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Roxanne Read, known in the cocktail game as the Mixology Maven, will be heading up this year's Wild & Stirred showcase at the Good Life Show.
The Good Life Show is taking place from 29 to 31 May at the CTICC 2. In what is the sixth edition of the show, visitors will have access to 90+ expert talks, chef demos, health and wellness sessions, and more than 250 exhibitors, each of whom will showcase an array of products unique to Africa.
READ: It's all about the Good Life in Cape Town this May
As one of the main attractions, Wild & Stirred will provide a fully immersive cocktail experience that goes beyond just drinking. Wild & Stirred is an urban foraging creative cocktail offering that invites guests to explore ingredients, understand flavours, and engage with the people behind the products.
"Think of a playground that starts the conversation around turning passive drinking into intentional drinking," Read shares with Time Out Cape Town.
"Just because you do yoga doesn't mean you can't enjoy a margarita. This has become my tagline for the festival!"
To find out more about the Mixology Maven, Wild & Stirred, and the important role sustainability plays in the world of cocktails, Time Out Cape Town sat down with Read for a chat about all this and more.
What makes Wild & Stirred and your cocktails different from those found in a traditional bar setting?
What we’re doing isn’t necessarily different in technique; it’s different in intention. In a traditional bar, cocktails are often something you receive. Here, they’re something you experience. We invite people into the process, from ingredient selection to flavour pairing, encouraging a more conscious and considered way of drinking. We don’t have to change what we drink; we need to change how we think about what we drink.
Why is sustainability so important to you and the work that you do?
In many bars, up to a third of fresh ingredients are thrown away after just one use, which is insane. Once you start paying attention, you can’t unsee how much gets wasted. As bartenders, we’re naturally curious; we’re always asking what else we can do with something before we throw it away. That’s where it gets interesting. Sustainability stops being about rules and starts becoming a space for creativity and experimentation. Recently, I turned leftover pineapple pulp and beeswax into a candle, paired with a smudge stick made from sun-dried pineapple leaves, purely because I could and it would be cool! I did this because those elements still had something to offer.
Will you have any special cocktails for visitors to try at the Good Life Show?
Yes, but the “special” part is that they’re not really set. Instead of choosing from a menu, guests get to play a bit, exploring ingredients, picking what they like, and then building a drink with us. It’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure situation, which makes it way more fun... and usually way more memorable.
As the expert, what is your favourite cocktail to make and drink?
The Jungle Bird. If bartending is high school, I went to college and studied rum. After 18 years of being in the industry, I'm still fascinated by rum. Rum cocktails - especially The Jungle Bird - speak to a party in my mouth. While I can completely nerd out over the intricacies of everything I love about the craft, it’s one of those drinks that hits everything at once. It's fresh, bitter, a little spicy, and just complex enough to keep you interested. It’s fun, but it’s not simple, which I think is why I love it. It kind of reflects how I approach bartending; playful on the surface, but with a lot going on underneath.
What do you hope visitors to Wild & Stirred will take away from the experience?
Honestly, I’d love people to walk away thinking, “Okay, maybe I am a cocktail person.” There’s a whole group of people who’ve never really considered it as part of their lifestyle, and this is our way of saying, “You’re welcome here.” We’ll look after you, we’ll meet you where you are, and we’ll make something that works for you. It’s not all late nights and chaos - it can be thoughtful, fun, and part of a much bigger picture.
When you are not showcasing your talents at the Good Life Show with Wild & Stirred, where can people find you?
When I’m not at the Good Life Show, I’m the Head Instructor at the European Bartending School, where I spend a lot of my time training and developing bartenders. Alongside that, I run an events company focused on bespoke experiences, from weddings to private celebrations, where cocktails blend theatre and craft. My main focus, though, is consulting with bars on their beverage programmes, developing menus, and helping teams grow, while representing South Africa on global platforms in numerous big brand cocktail competitions.
In one sentence, summarise why visitors should not miss Wild & Stirred at this year's Good Life Show…
Wild & Stirred is where cocktails shift from something you order to something you experience.
Good Life Show details
When: 29, 30, and 31 May 2026
Where: Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC 2)
Tickets: Buy here or purchase at the door
Instagram: @GoodLifeShowAfrica
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