STATS SA has revealed that more spirits are purchased in The Eastern Cape than any other province, followed by Limpopo and The Western Cape.
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Of all the spirits consumed in South Africa, whisky is the most popular, having overtaken brandy in 2012 or 2013.
“Whisky’s essentially distilled beer, making it beer’s big brother”, says Food24 cocktails and spirits writer, Leah van Deventer. “It’s more mature, more sophisticated and it packs a stronger punch. As such you might find that while beer’s a crowd pleaser, whisky’s for the more developed or discerning drinker – the minority”.
South Africa is a beer-loving nation that evidently isn’t too perturbed by the fast rise in the cost of their favourite brew (STATS SA reported that beer prices increased by 6.4% in 2016 compared to spirits that only rose by 5.9%).
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“There’s also an economic component to consider though”, says Leah. “If you compare a basic beer with a no-frills whisky, you’ll pay R5 to R6 per unit of alcohol for either. But while that beer might hit the spot, cheap whisky can be rough, and you’ll need to spend more to get something that slides”.
Do you love a wee dram? If so, what province do you live in?