You come to Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen for drinks that change with the season, in a space overlooking the V&A Waterfront. The menu takes cues from Cape Town’s landscapes — oceans, mountains, fynbos, and vineyards — with ingredients and techniques shifting as the year turns. Cocktails range from vermouth services to lowballs, spritzes, and dessert drinks, with flights that let you sample several in one sitting.

The bar is the work of Kurt Schlechter, named one of the Top 100 most influential people in the drinks industry by Drinks International Magazine for five consecutive years. He is a vocal advocate for potstill brandies, which feature prominently in the offerings. Events like the Mini Cocktail Flight Festival showcase six small cocktails and two gourmet shooters, served across different stations in the room.

The space is in the Rocket Shed on Dock Road, part of the waterfront’s working harbour. The building’s industrial past shows in the exposed beams and high ceilings, now filled with the clink of ice and the murmur of conversation. The kitchen plates small, flavourful dishes designed to pair with the drinks.

Cocktails here are not just mixed but composed, with each element — glassware, garnish, temperature — considered. The seasonal approach means the menu you see in summer will differ from winter’s, though classics and non-alcoholic options remain steady. The waterfront location means you can watch boats come and go between sips.