WMBW Drinks – Snow at Outrage of Modesty

When you walk into Outrage of Modesty you cant help but shake that “where the f*ck am I” feeling.

But I kinda think that’s what the guys at Alliance Brands were going for.

Yep. The same guys responsible for  The House of Machines have taken on a new adventure called Outrage of Modesty. At it’s heart, OoM is a cocktail bar, but you wont find a pina colada on the menu. What you will find, is a little amusement park for your mouth set amongst enough Swedish and Japanese decor to make you forget about the neon signs and JFK mural. That is of course, if you make it past the doorman.

I know what you’re thinking “What kind of cocktail bar doesn’t serve Pina Coladas?” The answer my friends is in fact very simple. A good cocktail bar.

See, if you want a sugary sweet cocktail made with cheap booze, lots of fruit juice and a tiny little umbrella stuck into a cherry, you should go anywhere else. The guys at Alliance Brands were looking to redefine Cape Town cocktail culture. And for a coastal city with a cocktail bar on every corner, that’s a pretty big statement to make.

The menu is small (though laser cut into a large wooden block), with only 9 drinks on it. I recognise none of them, I barely even recognise any of the ingredients. I also don’t see a single liquor brands listed. Uh?

Meet Luke “The Wookie” Whearty from renowned bar, Operation Dagger in Singapore and the madness behind the menu at Outrage of Modesty.

I asked Luke to “make me something special” because it feels like the kind of thing you should say at a place like this. It was only when I saw him filling a pot with liquid nitrogen did I realise he was taking me quite literally. Luke has been tending bar since he was about 18 and doing his “own thing” (as he calls it) for the last six years. By “own thing” I think he means blowing peoples minds through their mouths.

Luke was making me a drink he calls the snow. The menu simply reads ” amasi, naartjie, white chocolate, toasted rice” so I ask him why they don’t list the liquor that goes into every drink. He asks me if I ask the chef at my favourite restaurant what brand of eggs he uses in my omelette. I see his point. Luke explains to me that the end result is what’s important and that he wants the origin of the ingredients to come through, in this case a mix of Saki, Buchu tea, naartjie and white chocolate all topped with a tiny chocolate bowl.

The drink took 30min to make from scratch but Luke and his team prep all day so that by the time the customers sit down a 30min drink takes only 5min to prepare. Either way, it was worth the wait.

If redefining cocktail culture is what Alliance brands was looking at doing they certainly hit the mark with OoM.

Outrage of Modesty is a must do experience when in Cape Town and a sure fire way to impress anyone visiting. I highly recommend the Icy Hot or the Snow as a way of popping your OoM cork.

Now don’t let the doorman put you off, this places isn’t about exclusivity it’s about experience. The bar only seats 24 people, so when it’s full it’s full. There is no standing around the bar here as it would ruin the experience for everyone. The doorman is there mainly to control the flow, they only allow bookings to half capacity in order to try and accommodate walk-ins. Either way, I suggest you book.

Outrage of Modesty is open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm till late. You can call and make a reservation on 021 422 2902 or mail reservations@anoutrage.com.

Okay. Stay Fancy.