"Stoep" Tasting with Blackwood Spirits Distillery hosted by TOPS Constantia

ABOUT

TOPS Constantia ( Alphen) presents : "Stoep" tastings

This series of tasting events happens on the stoep in The Old Constantia Village to celebrate the stories and the makers of great products. We all know the best times are with friends and family on the "stoep" so join us for an evening where we explore some great products! These evenings are always filled with information & laughter!

Overview

Blackwood Spirits is a small - make that nano - distillery set up by us, wife and husband team, Helene and Guido Zsilavecz, in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa. The distillery operates from a converted storeroom at our home. Our aim is to make small quantities of quality, handcrafted, spirits.

As our spirits are produced in small batches, we are actively involved in each step of the production process. It starts with the sourcing of high quality and, where possible, local raw materials, though distilling and maturing, and ends with bottling and labelling. Each batch is handcrafted using old style, honest craftmanship to create unique products for your enjoyment.

Our Story

In the past we have both tried our hand at making various beers, wines and liqueurs. In our quest for perfection, we have had some successes and some monumental failures! It was a logical next step to investigate the possibilities that distilling could bring. This alchemy which allows for such a wide array of truly wonderful products captured our imagination and we were hooked. We still feel a thrill each time those first drops of distillate appear! Our initial aim was to make grappa, however, to learn about distilling we first started making gin, adding the grappa a year later when we had mastered the art of distilling, and trying out new things whenever the urge takes us.

Grappa and Kümmel Tasting

Each year we make a batch of grappa and each year we feel we improve our methodology. For this tasting we have three different grappas: two are single varietal but made differently, and one is a blend. These we have paired with chocolate for your enjoyment.

We have also started an experimental series where we try various recipes of different distillates, and we’d appreciate your feedback as to whether we should produce these in larger batches. For this tasting we will be showcasing three variations of Kümmel (caraway): an aquavit, aged aquavit and liqueur.

We look forward to sharing our story with you! 

What to expect ...

Sit down tasting event

Discussions with Helene & Guido

Light dinner snacks after tasting

Discounted sales for orders on the night.

One quest guest will be the lucky winner of a prize.

Be sure not to miss this unique experience