrenched in tradition and celebration- The Art of Sabrage is perhaps the greatest legend in the history of Champagne.Legend has it Napoleon Bonaparte’s infamous cavalry, the Hussards, began the Art of Sabrage, a technique to behead a bottle of Champagne with a saber or sword. When Madame Clicquot lavishly entertained Napoleon’s officers in her vineyard, she offered them bottles and bottles of Champagne. At sunrise the Hussards rode off on horseback and whipped out their sabers to behead the bottles to impress the young widow. Sabrage has since remained a tradition in the French Army and has come to signify celebration #DareWinCelebrate

First Impression Count.

SAB’s clever marketing trick is that this a beer for everyone – male and female – to best enjoy at their leisure. From the packaging itself all of this is clearly evident. The introduction of the product is portrayed through an easy, table-like setting where friends are having a relaxed afternoon with their Carver’s (Weiss) out.

Our Carver’s Weiss arrived well over 3 weeks ago for tasting. We explain the delay in review after the jump.

Carver’s pours a deep, coppery light brown with no trace of haze or sediment. Pour it in a glass and it gives a good white head which drops down to a foam cap. I am not much of a beer-expert nor am I habitually not sober. There’s also tastes of light hops which sticks around long after the yeasty flavours have faded away. Fruitiness  overlays the bitter flavours that kick at the first sip. Overall, fairly bitter and on a par with similar weiss beers.  At 5% there’s surprisingly little alcohol to be tasted or felt. But you know our country’s regulations would say otherwise.

Bubbles are something else.

Maybe, just maybe I have tasted too many more exciting beers of late, but SAB’s artisanal offering is thoroughly drinkable with a meal and boasts much flavour and character, and at 5% it is just right for a session (craft) beer.

As we wrapped up our testing I polished off the last Weiss bottle, which despite its canny self, managed to hold a decent head after being run through hundreds of kilo  meters to reach our office. In a presser released when the product launched, Richard Lawrence, SAB’s innovation Marketing Manager mentioned that the company is confident they have found a unique position in the market for this new Weissbeer. “Carver’s Weiss is a desirable speciality beer that sits beyond premium beers from a flavour and aroma point of view but is still accessible in terms of taste, price and availability.”

The brand is available at major liquor outlets for the recommended sales price of R89.99 for a six-pack of 440ml bottles or 440ml cans.

Summer is back (sort of) and so are our foodie moments, and what better way to welcome it all back with a new addition to the KFC family. But before we get into the juicy stuff, please note that this post is in no way sponsored by KFC. We are open to sponsorships, (Hey KFC!) but this is not paid for.

Formalities aside, I recently got my hands taste buds on the new Burrito offering from KFC. Mind you, I am a card carrying member of KFC Anonymous, a discreet group founded by yours truly in aiding fellow KFC addicts overcome their addictions. We meet at Rosebank KFC every second Sunday of the month and discuss new items on their menu, sample and reflect on the hectic week we’ve all had.

All of the above is fiction, but the KFC Burrito isn’t. KFC certainly knows about chicken, and they also know about putting chicken in things; Buckets, buns, wraps, they put chicken in just about anything. Well, now they’ve gone and put chicken in not just a wrap, but a big wrap, and they’ve put some rice and beans in with it too.

If there were ever two concurrent words that made me hungry, it’s those ones right there.

I do love me a burrito, from the fast and slightly dirty ones available from this other market place we had in Berlin last week, to the more upmarket ones you find at Woolies, but those places sure don’t offer some of the Colonel’s finest finger lickin’ chicken strips. Putting chicken in a burrito is a good idea, though I wasn’t overly sold on having mini fillets in one. But that’s what you get, two mini fillets, surrounded by spicy rice and beans, and finished off with some lettuce and salsa. It’s pretty big, especially compared to the paltry size of the regular chicken wraps, but then it has to be with all the stuff packed in there. Sure, it’s not man size, but it makes for a good meal.

But this year the company is opting for a 11 hour run (11am-10pm) with billed artists Black Coffee, Mi Casa, Mafikizolo, K.O, Nasty C, Kid X, Aewon Wolf, Speedsta, and many more set to ensure an ecstatic affair. Everyone will be able to watch the performances live in either general (R490) or exclusive VIP (R1490) or VVIP (R2410), with coverage on Vuzu, YFM, GagasiFM and social media snippets.

In truth, it’s not a massive departure from the old Boomtown setup — but a rebrand could help Jack Daniel’s to push adoption of Sound City, or at least persuade patrons that it’s trying to put some soul back into live events. Tickets for the festival are available from computicket. 

Have no idea what I’m talking about? CBC’s mobile software (app) allows you to share your beertastic images while following with what and where your friends are drinking theirs. The app uses location-tagged photographs to track the total distance CBC fans collectively travel with their can. On top of that the app has a load of new features. First, fans can see the total distance the CBC’s new can has travelled, view, say ‘cheers’ to, and comment on others’ pictures in a live feed, and see a map of all the places the can has travelled to on the app’s accompanying Love the Journey microsite. Users will also earn badges for travelling with CBC’s new can. Currently, badges can be earned for travelling all the way from 50 km up to 15,000 km. Another set of badges will be be awarded for posts which reach at least 10 ‘Cheers’’ from friends and followers.

