Okushal, a new cordial range launches in SA

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All the Okushal drinks are gluten-free, contain only natural ingredients, and have a moderate sugar content. Okushal is sold in three handy formats: 500ml, 200ml and a showcase gift pack which includes all four flavours in 200ml bottles.

The flavours include: Raspberry & Naartjie, Prickly Pear & Mint, Ginger & Pineapple and Pomegranate Lime & Lemon.

The name Okushal is inspired by the Zulu word for new, okusha. Change is a constant in life and art. Change brings a sense of renewal, restoration and rejuvenation.

An ‘L’ was added for love, life and levity, with a strike-through of the ‘AL’ on the bottles as a bold celebration of choosing a non-alcoholic beverage.

Okushalism draws on the renewal aspect inherent in all the arts. This includes all forms of music, visual arts, theatre, fashion, film and photography, poetry and creative writing, culinary arts, cocktails and mixology, dance, handmade crafts, sculpture, global trends, architecture and technology.

“Okushal is an opportunity for experimentation and expression. Whether you are sober curious or looking for an inspiring alternative drink for your family, Okushal mixes well with everyone, for any occasion,” says founder, Derek Lubner.

“I wanted to create a proudly South African, delicious and alcohol-free alternative to arouse the curious and satisfy the thirsty, socially at home or away. Okushal is a premium product that refreshes, delights and dazzles your tastebuds. It mixes brilliantly with mineral, soda or tonic water, and is my drink when I’m not drinking” says Lubner.

“We aspire for Okushal to become the go-to brand for a non-alcoholic alternative. With our deep passion for the arts, embracing of excellence and our commitment to providing a delicious, refreshing non-alcoholic drink, we ensure everyone has a good time with their social scene!”.

Art you can drink

Established embracing a profound passion and commitment to celebrating the arts in all its varied forms, Okushal is the meeting point between conscious curiosity, celebrating creativity and the art of sobriety. Its heart is deeply entrenched in a journey to satisfy the thirsty, socially, at home or away.

Encased in bottles with designs by four South African artists, Okushal is art you can drink.

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In keeping with its objective of having a real and meaningful association with the arts, Okushal will commission different artists each year to create new designs for each flavour. The brand will also seek out opportunities for partnerships with like-minded artists and organisations.

The bottles are collector’s items in their own right, with the first series of cordials featuring a work by international model turned photographer, Lorraine van Wyk, on the Raspberry & Naartjie flavour, in a burst of florals and colour.

Prickly Pear & Mint features an inspiring and beautiful poem titled Ascent, by poet Isobel Dixon.

The Pomegranate Lime & Lemon label includes abstract work of talented Sibusiso Ngwazi.

The Ginger & Pineapple label is adorned with work by Wiehan de Jager, local award-winning printmaker, graphic designer and lecturer at the Cape Town Art Academy.

“With the exquisitely designed bottles, Okushal cordials are a conversation piece, a drink we want to become woven into the local and global creative tapestry,” concludes Luber.

The Okushal drinks were originally developed by master blender Nic Janeke at New Harbour Distillery in Cape Town in 2023. The new and more flavour intense blends are now produced by Max Traicos at The Original Craft Soda Company in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

Visit the Okushal website for a list of the retail outlets where the cordials are sold.