The Cape Thief Martini

The Cape Thief martini

Saturday was one of those hot days that left me feeling wilted and after a very busy day I decided to enjoy some cocktails under the big oak.

Cheese and Fruit in Season

I decided to make my favourite, a martini complemented by some snacks made with the first figs of the season from the garden and some local cheese. We have been buying locally made gins to try some produce from the gin distilleries popping up all over the province. Inverroche makes very good gin with fynbos botanicals and we enjoy the Verdant the most.

Around the corner from us in Cape Town, Hope on Hopkins is making gin as well. I bought a bottle of the Salt River Gin recently to make some cocktails with a local flavour. The gin contains among other things, wild rosemary (kapokbos), organic citrus peel and buchu.

I consider myself as being proudly South African and love these home-grown flavours. With Salt River Gin as my gin of choice, I wanted to elaborate on the South African theme and I decided to try “Die Kaapse Dief”, the Caperitif made with Chenin Blanc, Quinchona bark, fynbos, calamus and “naartjies” forming part of the 35 genuine Cape ingredients of Caperitif.

As one of the most diverse plant kingdoms in the world, it is just natural that we will use them in our food and alcoholic beverages. Much of the fynbos is also well known for its medicinal properties.  Ending your day with one of these richly infused cocktails can only be beneficial for your health!

Caperitif is a historical aperitif dating from the 1920’s and was made in the Cape. With the help of a Danish mixologist, a wine farm in the Swartland has recreated this historical aperitif.

These handcrafted beverages are going to be very popular with the growing demand for bespoke produce. I believe that South Africans are ahead when it comes to producing uniquely South African products.

I am calling this genuine South African martini “Die Kaapse Dief” (the Cape Thief) in honour of the Caperitif. This martini, rich in Cape Botanicals, steals your daily exhaustion and rejuvenates you while you taste the Cape from Salt River to the Swartland while under a tree in the Klein Karoo.