{"id":56010,"date":"2026-04-14T04:24:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T04:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=56010"},"modified":"2026-04-14T04:24:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T04:24:27","slug":"tequila-from-the-karoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/04\/14\/tequila-from-the-karoo\/","title":{"rendered":"Tequila from the Karoo? For real."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p><h2>Think Karoo and it&#8217;s sheep or scrub, maybe Gayton McKenzie. But not tequila. Yet, Mzansi&#8217;s own, Inzalo, is being grown and distilled there.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>When you think of the Karoo, that semi-arid stretch between the Free State and Cape Town, sheep come to mind, some sand, and starry nights where you can really see the heavens and its satellites.<\/p>\n<p>You may even think of PA leader Gayton McKenzie\u2019s Beaufort West. But sure, as hell you would not think about tequila. Yet, soon, you would, or should, be.<\/p>\n<p>Because somewhere between the scrub, the silence and the hard beauty of that landscape that sometimes feels like it never ends, something slightly unhinged happened. <\/p>\n<p>Tequila or, taking origin laws into consideration, Agave Spirit, was breathed into life in the fresh, dry air by friends and partners Sebastian O\u2019Keefe and Diego Avilas. It\u2019s called Inzalo.<\/p>\n<p>Now, South Africa ain\u2019t Mexico, and the pair didn\u2019t exactly have a plan. O\u2019Keefe came back to Mzansi after spending a quarter of a century with suits. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI moved back here without a plan, determined only to do something I truly enjoyed and could shape on my own,\u201d he said. What followed was not a straight line, but a growing curiosity that eventually led him to a plant most people here didn\u2019t notice.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4421570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg 1801w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-2048x1365.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-456x304.jpg 456w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-825x550.jpg 825w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1801px) 100vw, 1801px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\"\/><noscript><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4421570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg 1801w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-2048x1365.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-456x304.jpg 456w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Agave-825x550.jpg 825w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1801px) 100vw, 1801px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Agave in South Africa. Tequila\u2019s source plant. Picture Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-d-have-thought-that-agave-grows-in-mzansi\">Who\u2019d have thought that Agave grows in Mzansi<\/h3>\n<p>The Agave plant, it turned out, has been growing across South Africa for centuries. \u201cAt first, we saw what everyone else did,\u201d O\u2019Keefe said. \u201cBut after spending close to a year driving across the country, taking measurements and mapping locations, we realised what looked like one agave was actually more than 20 different species.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>It was a eureka moment that completely changed the rudder\u2019s direction. What had been dismissed as roadside clutter or farm boundary filler began to look like something with real potential. Tequila potential. Yum.<\/p>\n<p>The search became obsessive, he said. O\u2019Keefe shared that they drove through the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape, then Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, chasing plants that could hold flavour and structure. It was not always encouraging. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe thought, \u2018This might not work,\u2019 many times,\u201d he said, and added how some of the same species used in tequila and mezcal were growing locally but failing to mature in a way that could support quality production.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4421571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776140664_744_Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg 1801w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-2048x1365.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-456x304.jpg 456w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-825x550.jpg 825w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1801px) 100vw, 1801px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776140664_744_Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\"\/><noscript><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776140664_744_Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg?resize=640%2C426&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4421571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776140664_744_Tequila-from-the-Karoo-For-real.jpg 1801w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-2048x1365.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-456x304.jpg 456w, https:\/\/media.citizen.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Creators-825x550.jpg 825w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1801px) 100vw, 1801px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Partners O\u2019Keefe and Avilas (right) of Inzalo. Picture: Supplied<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Then came a moment that now kind of feels like the hero\u2019s pause in a <em>Die Hard<\/em> movie. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d he said. A conversation at a small guesthouse near Ladismith led them to a remote valley the next morning. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere they were, red agaves growing in abundance, with these distinct red tips unlike anything we\u2019d seen.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Science would later explain the colouring as a response to harsh sun and mineral-rich soil, but standing there beneath the Swartberg Mountains, he said, \u201cwe already knew the search was over.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-casual-chinwag-did-the-trick\">A casual chinwag did the trick<\/h3>\n<p>So, they found the plant. Now to figure out how to make the stuff. The pair headed to Mexico. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe hoped we would get a recipe,\u201d O\u2019Keefe said. \u201cBut the reality is those processes have been passed down over generations. We were using a different plant, from a different soil, with different conditions. We had to build our own way.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>That meant working with what was available, converting dairy tanks into steam ovens, using wine presses for extraction and allowing wild yeast to drive fermentation. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe wanted to create something entirely new, a spirit that represents the best possible expression of soil and agave from South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The outcome, O\u2019Keefe said, tastes like South Africa. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat you\u2019re tasting is the mineral character from ancient seabed soils, the sweetness and spice from agaves stressed by extreme conditions,\u201d he said. \u201cHarsh environments concentrate flavour. These plants are working hard just to survive, and that comes through in every sip.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-like-an-iggy-pop-tune-punkrocker\">Like an Iggy Pop tune\u2026 Punkrocker<\/h3>\n<p>His partner, Diego Avilas, described the process with a different kind of energy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this journey had a soundtrack, it would be Punkrocker,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s rebellious, bold, unapologetic, much like what we were doing in the Klein Karoo.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>For him, the project carried the edge of experimentation and risk. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt captures the thrill of doing something a little mad, but completely authentic. It\u2019s Inzalo in musical form, part science, part tradition, shaped by both Mexican and South African influence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Inzalo will star at the Hangout Fest 3 on 25 April at The German Club in Edenvale alongside some of the country\u2019s finest on-stage talent, including Majozi, Black Cat Bones, The Dirty Skirts and Prime Circle, amongst others.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Tequila #Karoo #real<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Think Karoo and it&#8217;s sheep or scrub, maybe Gayton McKenzie. But not tequila. Yet, Mzansi&#8217;s own, Inzalo, is being grown&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56010"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56012,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56010\/revisions\/56012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}