Spirits: Out of Africa

What does it take to get an elephant drunk? Not much, apparently: A few bites of the fruit of the marula tree seems to do the trick. And it works for humans, too. Amarula--a popular South African liqueur made with the fruit that leads elephants to shake down marula trees--has just been released in the United States. The sweet, creamy drink is a mixture of pureed marula and coffee, chocolate, caramel and butterscotch flavors. But make sure you share the drink with someone you love. The marula tree is also known as the "wedding tree" in South Africa. Many couples have been known to tie the knot underneath its fragrant branches ($20 to $24 for 750ml; www.amarula.com).

Published June 2002