African botanicals enliven local gin
Distillers are using indigenous plants to create unique craft gins, writes Dominique Herman
Gin, to quote one of a handful of Cape Town artisanal drinks makers, is "having a moment". When the moment ends, Hope on Hopkins co-founder Lucy Beard reckons being a craft distiller rather than a craft blender will stand them in good stead. Despite "distiller" being bandied about quite freely in the burgeoning domestic craft gin industry, the Salt River-based operation is the only one in Cape Town to distill its own base spirit, before blending it with the botanicals that make up its three house gins. It’s also possibly the only local gin-producing facility that doubles as the home of its owners. Their dining table overlooks the factory and is next to the tasting room that is open to the public on Saturday afternoons. Stilbaai’s Inverroche is the best known South African gin. Along with Wellington-based Jorgensen’s, it has had roughly a five-year head start on the others. Inverroche is the top-selling gin at national liquor retail chain, Norman Goodfellows, says its CE Solly Kramer...
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