The Abaju cocktail festival will have bar mash-ups between local and international bartenders at participating establishments. Picture: supplied
AJABU, the Pan African bi-annual cocktail and spirits festival, is back for its second consecutive year at participating bars in Cape Town from Wednesday March 12 to Sunday March 16.
The AJABU Cocktail and Spirits Festival aims to connect global and local bars in pop-ups and master classes while shining a spotlight on Africa’s hospitality industry and fosters connections across the continent’s bar industry.
It also aims to build an international community of bars and beverage professionals through collaborations between global and local bars.
This year, AJABU brings a line-up of acclaimed international bars, the AJABU Scholarship Programme and supporting African bartenders with hospitality training.
Bartenders from some of the finest bars around the world will be flown into South Africa to participate in AJABU’s bar mashups — a partnership with local Johannesburg and Cape Town institutions to collaborate and create cocktails using African ingredients.
Global partcipants include Panda and Son (Edinburgh), Tommy’s (San Francisco), Front/Back and Soul Lounge (Accra), Library Bar (Toronto), Hero (Nairobi), Sips (Barcelona), NoMad’s Side Hustle (London) and Atwater Cocktail Club (Montreal).
In Cape Town, bars joining the mash-ups include Saint in District Six, Cause Effect at V&A Waterfront, Kloof Street House in Gardens, and The Drinkery, Hacienda, Tjing Tjing, Fable, Talking to Strangers, House of Machines, and ANTHM, all in the city centre.
There will also be a series of seminars and master classes for cocktail aficionados, bartenders, and beverage industry professionals, touching on topics such as the representation of women in the bar industry; upcycling; sustainability of cocktail ingredients; and the ongoing rise of agave spirits.
Figures leading these sessions include Steve Olson of Del Maguey Mezcal and Bar Academy; Julio Bermejo of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant; Simone Caporale of Sips, Kate Boushel of the Atwater Cocktail Club and winner of the 2024 Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award; Leo Robitschek of Side Hustle; Celebrate Her and Tales of the Cocktail committee member Anna Sebastian; Amma Mensah of Reign Rum; and Gareth Howells of Bacardi and Dewar’s.
AJABU’s seminar Africa Rising will also be returning featuring panelists Kojo Aidoo (Accra Bar Show, Front/Back), Richie Barrow (Kenya Bartender Week, Hero), Kurt Schlecter (Cause Effect), and Alexander Quest (Abidjan Cocktail Week).
The AJABU Scholarship Programme will also be giving away 50 scholarships provided by the World Spirits Education Trust, Professional Bar Training, and Edinburgh Whisky Academy through donations of stakeholders.
The scholarships are open to African-based applicants who work in the drinks industry, with 70% of the grants allocated to women – supporting increasing female representation in the bar industry.
Co-founder of ABAJU, Colin Asare-Appiah, who was named Bar World 100’s most influential figure 2023; and co-author of Black Mixcellence, Tales of the Cocktail and Foundation’s 2024 Visionary Award recipient, said: “Words cannot express how rewarding it is to see the bars and beverage professionals unite at AJABU and continue their partnerships beyond Africa.
“This lasting camaraderie and support is exactly what we envisioned when we started AJABU, and it’s undoubtedly amplifying Africa’s hospitality industry.”
Mr Olsen added: “In only one year, AJABU has already proven – in my opinion – that it deserves a spot on the list of the greatest cocktail festivals in the world.”
AJABU will host the Summer edition of the festival in November this year.
Tickets for these events are free on Quicket, but are subject to availability.
For more information, visit www.ajabufestival.com or follow the Abaju Festival on social media.
The festival will also be in Johannesburg from Sunday March 9 to Wednesday March 12.