Known as the City of Gold, Johannesburg is the main aviation hub and commercial heart for all of Southern Africa. Whether you’re there for business or pleasure, if you love whisky, WhiskyBrother Bar is a must-visit.
The city is home to some of the region’s wealthiest residents and most desirable neighborhoods, and in recent years the taste for finer things, from luxury cars and watches to international fashion to top-shelf whiskies has taken off in a big way. Whisky has become part of the society scene here, and there’s no better place for a big night out than WhiskyBrother Bar in Sandton, Johannesburg’s poshest neighborhood (the nearby Saxon Hotel is where Nelson Mandela stayed when he wrote his memoir, and it’s the choice of the Clintons, Oprah Winfrey, and just about every visiting entertainer).
Like Los Angeles, Johannesburg is a very large city devoted to driving with very little that’s pedestrian friendly. Oddly, almost all the best restaurants and bars, including Whisky Brother, are in shopping malls. Inside the Morningside Shopping Centre, a few doors down from a gourmet butcher shop—it all feels like an odd location, but to locals going for drinks in the mall is normal.
The bar debuted as the city’s first whisky specialist in 2017, and its owner also has several retail liquor stores and a specialty tequila bar. There are about 1,400 options from 21 countries, and the only other thing they serve for non-whisky-loving guests is wine. Many of the bottles are displayed in floor-to-ceiling lighted racks behind and around the bar that spans the length of this small space. The bar is lower than normal, with 10 wooden chairs, rather than stools, and several more seats along a rail opposite the bar. There’s also a room in the back with a conference table for private tastings, and the walls are lined with their many selections from the Single Malt Whisky Society. There’s no food served, but you can make a reservation for private tastings.
South Africa has a long history of high-quality wine and brandy production, but interest in whisky has been growing fast, and WhiskyBrother carries about 50 local labels, with roughly 20 from best-known producer Three Ships, as well as Bains, Boplaas, Drayman, Helden, James Sedgwick, Limpopo Reserve, and Toor. One of the biggest reasons to make the trip to WhiskyBrother is for its incredibly reasonable prices, and most run $2 to $7/25 ml (over .75 oz.) pours with the priciest being Three Ships 10 year old PX sherry single cask finish at $24.
The offerings are global, as reflected in one of the most popular of its several tasting flights, the 5 Nations Flight, which includes 20-ml pours of Hibiki Harmony (Japan), Penderyn Madeira Cask (Wales), Macaloney’s Searaidh Braiche (Canada), Kavalan Select (Taiwan), and Three Ships 10 year old aged in Chenin Blanc casks (S. Africa) for $22.
The country as a whole offers incredible values, with the strong U.S. dollar leading to fine dining and hotel bargains. The opportunity to try rarely seen South African whiskies is a big appeal, but so is the rest of the list. In addition, South African law uniquely requires imported spirits to be at least 43% ABV, whereas most of the world is 40%, so even your favorite whisky may taste different here.
“We get people from the U.S. who tell us it's easier and cheaper to find Blanton’s and some of the other American whiskeys we have here than at home,” said manager Keketso Klaas. Widow Jane 10 year old bourbon is just $8, while Buffalo Trace and Bulleit bourbon are $2. But the appealing prices are not just for American whiskeys: Macallan 12 year old Double Cask is under $8, Glenmorangie 10 year is under $4, and the most expensive available is Glenmorangie 34 year old Pride 1978 at $387. Klaas’ favorite value pick is anCnoc 12 year old at a staggering $3, and the bar’s private single cask bottling of Craigellachie 15 year goes for $9. Since the value proposition is so great, it’s worth noting that there’s a small selection of full bottles available for retail sale to take with you.
Consider planning your visit to Johannesburg during its low season when the weather is mild, prices are lower, flight costs drop, and there are fewer visitors: March to May and September to November. And don’t leave until you visit WhiskyBrother Bar.
