So, how many people take your own favorite booze with you on safari? I'm thinking of throwing in a couple of bottles of Buffalo Trace when I head over in a couple of months. Hopefully, there will be enough left over I can leave a bottle behind!

I usually buy a twin box of Amarulla at Johannesburg Airport.
Don't forget on connecting flights that liquid cant be carried as hand luggage.

It depends where you are going, I have never heard of “buffalo trace” so I would take it with you. If it is a more popular make of drink you should be able to ask the outfit to have the required amount in camp for you and bill you accordingly.

Buffalo Trace is American Bourbon (not Scotch) and I was wondering the same thing. Long story short, I'll be in Kenya before heading to Zim in June for a hunt. Anybody know if Nairobi has a shop at the airport where booze can be purchased? I'm not going through JNB.

For those in Africa - Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey and a host of others fall into the category of Bourbon.

There is duty free booze in Nairobi airport, but they are not 24 hours! I hope you don't have too long a lay over, incredibly boring.

Again you will not get a lot of American drinks there. you will get Jack D, smirnoff, Johnny walker, etc

Hey Neil
most of the bourbons can be sourced here in Zim. Let your PH know and see if he cant get some in for you.
As for the duty free in Nairobi, there are several booze shops in the departure area with a fairly good range of bourbons and scotches. I sure hope you arent flying the Nairobi-Maputo-Harare flight which arrives at stupid o clock in Harare.......if you are, drink the booze before you get on the flight, at least it will make it shorter!!!

Neil A.
if your in Nairobi for a few days there's a place called Ice Man out on ngong rd. that has everything you would need. It's got the best prices in town

pS stop at the curio shop 300 meters before you get to Ice Man on the left and tell then I said HI also the cabinet shop next door. It's my old area when I live in Kenya

Thanks all - Frosty I will indeed let our PH know that is helpful. I didn't know if american bourbon would be at all available - it's our first trip, we're hunting with Mokore in the Save.

We're flying Kenya Airways NB0-HRE that lands around noon, with a "technical stop" (whatever that is) but it is non-stop HRE-NBO on the return.

We'll be in Kenya about 10 days with a day on each end in Nairobi, otherwise we'll be out West near Kisumu and then to the Masai Mara for a couple of days before we go to Zim. Not the typical hunting itenerary but we've worked it out I think. Can't Wait!

Hook - thanks for the info, if I can get there I'll sure try. I saw you report from Uganda - looks terrific - we'll be near the Uganda border when we are in Kisumu.

On my second hunnt, I took a bottle of Maker's Mark and Knob Creek and introduced my PH to the greatness of bourbon. I learned the hard way on the first hunt that in Zimbabwe they don't have bourbon, at least in the Vic Falls/Matetsi area. Although I did get introduced to Castle beer that way and that's not a bad thing.

Neil,

Mokore keeps JW red on hand but no bourbon. If you can pick up a couple bottles of something you like on the way I'd rcommend it.

Mark

I pack a bottle of Wild Turkey----for medical uses only , of course

I just cut out the shape of the bottle in styrofoam, place the bottle between to halves for a complete protection and tape around it--never had a breakage that way.

take some good smokes too!

Thanks Mark - appreciate it.

As far as I ever knew,my PH (and outfitter) must have been real teetotalers -because I never saw so much as smelled a whiff of alcohol in nearly a month on the bush -not even to celebrate my buff! I do know that the idea of hard drinking PHs mentioned in Hollywood wasn't true so far as I ever saw with my PH. It never occurred to me to want to bring alcohol with me into the bush -and, as an Irishman, I have been known to take a snort or two. It's just that I always believed,religiously,in the old expression "Alcohol and gunpowder don't mix". (Sorry,guys, I have seen too many hung over hunters out on a deer stand who lost a day of hunting because they weren't sharp enough) Celebrating the night before when you are on a multi trophy hunt can be costly, I'm pretty sure in Africa)

Gerry,

That's really interesting as I've never been in a camp that was not pretty well stocked at least with the basic adult beverages. Some camps actually offer a great variety and will make a real effort to acquire something special if you want it. Personally I think the Sundowners around the fire before dinner are part of the total safari package. I'd hate to miss it myself.

Mark

There will be a couple of bottles of bubble rapped Herradura in my luggage in July...

I haven't had any break yet, but with an overnight stop somewhere, it wouldn't surprise me for it to be missing from a bag, luckily, we aren't overnighting this year.

We have brought liquor in the past, but now it is a tradition to have a cane and coke or as it is known locally a "spook and diesel" as a sundowner.

We would bring Crown Royal for one of the PHs, but I do not know what he liked more,the liquor or the little purple bags. He would make little sandbags for the leopard blind with them.

Every outfitter I've hunted with, including horse pack elk hunts, has been able to provide my nightly bottle of champagne...given enough notice!!!! It is a requirement!!! Takes some organizing on a 24+ day hunt

Regards, D. Nelson

I'm not all that fussed and will drink whatever is on hand.

A man is not a camel.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
We have brought liquor in the past, but now it is a tradition to have a cane and coke or as it is known locally a "spook and diesel" as a sundowner.

We would bring Crown Royal for one of the PHs, but I do not know what he liked more,the liquor or the little purple bags. He would make little sandbags for the leopard blind with them.

Kathi we like the little purple bags!!!

It's easier to pack light if you just drink the local stuff.

All of the fine Single Malt Scotch available and you are thinking of taking bourbon with you? Say it ain't so. Next thing you'll be posting that you are taking El Macco cigars instead of buying good Cubans when you get there.

After that...


Rich
DRSS

ISS,

Call me a wheenie or what ever you want, but me and Mr. Scotch just don't get along. I'll save it for you boys and you can have my share!!! I'll gladly give it to ya.

