Patron Perfectionists 2024 South Africa Finalists

JJ Hendricks

JJ Hendricks is from Cape Town. With six years of experience in the bar industry, his approach to mixology often involves exploring alternative routes to experiment with flavours and techniques. JJ is passionate about the artistry of creating interesting and unique serves to pair with his recipes to tantalize the taste buds and the eyes, ensuring each concoction is a work of art.

Entry Challenge cocktail inspiration
Drawing inspiration from Cape Town's rich tapestry of cultures and traditions, JJ embarked on a journey to craft a drink that honours both the essence of the Paloma and the diverse heritage of his vibrant city. Recognising the deep-rooted connections many Capetonians share with Southeast Asia-particularly places like Malaysia, Java, and Indonesia - JJ set out to infuse his cordial with ingredients found in those regions. The result is a bespoke cordial boasting a fusion of flavours that are refreshingly zesty, delightfully aromatic, and undeniably vibrant.

JJ Hendricks' Eventide

Bar: Fable, Cape Town
- 50 ml Patrón Reposado
- 30 ml Melting Pot Cordial*
- 150 ml Soda
Garnish: grapefruit leather coin.
Method: In a chilled, rimmed highball add Patrón Reposado and melting pot cordial. Stir to combine. Top up with cubed ice and then top with soda. Gently lift to combine all ingredients.

*To make Melting Pot Cordial:
150 g fresh grapefruit zest
120 g white sugar
100 g palm sugar
15 g kaffir lime leaf
30 g dried galangal
40 g num num berry
10 g hibiscus
1 g Madagascar vanilla bean
5 g timmut pepper
450 g cryo concentrated grapefruit juice (brix - 15%)
Combine all the above ingredients into a bag and vacuum seal. Sous vide at 60 Celsius for 5 hours. Place in an ice bath before opening vacuum sealed bag. Strain syrup through a cheese cloth. Add 10g citric acid for every 250ml syrup. Bottle and store in the fridge.

Other finalists

Charne Van Heerden's Flora

Bar: The House of Machines, Cape Town
- 60 ml Patrón Reposado
- 30 ml Cordial*
- 15 ml lime
Top with Soda water
Garnish: Dehydrated grapefruit covered in buchu mist
Method: build

*To make Cordial:
Multiply your grapefruits weight by 0.02. The resulting number will be the number of grams you need to add of Kosher Salt. Add your quartered grapefruits, salt and Honeybush into an airtight container and allow it to ferment for 2-3days, let it breathe and repeat for another 2-3days. Once it's fermented, strain the grapefruit out. Add the lacto-fermented grapefruit juice in a small pot, equal parts sugar, a citrus-forward white wine, and reduce. The final product should be a salty, sharp grapefruit and Honeybush cordial.

Derrick Hartman's Paloma De Montana Del Sur (Mountain Dove of the South)

Bar: Strange Love, Cape Town
- 45 ml Patrón Reposado
- 35 ml Grapefruit, Lemon Pelargonium & Wild Rosemary (Kapokbos) Oleo & Cordial*
- 2-3 Scoops Grapefruit & Vanilla Sorbet
Top soda water
3 Salt Rims are the leftover Grapefruit skins, the leftover Fynbos, from the Oleo with added pink salt and Smoked Sweet Paprika salt.
Garnish: Lemon Pelargonium leaf and flower.

*To make Grapefruit, Lemon Pelargonium & Wild Rosemary (Kapokbos) Oleo & Cordial:
Take 300g of Grapefruit skin, 30g Wild Rosemary on the stalk, 20g Lemon Pelargonium and 225g of Sugar and place it in an air-tight container for 18hrs, strain it off to end up with a Grapefruit and Fynbos Oleo.

Sphamandla Mahlangu's Buhle

Bar: Hacienda, Cape Town
- 60 ml Patrón Reposado
- 25 ml Grapefruit-blanc cordial
- 150 ml Soda water
Garnish: grapefruit flavoured tortilla chip
Method: build

*To make Grapefruit-blanc cordial:
Grapefruit peels, caraway seeds, Sauvignon Blanc wine with grapefruit notes, tartaric acid, malic acid, lemon juice, grated lemon and sugar mixed and boiled till ready.

Ryan Ontong's Fantasma de Paloma

Bar: The Drinkery, Cape Town
- 50 ml Patrón Reposado
- 40 ml Boozy Cordial*
- 100 ml Soda
Garnish: fruit leather
Method: Shake and double strain over cubed ice into the salt rimmed high-ball glass, top with soda, stir, garnish and serve.

*To make Boozy Cordial:
Equal parts of strawberries, Mediterranean tomatoes and Grapefruit juice. Juice individually and place into pot and put on medium heat until separation starts. When separation starts, remove from heat and pour through cheese cloth or coffee filter.
Add equal parts sugar to juice. Add citric acid.
250 ml Strawberry juice
250 ml Tomato (juiced)
250 ml Grapefruit juice
20 g citric acid
100 ml Caperitif

Alecs Besier's Bacio Rubino

Bar: Yellow Canary Consulting, Cape Town
- 35 ml Patrón Reposado
- 35 ml Ruby grapefruit and pistachio Cordial*
- 10 ml Lemon
Top with soda
Garnish: Homemade Chimchurri Oil Drops.
Method: Build the cocktail in your glass with the ingredients and slowly dropping oil drops in after.

