Table of Contents
7. Ruksa (An African Cocktail from Tanzania)
Ruksa is a Swahili word that means ‘permission granted’.
This Tanzanian cocktail is made with a Tanzanian clear spirit called K-Vant.
Here’s how to make a Ruksa:
Ingredients
50 ml K-Vant Premium Spirit
Mango puree
Pilau masala mix (pilau masala is a spice blend normally used to make a Swahili spiced rice called pilau)
Sugar
Water
Limes
Tabasco
Tonic water
Whole cinnamon
Ghost pepper
Directions
- Make a syrup out of water, sugar, limes, and pilau masala mix. To make the syrup, follow this recipe but add pilau masala mix to taste while cooking.
- Let the syrup cool to room temperature.
- Pour 50 ml of K-Vant Premium Spirit in a clean glass.
- Add 2 – 3 drops of Tabasco sauce.
- Add 25 ml of mango puree and 20 ml of pilau masala syrup.
- Add ice to your drink.
- Add 50 ml of tonic water soda.
- Garnish your drink with whole cinnamon and a whole ghost pepper.
This recipe makes one glass or 250 ml.
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Southern African Cocktail Recipes
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8. Pumulani Cocktail (Malawi)
A Pumulani is the signature cocktail of Pumulani Lodge in Malawi. To get right to the point, here is how to make it.
Ingredients
½ shot Blue Curaçao
1 shot Malibu
1 can of ginger ale
Some coconut shavings and cherries for garnish.
Directions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Blue Curaçao and Malibu and give it a good shake.
- Fill a tall glass with crushed ice and pour the cocktail mixture over the ice.
- Top up with ginger ale.
- Sprinkle coconut flakes on top and serve immediately.
Do you know of any other good African cocktails you would like to recommend to others?
If so, share the recipe in a comment below.
I can’t wait to hear what you recommend!
K Vant Price in Kenya
I am not sure if it’s possible to buy K Vant in Kenya.
Let me do some research and get back to you on this.
If you know whether or not it is possible to buy K Vant in Kenya and, if so, at what price, please let me know by leaving me a comment below.
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K Vant & Other Commercially Produced African Drinks
- Uganda Waragi
- Konyagi (Tanzania)
- K Vant (Tanzania)
- Double Kick (Tanzania)
- Amarula
- Zanzi
- Chibuku Shake-Shake
- Kenya Cane
- Stoney Tangawizi (non-alcoholic)
K Vant Alcohol Percentage
To find out how strong K Vant is, click here.
African Seaweed Cocktail
Cocktail in Swahili
The Swahili word for cocktail is quite simply kokteli.
In the comment sections of my posts about Soho’s and Mercury Lounge, some readers and I shared our views on the quality of cocktails served at some of Nairobi‘s most popular bars and nightclubs.
In that discussion, Mercury Lounge and Casablanca were named as establishments that were thought to serve good cocktails, while Hidden Agenda and Soho’s came up as places to avoid when in search of a good cocktail.
Lately, I have not been too impressed with what I’ve been seeing many establishments pass off in the name of certain cocktails.
Because it is trendy to serve (and be seen drinking) cocktails, I find that a lot of East African establishments are great at having all the right cocktail names on their beverage lists, but do an extremely poor job when it comes to actually making these cocktails.
In my opinion, the cocktails served are often overpriced, too little (in quantity), and barely have any alcohol in them.
One place that I have been to recently, though, that does not disappoint me when it comes to cocktails is Coral Beach Hotel in Masaki, Dar es Salaam.
I’ve tried a couple of their cocktails, and each time, I have been pleasantly surprised.
My favorite cocktail there, the El Presidente (Tsh. 7,500), is a delicious blue drink that packs a real punch (you’ll have to sip this one slowly! 🙂 )
Coming to think of it, there’s absolutely no reason for you to limit yourself to drinking your favorite cocktail only when you are out on the town, when you are not completely sure what you’ll get when you order your favorite cocktail and yet will probably still be charged a pretty penny for it.
Do you know that it’s quite simple (and very cost effective) to make your favorite cocktail in the comfort of your own home?
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A number of years ago, a friend of mine and I, decided to get together once a week at either of our homes for a fun girls night in, where we’d learn how to make a new cocktail of our choice, followed by a nice gab fest and sampling of said cocktail. 🙂
Although we didn’t keep it up for too long—we both love going out way too much—the experience taught me how simple it is to make even the most complicated sounding cocktail.
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