Rum, brandy & gin tastings with your cuts of meat at Char’d

Unusual cuts prepped in-house and a curious gin atomiser

Last updated: Tuesday, 29 April 2025 

Brandy is as quintessentially South African as steak, and Char’d Grill offers the best of both. The menu has a long list of unusual steak cuts from grain-finished cows (which are prepared and aged in-house) and a tasting with 100% locally-made brandy. And if brandy tasting is not your thing, there’s also craft gin, tequila and rum. 

Char’d prepares and ages all of its steak on site. Image: Char’d Grill and Bar

GRAIN-FINISHED UNUSUAL CUTS   

Grain-finished cows, unlike grain-fed cows, eat grain and grass for their entire lifespan, which improves the quality and taste of the steak. At Char’d they can even tell you the breed of beef: Bovelder (the most popular choice), Sussex, Red Angus or Simmental.

It’s from these breeds that Char’d prepares their meat, including unusual cuts that you won’t find at most restaurants, like the Denver (strong beefy flavour with nice marbling) or caveman rib (incredibly tender with rich layers of fat).

We spoke to Petri Hendricksz, the owner of Char’d, and got his recommendations for rare cuts of steak at Char’d Grill.

The meat appreciation platter is a meat lover’s dream. It comes with sides like snails and onion rings. Image: Char’d Grill and Bar

EVER HEARD OF A GIN ATOMISER?nbsp;

Before your steak dinner, you can try a brandy, tequila, gin or rum tasting. 

Tinker with the interactive gin atomiser, it’s unlike anything you’d find at a regular distillery. 

You squeeze the balloon-like atomisers at the tasting station to smell the infused ingredients of the gins. You’ll be able to sniff the orange blossom and exotic marula fruit of African Craft Marula Gin, or the toffee apples that infuse Inverroche Amber. Then pick three for your tasting.

Smell before you sip. The gin atomiser is a fun way to choose your tasting. Image: Char’d Grill and Bar

TEQUILA, RUM AND BRANDY TASTINGS, TOO

The brandies on offer are Oude Molen VS, Ladismith 8yr and Joseph Barry XO. 

The tequila tasting features Leonista Karoo, a Karoo spirit made the traditional Mexican way where the agave is smoked. There is also Reposado Black, which is mellowed with age, and less smokey than Blanco.

In the rum tasting, a standout is the Afrikanis Spiced. With notes of caramelised pineapple and cinnamon, it tastes like a tropical island in a bottle.

The spirit tastings are a wonderful way to end off dinner at Char’d. Image: Char’d Grill and Bar

VISIT CHAR’D GRILL & BAR   

Char’d Grill is open: Monday to Saturday, 11:30am - 10:30pm (kitchen closes 9:30pm). Sunday, 11:30am - 10pm (kitchen closes 9pm)

Find it: Shop 4, Hermanus Waterfront, Western Cape

Contact on: 028 312 1986, @chardhermanus, Char’d website 

By Lorraine Kearney

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