A farm-distilled fruit spirit made from peaches, marulas or prickly pears. It is distilled on Highveld farms, said to be named after the Pedi chief Mampuru, and has long been made legally under farm licence.
Distilling requires a licence even in South Africa, where farm stills are registered, and the cut that removes methanol is exactly the step people get wrong when learning by trial.
What goes into it
- peaches, marulas, prickly pears or apricots
- nothing else
How it is made
Ripe fruit is crushed and fermented on its own sugars for two to four weeks, then distilled — often twice — in a copper pot still on the farm. The distiller discards the volatile head and the weak tail and keeps the middle. It is bottled clear and unaged, and the strength is considerable.
How long it takes: weeks to ferment, then distilling
How it is eaten
Neat in a small glass, or with fruit steeped in it afterwards.
History
Distilled on Highveld farms and said to be named after the Pedi chief Mampuru; long made legally under farm licence.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mampoer?
Mampoer is a wine & spirit from South Africa: farm-distilled fruit spirit made from peaches, marulas or prickly pears. Distilled on Highveld farms and said to be named after the Pedi chief Mampuru; long made legally under farm licence.
How is Mampoer made?
Ripe fruit is crushed and fermented on its own sugars for two to four weeks, then distilled — often twice — in a copper pot still on the farm. The distiller discards the volatile head and the weak tail and keeps the middle. It is bottled clear and unaged, and the strength is considerable. It takes weeks to ferment, then distilling.
Can I make Mampoer at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Distilling requires a licence even in South Africa, where farm stills are registered, and the cut that removes methanol is exactly the step people get wrong when learning by trial.
What goes into Mampoer?
Peaches, marulas, prickly pears or apricots, nothing else.
How is Mampoer eaten?
Neat in a small glass, or with fruit steeped in it afterwards.
