Creativity & cocktails with award-winning mixologist Thabiso Molonyama
ThabIso Molonyama, an award-wInnIng cocktaIl mIxologIst and founder of The Everyday Bar, showcases his talent globally.
His signature creation, the Nimbus Moon, secured him the title of African winner in the prestigious Johnnie Walker Global Bartender Challenge last year. Out of 200 entrants from 47 countries, he stood out among the winners representing various regions around the world.
“I got introduced into the industry by falling in love with each component separately on its own. Each spirit and each flavour, and the amazing level of detail and complexity that goes into each drink. I’ve actually written books on this because I find it fascinating,”says the mixologist.
When asked about the key to his success as an award-winning mixologist, he admits he’s unsure what success really entails. However, he attributes his achievements to his passion, authenticity, and meticulous approach to ingredients and processes.
Understanding each element of a drink, its history, and presentation guides him in crafting unique stories through his creations. This dedication to learning and appreciating the process defines his success.
Expanding on his personal style, he says that he is old school when it comes to the classic drinks. “I don’t believe that they need to be re-defined. Personally, I do my best to make them exactly almost identical to their origins. Some drinks are just perfect as they are, you don’t need to re-establish them “with a new twist” using strange and, in my opinion, blasphemous combinations,“ he says.
“If you want to refine a particular drink, you go back into history, you understand the drink and add a bit of your own personality to it. Overall, I try to do things traditionally with a contemporary flair to it that represents me.”
One of his own unique signature cocktails that he had made in the past was the ‘Oscar Pistorius.’ “This was during a time when gender- based violence was very high in SA. One of the sensational stories on television at the time was Oscar Pistorius shooting and killing his fiance and it was proven that there was GBV involved. Making a controversial drink was my way of speaking out against GBV. The Oscar Pistorius shooter. was a fine-strained and layered four-piece shooter, garnished with a caramelised and cinnamon coated strawberry. Itcameinasetof four, representing the bullets that were fired. It was a very controversial cocktail, served at two separate events.”
As experimentation is key in mixology, he says that it is one of the best parts about his profession due to the creative liberties that you have.
“If you’ve known me long enough, you realise vegetables and I are not best friends, which is strange as I eat a lot of vegetables. But with regards to experimenting with flavour combinations I use quite a bit of it. I do play around with some odd flavours. Almost on a daily basis I am playing around with different combinations using ingredients from nuts to popcorn, asparagus, lentils, and blue tea, herbs and spices. I’m all over the place, within reason. But with experimentation and experience, you learn how to refine different flavour profiles,” says Molonyama.
“I was recently in Kuwait for four months creating a non-alcoholic menu. For one drink, I was playing around with some coffee, beetroot, butter, cardamom, chilli, saffron and some other spices, and when these flavours came together, it was amazing. And sometimes I get asked how the hell did you end up here? Refining the taste of a new cocktail can be a very in depth experience. Sometimes you get it right instantly, while other times it will take a few days.”
What alcohol trends are leading 2024? He says that tequila is at the front, followed by rum and mezcal. “I’ve only been back a little while in SA, so I must still go out and see what local places are doing, but I generally find that most places don’t change their menu according to global trends. Many places are on the Latin wave at the moment – Europe, Asia, USA, some parts of Africa. Tequila and Latin food.”
To aspiring mixologists striving to excel in this competitive field he emphasises the importance of staying true to yourself and putting in the work. “Research and seek knowledge by every means necessary. Make those calls, send those emails and messages, and attend events. Be in this for the long run and not only because you want to become wealthy or famous. If you don’t enjoy the craft itself and have an honest invested interest, then all your actions will never come from a true space.”