Stay Thirsty, My Friends

As some of you may remember, a few months back I partook in a most excellent adventure to South Africa. In addition to witnessing the sheer beauty of the South African bush, I was also able to sample some of that country's best wine and spirits. And as it turns out, I ended up writing a piece for Mutineer Magazine about a South African liqueur made from the mysterious and exotic marula fruit.

Here's an excerpt from my story:

"While South Africa was once the diamond capital of the world, it can be argued that the marula fruit is a rarer gem. Marula trees themselves cannot be cultivated; they grow wildly in only one place on the entire planet—within the subequatorial plains of Africa. Marula fruit cannot be exported to other countries, and they are harvested only once a year from January to March. Given this information, it seems that my February arrival in Limpopo was a timely one.

Aside from the marula trees that flourish in the Limpopo area, it is also the location of the primary production plant of Amarula Cream Liqueur—a rich and smooth South African spirit made from fermented marula fruit. So although I was technically on safari, I was also on what equates to a “vineyard tour” of Amarula’s key crops. But instead of seeing neat rows of trellised grapevines, I saw arid, wide-open plains broken up by groupings of wild and majestic marula trees. And instead of the customary scarecrow, these vineyards were guarded by a bevy of wild animals.

The vineyards of Amarula are, indeed, unlike any other vineyards in the world."

To read my article in its entirety, please do pick up a copy of the May/June issue of Mutineer Magazine on newsstands now.

And if reading about my South African safari isn't enough to whet your whistle, just take a look at the magazine cover above! Egads, man! It's a cover story on The Most Interesting Man In The World!

I don't always read magazines. But when I do, I prefer Mutineer!

Comments

[Lorena]

Looks like a nice article, Marvin -- I'll have to check out the issue next time I'm at the bookstore. I mean, it features THE most interesting man in the world, how could I not?

And, yes, marula liquer is SO good! My best friend sent me some years ago while she was working in the Peace Corps in Swaziland. I remember being surprised at its subtle, yet exotic, flavor, especially since I regularly eat fruits that others consider exotic already (fresh jack fruit, mango, papaya, etc.).

[Flora]

I have Amarula liquer in my liquor cabinet and I love it! My fiance lived in east Africa for some time and he said that the animals eat the marula fruit as it falls off the tree and get drunk. He said it's the weirdest thing because lions and hyenas are sitting and eating the fruit next to baboons and other prey but they are too drunk to hunt! I love it!

[Mutineer Magazine]

Hope you had a great time on the trip and the article turned out AMAZING!

[Martini Recipes]

I want to be the most interesting man in the world!

[Truth About Abs]

That's awesome! Thank you for sharing! =)