"Planning an Easter weekend escape to Barrydale and the Klein Karoo? Tahlia Farm on the R62 between Montagu and Barrydale is one of the most unique and rewarding stops on South Africa's most scenic wine route."- Ruth Goodman Here is everything you need to know before you visit
If your Easter weekend plans include a road trip along the R62, and they really should, there is one stop between Montagu and Barrydale that deserves a proper place on your itinerary. Tahlia Farm is a working prickly pear farm and artisan distillery nestled in the Klein Karoo landscape, and it is producing some of the most distinctive and award-winning spirits in the Western Cape from one of the most unlikely ingredients imaginable.
This Easter, while you are discovering why Barrydale was just crowned South Africa's Small Town of the Year 2025 by Daily Maverick, make sure Tahlia Farm is on your route. Here is why.
A farm born from a vision and a prickly pear
Tahlia Farm was purchased in 2018 by husband and wife Andries and Alicia Burger, two passionate, creative people who arrived at an undeveloped piece of Karoo land and asked themselves a simple question: what does this soil want to grow?
The answer was prickly pear. The hardy, tenacious cactus plant that has defined the Klein Karoo landscape for generations turned out to be far more extraordinary than its name suggests. Over the years that followed, the Burger family developed a deep understanding of the plant's unique properties, its subtly sweet and tangy fruit, its herbal, complex leaves, its remarkable natural versatility, and built a business around it that is as innovative as it is rooted in place.
Today, Tahlia Farm is a proud member of the Klein Karoo Wine Route and one of the most talked about artisan producers on the R62.
Award-winning prickly pear spirits unlike anything else in South Africa
At the heart of the Tahlia Farm experience is its range of Cactus Spirits, award-winning prickly pear gins and vodkas that have earned genuine recognition in the South African craft spirits market.
These are not novelty products dressed up in clever packaging. They are seriously crafted spirits in which the prickly pear fruit and leaf play a central and intentional role. The fruit contributes a distinctive sweet and tangy profile. The leaves add a layered herbal complexity. Winemaker Johnny King works with these elements alongside carefully selected botanicals to produce a range of expressions that are uniquely Klein Karoo in character and genuinely exceptional in quality.
The range includes prickly pear gins, prickly pear vodka, gin liqueurs, cask-aged gin and prickly pear wine. For those who prefer not to drink alcohol, Tahlia Farm has created a range of non-alcoholic gins made from three unique virgin distilled botanicals, the same depth and flavour of a premium gin without the alcohol content. It is a thoughtful, inclusive offering that makes Tahlia Farm a destination for every kind of visitor.
Beyond the spirits, the farm produces Karo Essence cosmetic and wellness products harnessing the properties of prickly pear oil, Tahlia Farm Coffee, and a range of frozen desserts, a constantly evolving product offering that reflects the Burger family's genuine curiosity and creativity.
The tasting room experience, perfect for an Easter weekend afternoon
The Tahlia Farm tasting room is exactly what a Klein Karoo afternoon should feel like. Relaxed, unpretentious and beautifully situated in the Karoo landscape, it accommodates up to 32 guests inside and an additional 14 in the garden outside, making it ideal for families, couples and groups of friends on a long weekend road trip.
An informal tasting takes you through the Tahlia range at your own pace. For something more indulgent, cheese platters featuring farm produce are available alongside gin and non-alcoholic gin pairings a generous, carefully considered experience that makes this far more than a quick stop. Non-alcoholic pairings are available for adults and children, making Tahlia Farm one of the most family-friendly tasting destinations on the R62.
For those who want to go even deeper, the Tahlia Farm Gin School offers an intimate, hands-on gin-making experience for up to six participants, an unforgettable Easter weekend memory that you will not find anywhere else in the Klein Karoo.
Easter weekend trading hours and how to book
Tahlia Farm is open Wednesday to Saturday from 09h30 to 16h00. The farm is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
Over the Easter long weekend, booking in advance is strongly recommended as the R62 draws significant visitor traffic and availability fills quickly.Phone: 076 201 5595
Email: [email protected]Website: www.tahliafarm.co.za
Find them on Route 62 between Montagu and Barrydale, Klein Karoo
Why this Easter, Barrydale and the R62 should be your destination
The R62 is South Africa's most scenic wine route and Tahlia Farm is one of its most original and rewarding stops. Pair a visit to the farm with a stay in Barrydale itself, where world-class restaurants, mountain hikes, the iconic Karoo Art Hotel, and a community unlike any other in the country are waiting to show you what slow Klein Karoo living actually feels like.
Barrydale was named South Africa's Small Town of the Year 2025 for good reason. Once you arrive, you will understand exactly why people who come for Easter keep coming back for our Karoo Escapes and why so many of them end up never leaving.
If your Easter weekend in the Klein Karoo sparks a deeper curiosity about what it might feel like to own property in Barrydale, Ruth Goodman at Dormehl Phalane Property Group Barrydale and Overberg is the person to call.
As Barrydale's most awarded estate agent with six consecutive Agent of the Year titles, she knows every property, every street and every reason why people choose to make this remarkable town their permanent home.
Ruth: 074 142 2861
[email protected]www.dpgbarrydaleoverberg.com