*To make Ruby grapefruit and pistachio Cordial:
Reduce Ruby Grapefruit juice with sugar, add to a blender with salted pistachios and pulse. Add a small amount of milk and lemon to partially clarify the liquid and pass through a cheese cloth.

Liam Jukes' A "Dove" and Beyond

Bar: Tapas, Gqeberha
- 60 ml Patrón Reposado
- 50 ml Grapefruit Coconut Banana Cordial*
- 150 ml Soda water
Garnish: Pineapple Sugar Tuile
Method: Build over ice and in glass to strengthen the bond and flavour pairing of the cordial with Patrón. By controlling the dilution completely and not shaking or stirring the ingredients together we can ensure the pairing holds firm against the dilution of the soda water. Lift to incorporate all the ingredients and garnish.

*To make Grapefruit Coconut Banana Cordial:
Equal parts of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice to white sugar made into syrup, toasted coconut flakes and whole sliced banana sous-pressed overnight into syrup (freezing sous vide technique). Strain and acid adjust with citric (1.2%) and malic (0.8%) acids.

Brent Perremore's Peruvian Poema

Bar: Downtown Ramen, Cape Town
- 50 ml Patrón Reposado
- 50 ml Cordial*
- 75 ml Soda water
Garnish: Spicy blood orange fruit leather
Method: Build by adding Patrón Reposado and the cordial first, then gently mix in the glass, add ice and top with soda water and mix with a gentle lift.

*To make Cordial:
4 peeled blood oranges
Peel of 1 grapefruit
10 g of coriander
100 g honey
0.25 g citric acid
0.25 g malic acid
200 ml water
Blend the peeled oranges with 200 ml water and fine strain into a saucepan. Save aside Blood orange pulp for fruit leather garnish. Add the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan and bring to gentle simmer for 5 minutes. remove from heat and allow to steep for an hour. Strain off the solids into a clean clear bottle and refrigerate till ready for use.

Lucinda Zinyemba's Jozi Jango Paloma

Bar: Lucy's Magique, Johannesburg
- 50ml Patrón Reposado
- 25ml Papaya & Grapefruit Cordial*
- 30ml Soda water
Garnish: Tequila infused, dried grapefruit zest and papaya peel powder with salt and gold glitter
Method: Rim and style the glass and chill it.

*To make Papaya & Grapefruit Cordial:
800 g grapefruit juice and rind leftovers
900 g caster sugar
15 g fruit pectin
Another 35 g sugar
185 g liquid glucose
15 g lemon juice
Add grapefruit juice, glucose syrup, caster sugar, and bring to the boil, mix the pectin with the extra sugar, add that to boiling liquid. Take the liquid to 108 degrees for 3-4 minutes. Pour into mould. Refrigerate to set overnight. Dip in caster sugar, acid blend and blended kombu powder.

Albre Marais' Brisas Fresca Paloma

Bar: Insur(gin)ce, Freestate
- 50 ml Patrón Reposado
- 40 ml Grapefruit and Eucalyptus Agua Fresca Redwine Honey Cordial*
- 150 ml Soda water
Garnish: Three Eucalyptus Leaves and a Grapefruit Zest

*To make Grapefruit and Eucalyptus Agua Fresca Redwine Honey Cordial:
Ingredients: 4 large pink grapefruits, 3 cups cold water, 5 Eucalyptus Leaves, 1 Rosemary Sprig, Ice cubes. Instructions: Prepare the Grapefruits: Cut 2 grapefruits in half and juice them using a citrus juicer. Aim for around 2 cups of grapefruit juice. Cut the remaining grapefruits into slices and place them inside a pitcher. Strain and Mix: Strain the fresh grapefruit juice through a fine-mesh strainer to remove pulp and seeds, then pour it into the pitcher with the grapefruit slices. Tear the eucalyptus Leaves into smaller pieces to release their essential oils and add them to the pitcher. Gently roll the Rosemary Sprig between your hands to release its aromatic oils, then place it in the pitcher as well. Pour the cold water into the pitcher and give everything a thorough stir to harmonize the flavours. Chill and Infuse: Place the pitcher in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 4 hours. This infusion period allows the flavors to meld and intensify, resulting in a truly revitalizing Grapefruit Agua Fresca. Cordial Creation: Ingredients: 750ml Grapefruit Agua Fresca (prepared from the earlier step) 500ml Honey 75ml Merlot. Instructions: Combine Ingredients: In a pot, combine the Grapefruit Agua Fresca, Honey, and Merlot. Dissolve and Infuse: Over medium heat, gently warm the mixture until the honey has completely dissolved. Stir occasionally to ensure even integration. Once the honey is fully dissolved, continue heating the mixture to bring it to a gentle simmer. This will allow the flavours to infuse. Reduce and Concentrate: Maintain a simmer for approximately 45 minutes, allowing the cordial to reduce. As it reduces, the flavours will become more concentrated and complex, enhancing the overall taste. Strain and Refrigerate: After the reduction process, remove the pot from heat. Strain the cordial through a muslin cloth or fine sieve to remove any remaining particles or solids. Transfer the strained cordial into a glass container and refrigerate until it reaches room temperature.