The app, and truckload of features is only available in the iOS and Android app for now, but CBC says the features are accessible thorough their micro site as well.

The brewing company promised to deliver new features and updates on the regular. Today’s news is certainly a nice introduction to the digital space.

The proud legacy of Van Ryn’s started in 1845. Their first international award for quality came in 1884 and the plaudits have continued to roll in ever since. And there’s no better torchbearer than the Van Ryn’s 12 year old Distiller’s Reserve when it comes to exceptional quality. With its deep golden amber colour and aromatic spicy notes which follow through to a smooth finish, this potstill brandy confidently compares with the world’s best cognacs.

SA Vibe is offering one very lucky reader the chance to win the world class Van Ryn’s 12 year old Distiller’s Reserve and two brandy snifter glasses.

To enter the competition,

Unfortunately, the competition has closed. But please do Like Van Ryn’s Facebook pages 

Terms and Conditions:

Entries are handled through the Disqus comment widget below only. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win.

Contest is open to all residents of South Africa, 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), we really do love all of you.

Winners will be chosen randomly. One  (1) winner will receive the exclusive Van Ryn’s hamper that comprises; a bottle of Van Ryn’s 12 year old and two brandy snifter glasses.

 If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond twelve (12)  hours of being contacted, otherwise, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login.

We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes. Entries can be submitted until February 15th at 08h00 AM CAT. Good luck!

All of the above happened to me this past Friday when I received a mystery box from anonymous. Anonymous in such a sense that the waybill had no return address. Who does that? Well, I proceeded to open the mystery and there it was, a white box (of which the sides looked like they’re about to cave in) with nothing but a “This box has been Jacked” warning sticker to it. I wondered, for a young minute, on who would do this. How dare you surprise me with a box full of my favourite tortilla style chips – only in a Bigger, Bolder, Thicker version.

This was Doritos’ way of introducing the launch of their JACKED up version of all the things we love about the recognisable triangle corn chip range. The introduction of Doritos JACKED to the South African market is a bigger and bolder version of anything Doritos has offered to date.

“As Doritos has positioned itself as a brand for the bold this is also an exciting way to deliver on this promise,’’ said Aidan Johnson, Doritos Brand Manager, when asked for comment on the new offering.

Said to inspire you to aim for bolder heights and push the boundaries of your experiences, new Doritos JACKED is like nothing you have experienced before. With even more crunch appeal, each Doritos JACKED tasty triangle packs an intense flavour punch with a choice of either Spicy Nacho or Smokin’ Hot BBQ in a bigger 230g bag.

I wasn’t just carrying any gum with me, but Stimotol’s Infity 1 Piece which had landed on my desk just in time for the madness of events season. Stimorol was acquired by Cadbury (of Mondelez) in 2002 and has come to be known as one of the world’s leading brand of chewing gums. From the Infinity ads I could remembered how the brand empasised on the gum’s long last flavour and how it bursts with flavour on (almost) every chew. Not being such a gum fanatic myself, I had never tasted any of the infinity’s offerings. Boy was I in a for a surprise.

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/C360_2015-07-15-16-45-57-119-e1437126602183.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/C360_2015-07-15-16-45-57-119-e1437126602183.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

The gum is anything but simple although very pleasant. It’s the classic style of stick, which loses the real foil wrapper on each piece for modern individual wraps. The flavour is Mint and it’s quite mild but with a good enough punch to make me feel refreshed and clean without a sticky or artificial feeling – all day long. The other is Tropical which has a flavour assortment that’s right up my alley; a hint of Mango Melon, Pineapple and Banana. (I’ve never met a yellow flavor I didn’t like.) The dominant flavor was of the mango melon with a little cantaloupe thrown in – I stand to be correct.

The best part was that It got tangier the more I chewed, which I enjoyed, because that took over the flavour profile for the most part. The package also boasts that it has phenylalanine in it, you know, that stuff sold as a nutritional supplement for its reputed analgesic and antidepressant effects. I remember it was popular in gum and mints in the seventies, but hadn’t seen it on a package in quite a long time.

Priced at R1.00 a pop (no, seriously) they’re all rather simple gums that leave nothing to complain about, fancy graphics and none of the fancy marketing campaigns. They’re a burst of flavour and are highly contemplative (on when the flavour is going to end) … comforting and a rather cheap little way to buy some nostalgia.

According to a presser released earlier this week, South African whisky enthusiasts can further explore the Grant’s rich history of stories and craftsmanship, with the exciting debut of the brand’s premium blend with an unmistakable sweet yet rich and peaty flavour. Like no other in its class.

