Marginal spirits or real phenomenon? In recent years, South African gins have made their mark. With their unique culture and ingredients, they have made a name for themselves on the international scene.
Native flora at the heart of exceptional gins
Compared to the historic United Kingdom and the Netherlands, they’re a bit of a newcomer. In fact, it’s only since the 2010s and the explosion in craft gin that they’ve really taken off. As elsewhere, the growing demand for local, quality products has revolutionized production. Small distilleries have sprung up all over the country, most of them inspired by South Africa’s incredible diversity. This rich indigenous flora includes rooibos and fynbos. These singular flavors have quickly made these spirits key players on the global gin scene.
Inverroche Gin is undoubtedly the best-known brand, as well as being a pioneer of the movement. Based in the Western Cape region, it focuses on fynbos, a natural vegetation harvested from the coastal dunes. The program includes several cuvées featuring different varieties of fynbos, from wild garlic to buchu, tortoise bush and witch’s claw. Each one, in its own way, confers characteristic herbaceous, floral and spicy notes.
Balance and complexity
The personality of South African gins lies in their ability to experiment with unconventional botanicals. Rooibos, a red tea often drunk as an infusion, brings sweet, earthy flavors. Bloedlemoen, a blood orange, adds a distinctive fruity touch. In short, innovation and creativity at the service of local biodiversity. The selection of ingredients is at the heart of the process. They are chosen with care and often distilled in small quantities to guarantee a faithful expression of finesse. What they have in common, however, is a complexity and an interesting balance between these little-known botanicals and the classic juniper berry.
This originality logically attracts gin lovers in search of new taste sensations. And this trend is set to continue and even intensify, as premium, hand-crafted products continue to be the order of the day. South Africa, with its wealth of terroirs, is the ideal candidate for this philosophy. And it’s no stranger to alcoholic beverages. Already famous for its wines, it has perfected the art of wine tourism over the years. This experience and reputation have now benefited the distilleries, which in turn offer tasting experiences. Whether you’re a connoisseur or just curious, with a cocktail or on your own… are you ready to discover the gins of South Africa?