Cigars not my thing either. I heard smoking might stunt my growth and since I'm only about 5"7" ... I need all the help I can get!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
Thanks all - Frosty I will indeed let our PH know that is helpful. I didn't know if american bourbon would be at all available - it's our first trip, we're hunting with Mokore in the Save.

We're flying Kenya Airways NB0-HRE that lands around noon, with a "technical stop" (whatever that is) but it is non-stop HRE-NBO on the return.

We'll be in Kenya about 10 days with a day on each end in Nairobi, otherwise we'll be out West near Kisumu and then to the Masai Mara for a couple of days before we go to Zim. Not the typical hunting itenerary but we've worked it out I think. Can't Wait!

Hook - thanks for the info, if I can get there I'll sure try. I saw you report from Uganda - looks terrific - we'll be near the Uganda border when we are in Kisumu.

Are you taking guns through Kenya?

quote:

Originally posted by PSmith:
On my second hunnt, I took a bottle of Maker's Mark and Knob Creek and introduced my PH to the greatness of bourbon. I learned the hard way on the first hunt that in Zimbabwe they don't have bourbon, at least in the Vic Falls/Matetsi area. Although I did get introduced to Castle beer that way and that's not a bad thing.

I always take a bottle of Knob Creek, and sometime a bottle of George Dickel. Bourbon is pretty much my drink of choice. Most of the safari camps I have been in have not had bourbon, although there were lots of other things available, scotch, vodka, gin. Makers Mark or Jack Daniels would do me fine also. I don't recall any ever having tequila either. I usually set my bottle out on the bar with the rest, and anyone is welcome to have a drink.

I think I'll go ahead and take two bottles of Buffalo Trace, sip on one throughout the week and leave the other bottle for others to enjoy.

RBHunt, thanks for the reminder on the Dickle, I've only got a splash left in the cabinet!

I have NEVER seen Buffalo Trace or George Dickle on the bar of a safari camp. I always have a bottle of each on my bar!

I'm with Graybird on the scotch - bourbon is another story though...

AfricanHunter - No on the gun question, since we're going through Kenya on the way to Zim I'm using one of the Duckworth's rifle.

we normally each bring a bottle of single malt...we co-ordinate so there is a good selection of peaty, smokey, spicy , bright and honeyed. My favourites are the glenlivet 18 or 21 and dalwhinnie. on a recent hunt we had ballynetines,johnny walker blue and several other just kicking around....

dinner is normally a white or red then some jager, manpur or witbiltz then single malt

my PHs have introduced me to the joys of homedistilled moonshine hahahaha ouch spicy!

quote:

we normally each bring a bottle of single malt...we co-ordinate so there is a good selection of peaty, smokey.

my PHs have introduced me to the joys of homedistilled moonshine

Peaty, smokey; - that is how I think about Scotch, tastes like peat moss, and smokey taste of licking an ash tray! Give me some good ole Tennessee Bourbon any day, Jack Daniel or George Dickel will do fine! Kentucky Bourbon (Makers Mark or Early Times) will do in a pinch. Scotch is to liquor as Budweiser is to beer, I can drink it if nothing else is available, but it is not my first choice. I have yet to see the PH who can come up with some real Tennessee Moonshine! That is some GOOD STUFF! Now that would be enough to book the hunt.

Think I'll have any trouble picking up JD or Makers in Windhoek?

I guess I am in the weenie crowd as well. My sundowner each evening in Moz last September was splitting a beer with one of the PHs whose taste and quantity factors was the same as mine. Coke and such rounded out the rest of the evening. Also I don't smoke anything, so no worry about getting cigars and such into camp. To each their own I guess?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by tygersman:
Think I'll have any trouble picking up JD or Makers in Windhoek?

Just to be sure, I would take it with me! They probably have JD, but don't know about the Makers.

In RSA it is usually G&T and I take my own as most camps have bar gin. In Zim I take Dewars as mixers are hard to come by. As to smoke the only smoke I want to see is comming from the barrel of a gun, I started to smoke 59 yrs ago and quit 33 yrs ago.

doj - The mopane smoke from the evening fire isn't all that bad. But I never inhale it!!!!

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
In RSA it is usually G&T and I take my own as most camps have bar gin. In Zim I take Dewars as mixers are hard to come by. As to smoke the only smoke I want to see is comming from the barrel of a gun, I started to smoke 59 yrs ago and quit 33 yrs ago.

Larry, only if it is blowing away from me!

DOJ - You have nothing to worry about as smoke from a campfire always blows towards the pretty folks

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
Larry, only if it is blowing away from me!

That is the problem I was talking about! You haven't seen my PH.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
So, how many people take your own favorite booze with you on safari? I'm thinking of throwing in a couple of bottles of Buffalo Trace when I head over in a couple of months. Hopefully, there will be enough left over I can leave a bottle behind!

I did - took a bottle of very fine scotch that my hosts loved, as well as my typical "drinking" bourbon. However, depending on where you go, you can find most anything you need/like in the airports or in-country. In the future I'll just buy when I get there and save the weight/hassle/chance of breakage.

Mark

I must have hit a camp in the bush where alcohol was a real no-no! - partcularly odd because my outfitter was an Italian! (Oh,well, as an Irishman, I never was much for wine) On a serious note, Mark, I really was a total believer that the expression "Alcohol and gunpowder don't mix". I was coming to Africa for a Cape buff. I prepared for my enemy.(MY PH congratulated me that I did.) Alcohol never improved my shooting or judgment! I hasten to say that I am not objecting to the "sundown" drink nor even to the celebration couple of drinks after dropping a trophy -if the client is out for other trophies as well.(I wasn't) Hope this clears up my attitude.