It’s no secret that Cape Town is a haven for curious cocktails, bespoke gin bars and innovative mixology. When visiting some of the Mother City’s finest bars, one really appreciates the level of ingenuity that goes into the cocktail-drinking experience.
Just when you think you have seen it all, Cape Town gets a visit from Manchester’s very own Joe Schofield.
Schofield is an industry expert and has been recognised with some of the most prestigious awards, such as the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards’ “International Bartender of The Year 2018” award and the “Bartenders’ Bartender” title at the World’s 50 Best Bars 2018.
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Schofield is the only person in history to have won both of these awards and has built a reputation as one of the world’s best – and most respected – bartenders, before the age of 30.
While he was in Cape Town, I had the good fortune of attending an insightful masterclass at the incredible Cause & Effect’s new location at the V&A Waterfront, hosted by the mixing maestro himself.
After a delectable arrival drink, guests were treated to the masterclass of a lifetime. Schofield took us on a trip into how he has revolutionised the experience of cocktail drinking. His creation of Sensorium, a memory-triggering cocktail programme, is a level of ingenuity one grapples to relate to.
Schofield works as head bartender at the Tippling Club in Singapore, alongside chef and founder Ryan Clift. He co-created the olfactory drinking experience that translates carefully-created scents into memories and emotions through 12 unique cocktails.
Schofield has also worked hard alongside the International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc (IFF) to create a most unusual cocktail pairing experience with gummy bears, another testament to just how creative this man is.
While in the Mother City, Schofield worked a guest shift at Cause & Effect. He donated and contributed proceeds from his shift to Beyond Bars Akademia, an organisation offering bartending skills to formerly incarcerated women to help them re-integrate into society.
Picture: Instagram
