Cheers!

In celebration of bubbles, good news from the brandy frontier, a standout weekly Substack and our top 12 wines for Christmas Day

- Compiled by Suzy Brokensha

Get your snifter on!

If you're a brandy lover (and if not, check your passport — are you even South African?), you'll want to know about the relaunch of the SA Brandy Route, a fabulous way to taste our world-class local brandies.

It's a great day out, with owner-guided tastings, cellar tours, and imaginative food and cocktail pairings on offer. The 19 brandy homes on the route include KWV, Boplaas, Boschendal, Tokara, Van Ryn's and Lanzerac.

If an inner-city experience is more your style, stop in at Cause/Effect Cocktail Kitchen at the V&A Waterfront, where they stock more than 80 South African pot still brandies — and use their own to mix their famous sidecar cocktail.

For more info, visit sabrandy.co.za

LIKE A BOOK CLUB, BUT FOR COCKTAILS

The heading above is Richard Godwin's description, and it's apt: We've got some brilliant ideas for cocktails from his Substack The Spirits. Every Friday, he sends a new cocktail recipe to your inbox, accompanied by a playlist. 'It's the digital equivalent, I hope, of slipping into your favourite bar on the way home from work. In those halcyon days when "bars" and "work" still existed,' he says - and that's exactly how it feels. thespirits.substack.com

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