Note the barbed wire on bottle - 50%
Here a little history
The Americans call it 'moonshine', to the warm-blooded Irish it is 'Poteen' and the Swiss call it 'Kirsch'. In South Africa, it is 'Witblits' in the Cape and to Transvalers it is just 'Mampoer'. Mampoer and the variety of names given to it are the names of strong, homemade distilled brandy made from fruit.
Mampoer is uniquely South African
What makes Mampoer so unique is the fact that it is distilled on the farm according to handpicked recipes and very special processes. The secrets of distilling this potent ‘brandy’ are carried over from generation to generation and this adds to the mystery that surrounds it.
It is not certain where the name ‘mampoer’ originated. Many stories and anecdotes which are being told and which are still in circulation as well as the closely guarded secret of the refined recipes, contribute to the fascination of the mampoer legend.
It is alleged that mampoer was named after Mampuru, a Pedi Chief who instigated the murder of his half-brother Sekoekoenie. It is alleged that, General Joubert's men probably obtained liquor from Mampuru and Mapog. It is believed that this liquor was distilled from Maroelas, which was plentiful in the area.
The test to determine quality of mampoer is very simple. Pour a small quantity on a flat surface and light it. If it all burns off with a clear blue flame, it is unadulterated and full strength. This is why Mampoer is sometimes also called 'fire water' - it causes the first-time drinker to catch his breath with his first sip.
A simple recipe for making mampoer: Take your drums of ripe yellow peaches (don't worry about any worms),
Heat the mash in the still to just under boiling point. The alcohol boils off before the water and is trapped by a condensation pipe. The condensate is collected in a bucket and, for really top quality mampoer, it may be redistilled. The residue of the distillation process (known to whisky distillers as the feints) makes an excellent liniment and mosquito repellent






Comment