Beverages

Sin + Tax’s Pretty dirty thang cocktail

By
16 December 2025
4
Easy
30 minutes, plus overnight chilling time

“A frozen, boozy, umami slushy made using Cape brandy, strawberries, watermelon and tomato water, finished with a splash of bubbles. Salty-sweet, savoury and refreshing, this bold sip is best enjoyed from a frozen coupe, garnished with a green olive. Pair with a playful canapé of farm-style crisps topped with delicate trout pearls.” – Julian Short, beverage director at  Sin + Tax

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Ingredients

Method
    For the strawberry-and-watermelon cordial:

  • 100 g strawberries
  • 100 g watermelon
  • 150 g sugar
  • 1.5 g fine salt
  • 3 T fresh lemon juice
  • 6 T strawberry-and-watermelon cordial
  • ¾ cup Cape brandy
  • ½ cup tomato water, plus 1 T
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • dry sparkling wine, for topping (3–5 T per serving)
  • 4 green olives, to garnish

1. To make the cordial, combine the strawberries, watermelon, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cover and chill overnight. The next day, strain off the liquid and stir in the lemon juice to make the cordial.

2. Mix the cordial with the brandy, tomato water and water in a clean 500 ml plastic bottle. Freeze overnight – it will remain slushy from the alcohol. If it sets too firm, leave at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. To serve, squeeze about 7 T of the cocktail mixture each into 4 frozen coupe glasses. Top each glass with 3–5 T dry sparkling wine and garnish with a green olive.

Pairing: Top Woolworths’ farmer’s salted crisps with a spoonful of trout pearls. Serve alongside the cocktail for a salty, savoury match.

Sin + Tax, corner Bolton Road and Jan Smuts Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg; @sin_tax_bar

Find more cocktail recipes here

Productions: Bianca Strydom
Photographer: Myburgh Du Plessis
Food Assistants: Bianca Jones 

TASTE

Recipe by: TASTE

The TASTE team is a happy bunch of keen cooks and writers, always on the look out for the next food trend or the next piece of cake.

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