The Raja of Rum samples South African craft beer

I’m not much of a cocktail-drinker. I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to spirits and to be honest, I’ve never really given beer cocktails a chance. Until we went to Mauritius that is. We were lucky enough to spend a couple of nights at the uber-luxurious One&Only Le Saint Géran, home of gorgeous accommodation, superb fusion cuisine, water sports galore and a barman who has being mixing cocktails longer than I’ve been alive.

The affable Amba Valayten has been labelled the “Raja of Rum”, but he made an exception for us and rustled up a cocktail featuring Phoenix lager. In more than three decades working at the resort, it was the first time Valentin – as he is affectionately known – had ever attempted a beer cocktail and it was a pretty impressive debut (alas, the recipe remains a secret, but maybe it will appear on the hotel’s cocktail list one day…).

We decided to challenge him and the following day we brought a chilled bottle of Devil’s Peak IPA – y’know because I like to keep one in my handbag just in case an emergency arises. Valentin sniffed, tasted and listened to our thoughts, then went away to work on a cocktail intended to bring out the flavours of the beer. Here’s the recipe:

A well-travelled bottle of Blockhouse

Chill a martini glass

Mix 25ml Southern Comfort, 25ml bourbon and 50ml Blockhouse in a cocktail shaker.

Add 2 teaspoons of orange-infused rum (Valentin makes his own) and shake.

Pour into the chilled glass and garnish with a cocktail cherry.

For me, a wuss, the final result was a little heavy on the alcohol side (I’ve never been a martini fan and might have made it a long drink with at least another 50ml of Blockhouse). But Valentin definitely captured the citrus notes of the beer and played on that. Most of all though, it was awesome to meet someone as passionate about his chosen beverage as I am about mine. If you get a chance to visit Le Saint Géran – even if it’s just for lunch or dinner – do drop by the pool bar and meet the Raj of Rum. He’ll put a bit of sparkle into your day (and most likely a bit of deliciousness into your glass).

Do you have a beer cocktail idea to share? Tell me your recipe below and the best suggestion will be featured on Banana Jam’s specials board in mid-September…with a free glass of the winning cocktail for its creator of course…