plummeted.5 Afraid for the wine industry's future, in 1918 the government of South Africa created the Ko-operative Wijnbouwers Vereniging Van Zuid-Afrika, or KWV for short, which was a private organization whose goal was to regulate wine production throughout South Africa.9 In 1924, with the passage of the KWV-Act, the KWV was given broad powers over alcohol legislation and, unsurprisingly, one of the KWV’s first actions was to make it illegal to produce alcohol at home, which drove Mampoer production underground.10 The KWV remained in complete control of South Africa’s alcohol market until the mid 1990s, when it was finally converted to a private corporation after Apartheid. With the KWV gone, much of its legislation was repealed, though it took until 2007 for South Africa to repeal the rules against home Mampoer production.8,9 The steps in Mampoer production are relatively simple and straightforward, with few differences between home and large-scale production. The first step it to select the fruit that will be used. As mentioned earlier, Mampoer is produced using mostly peaches; however, other fruits and even citrus can also be used.7 One of the more popular additions is wild foraged Marula fruit, which is native to Africa and is a member of the mango family. Supposedly Marula fruit will naturally ferment on its own and therefore is a favorite of elephants, who like to get drunk by eating the fruit.4,11 Once the fruit has been selected, they need to be processed. Peach pits naturally contain cyanide precursors, so the pit must be removed from the flesh before fermentation begins.12 Once the pit is removed, the flesh can be mixed with other fruit and is ground to a pulp before being placed into a vessel to begin fermentation. Mampoer fermentation, like many other fruit fermentations, can be spontaneous, however commercial yeasts are also used. The fermentation time will vary depending on the amount of sugar available and the type of yeast used.7 Once fermentation is complete, the fruit mash is traditionally double-distilled in alembic pot stills. Although Mampoer is known for being high in alcohol, with some being bottled at 80% ABV, many producers believe that the best Mampoer is bottled at 64% so it retains some of the more fragrant qualities from the fruit.8 Some producers also like to add fruit to the product after distillation to enhance the fruity qualities.4 Although the production of Mampoer is relatively simple, it holds a very important place in South African culture and is very much a part of the countries social fabric. It is often consumed at family gatherings and parties.3 Mampoer can even be found in literature from the country. For example, the famous South African short story writer, Herman Charles Bosman, frequently mentions Mampoer in his stories, and even titles one Willem Prinsloo’s Peach Brandy, in which two would-be suitors battle for the affections of a woman whose father makes some of the strongest Mampoer around.13 However, the most fascinating aspect of the culture surrounding Mampoer is perhaps a sport known as Bokdrol Spoeg. Bokdrol Spoeg means “antelope turd spitting,” and the goal of the game is to see who can spit antelope dung the farthest. Traditionally dung from the kudu is used, and participants will first drop the dung into a glass of Mampoer before attempting to spit the pellets as far as possible. Although to the uninitiated this may all sound like a rather elaborate joke, Bokdrol Spoeg is indeed a real sport that is practiced throughout South Africa.14 Don’t believe me? Youtube has plenty of videos to prove it exists. Although Mampoer has traditionally been considered a homemade product that would only be available to those in the know, its production has begun to become commercialized. Multiple distilleries throughout South Africa, such as Drayman’s, have started to not just produce Mampoer commercially but have also begun to export it.4, 15 Although many people who are not familiar with Mampoer will probably balk at the high ABV, it is bound to pique some people's interest. Who knows: Perhaps in a few years there may even be an American version of Bokdrol Spoeg. Reade A. Huddleston is Head of Production at Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana. He received his Masters Degree in Brewing and Distilling Sciences from Heriot-Watt University, and is fascinated with all things drinkable. If you would like to contact him about any strange and forgotten spirit, please email him at ReadeHuddleston@gmail.com. 44 REFERENCES 1) World Health Organization, 2018. Recorded Alcohol Per Capita Consumption. Available from < http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main. A1022?lang=en> [October 28, 2019] 2) Government Gazzette of The Republic of South Africa, 1989. Liquor Products Act. Available from < https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/ gcis_document/201503/act-60-1989.pdf> [October 20, 2019] 3) South African Travel, 2011. Bosman & Mampoer in Marico. Available from [October 20, 2019] 4) Drayman’s Brewery and Distillery, 2019, Hakkiesdraad Mampoer. Available from < https://draymans.com/product/hakkiesdraadmampoer/> [October 18, 2019] 5) Hellerman Says, 2015. A Short History of Winemaking in South Africa. Available from < https://blog.ellerman.co.za/a-short-historyof-winemaking-in-south-africa/> [October 19, 2019] 6) Kriel, Glenneis, 2019. Peach Fruit Production. Available from < http://southafrica.co.za/ peach-fruit-production.html> [October 27, 2019] 7) Marico Africa at its Best, 2019. Mampoer. Available from < http://www.marico.co.za/ Mampoer/MampoerFarms.htm> [October 20, 2019] 8) Chic African Culture, 2015. Mampoer South African Moonshine. Available from < https:// www.theafricangourmet.com/2015/07/ mampoer-south-african-home-distilled.html> [October 20, 2019] 9) KWV, 2019. Our History. Available from < https:// www.kwv.co.za/our-company/our-history/> [October 20, 2019] 10) Fridjhon, Michael, 2019. 20 Years in the Wine Industry. Available from < https://www.wosa. co.za/The-Industry/Overview/20-years-in-thewine-industry/> [October 21, 2019] 11) Theys, Michael, 2019. Marula Fruit: African Booze for Wild Animals, or Total Myth? Available from < https://africafreak.com/marula-fruit> [October 31, 2019] 12) Nick, Jean. 2018. Are Stone Fruit Seeds Poisonous. Available from < https://www. goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/ a20705824/are-stone-fruit-seeds-poisonous/> [October 31, 2019] 13) Zwietkiewicz, Josie, 2018. Willem Prinsloo’s Peach Brandy. Available from < https://prezi. com/p/mtlhzmiuwofs/willem-prinsloos-peachbrandy/> [October 31, 2019] 14) Rosenthal, Seth, 2014. Spitting Antelope Poop is a Sport. Available from < https://www. sbnation.com/lookit/2014/8/1/5960987/spittingantelope-poop-is-a-sport-kudu-bokdrol-spoeg> [October 27, 2019] 15) Steyn, Louzel, 2017. Tjorts! SA’s Iconic Mampoer Makes World’s Strongest Drinks List. Available from < https://www.traveller24.com/MyTravels/ tjorts-sas-iconic-mampoer-makes-worldsstrongest-drinks-list-20170313> [October 28, 2019] WWW.ARTISANSPIRITMAG.COM