Mampoer is a traditional South African strong alcoholic drink (40-80% by volume) made from fruits. This is a classic unaged “brandy” – a distillate made from fruits traditional for the area (of the same type or a mixture of different ones). Mampoer is not a brand or trademark, the name is applicable even to home-brewed moonshine from South Africa.
Production features
Most producers subject the fermented fruit base (lychees, peaches, marula, apricots, cherries, etc.) to at least a double distillation in a copper still, which makes the drink strong and smooth even without additives and sweeteners.
Initially, the fruits of marula (elephant tree) were used as raw materials, then any fruit was used. Another famous African alcoholic drink, Amarula liqueur, is made from marula.
During the distillation process, the “heads” and “tails” are cut off, that is, the first and last fractions of the distillate, only the “heart” is bottled. The production technology does not imply aging, mampoer can be drunk immediately.
History
It is impossible to trace the exact history of the emergence of mampoer. The first fruit distillates in South Africa appeared during colonization.
The legend says that Mampoer got its name in honor of the leader of the Bapedi tribe – Mampura, who killed his own brother, unleashed a war against the British and finally said goodbye to life on the gallows.
In 1924, the KWV (South African Winemakers’ Co-operative Association) began to control the production of spirits and wine, respectively, fruit moonshine was banned for many years. However, in the villages, the peasants still drove moonshine for personal consumption.
Later, a licensing system was introduced and the ban on home production was lifted. However, KWP still remains practically a monopolist in the strong alcohol market.
Witblits
A mampoer grape produced primarily in the Western Cape of South Africa for the past 200 years.
Famous Mampoera Brands
Popular brands: Thunder & Rust (4 types: peach and meliant, orange and rooibos, hazelnuts with orange and gooseberries, coffee and mint), Drayman’s Hakkiesdraad Mampoer, Van Der Hum Nyati, Schoemanati.
How to drink mampoer
There are no strictly defined rules. Mampoer is usually drunk at room temperature from small shots. The optimal snack is the same fruit from which the drink is made.
The collective drinking of mampoer is often accompanied by the game of bokdrol spoeg: small pieces of reindeer dung are soaked in distillate, placed in the mouth and competed in spitting at a distance.
Household use
Mampoer is so strong that housewives use it to remove stains and deodorize. In addition, in the absence of antiseptics, which is not uncommon in Africa, mampoer can disinfect abrasions and / or medical instruments, the drink effectively kills germs. On the basis of mampoer, homemade medicinal tinctures are made.