“We believe that Grant’s Select Reserve is a premium, yet accessible offering in the blended whisky category and we hope that this new variant will set a high benchmark in the South African market.“ said Lauren Kuhlmey, Grant’s SA Marketing Manager. Select Reserve features hand-picked whiskies that create a delicious multi-layered whisky with hints of fresh fruits, subtle spices and light peat smoke all enveloped in a vanilla sweetness. The finish is long lasting with a lingering smoky sweetness.

Retailing at R279.95 per 750ml bottle, Grant’s Select Reserve is produced by the award-winning independent family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons, who produce a range of cask finished and aged blended scotch whiskies which include Grant’s Family Reserve and Grant’s Cask Editions (my personal favourite).

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150518_134031.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150518_134031.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

I remain convinced that one could add any number of worthy organic compounds to agave to produce a spirit nice enough to drink naked, but I am no longer confident that anyone actually does. Tequila producers are understandably reluctant to disclose exactly what their other “natural flavors” are, but my research suggests that mutton, canned cheese, and tomato sauce (not All Gold) are among the more popular agave-stretchers.

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150518_133131.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/20150518_133131.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

Jose Cuervo gets most of the credit for convincing first time drinkers that tequila is nasty. I have no qualms with this arrangement, because until my student loans were paid off I had no business knowing that Hennessy and co is so costly. My only beef with Cuervo is that for a rather entry level tequila, it’s not very cheap. A 750ml bottle of Jose Cuervo Silver at my liquor store runs at R179. One of my favorite bartenders, Moses from KEG, drinks his Jose Silver while his awesome coworker KB big-times it with Jose Cuervo Gold, but we’ll get to that in 2019 when I’m finally promoted to the “Drinking the Top Shelf” beat—which also goes for R179, so I got some of that too from the awesome guys at Jose Cuervo SA.

Needless to say, I was excited to get my hands on Jose. The silver offers pleasant aromas of fresh and clean agave, spicy black pepper finishing warm and smooth after it opens up. In the mouth it starts with the smooth, silky clear flavour and ends with a fiery pepper finish. Delicious! I haven’t tried Jose Cuervo Gold yet – because, my weak liver – but based on the quality and consistency of the rest of the lineup, we fully expect it will live up to our expectations. 

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE99i-3uvFM” width=”590″ height=”315″]

That was well over 15 years ago and I still know the words and it gets funnier each and everytime I watch it. Those were the days.

These days of course, Lunch Bar has gone to become one of SA’s elite in chocolate brands and variants. Truth be told, over the past few years it has gone and lost some of its appeal for me – maybe its my change of diet or maybe I have ‘outgrown’ it as one of my favourites while growing up? Figures. 

I must admit that as a child I was heavily much into peanuts and chocolate, this could explain my weight issues back then. There’s just something innately joyous and whimsical about these kind of bars. Especially Lunch Bar. It’s not at all pretentious or kitsch, instead it’s just unique. Lunch Bar could so easily be boring and bland as most mainstream chocolate of this kind is – comparing what I tasted an odd 5 years ago and what I taste now. But they’re certainly not, Lunch Bar’s just so addictive.

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/C360_2015-04-20-18-06-22-430-Copy.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/C360_2015-04-20-18-06-22-430-Copy.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

Having said that, Lunch Bar reintroduced themselves to me alongside their 50th Birthday celebrations by sending me a gift box full of their awesome chocolate. As many of you might agree that the world is just awash with negativity and people taking them far too seriously. It’s so nice to step back from this and try out some ‘fun’ chocolate and take part in the Birthday celebrations. Hehe, turns out I still like my occasional (read; death by) nutty chocolate.

Indulge. Beneath the wrapper you have some 47% milk chocolate which encases some crunchy white wafer biscuit (14%), crisped rice for that added texture (8%), extra peanuts (7%) and some caramel (24%).

The caramel has a fantastic sharp, but sweet enough edge that cuts through the white wafer biscuit and those extra peanuts gives it one helluva delightful crunch. The entire experience is great when you consider that this isn’t a hugely expensive bar of artisan chocolate made in depth of some European capital chocolaterie. I mean, no one has the time and money for that. What’s more, there’s no ego or pretences, is just self-indulgent and gorgeous with it. The mouthfeel, with all the textures, combined with the sweet and coarse peanutty cruch accompanied by the melting wafer is exactly what late Friday afternoons are about. Circa the Vodka. 

[frame src=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/C360_2015-04-20-18-06-44-000-e1431349993808.jpg” link=”http://savibeza.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/C360_2015-04-20-18-06-44-000-e1431349993808.jpg” target=”_self” width=”” height=”” alt=”Premium WordPress Themes” align=”left” prettyphoto=”false”]

Like I mentioned earlier; It’s not something I buy regularly, but I do still buy it. The chocolate is exactly the same as  you would have it 10 years ago – with an added crunch, and the same chocolate coating as your Dairy Milk bar, so if you want to know how it exactly tastes, just go on and grab a man-size bar (62g) at R6.99.

Finally! I can concentrate on getting this piece of nut out of my teeth.