FIRST JOURNEYS - 80 GINS AROUND THE WORLD - PIN 58 OF 80
COPPER REPUBLIC GIN, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME,
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
From cheap spirits and a pub to an award-winning celebration of South African botanicals.
South Africa has long been known for its winemaking, especially in the Western Cape, but the country has also developed a really interesting craft gin scene. What sets many South African gins apart is the use of indigenous botanicals, particularly the extraordinary fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
You've probably heard of rooibos, honeybush and baobab, but there are plenty of other unusual ingredients being explored too. With such a wealth of native plants and traditional herbs, South African distillers have an incredible natural larder on their doorstep.
One of the brands that caught my attention was Copper Republic. Headed by Bryce Kennard, it had seemingly come from nowhere but was already collecting awards and making a name for itself with its distinctive bottles and African-inspired spirits.
Bryce came from a financial background and had worked in the corporate world before taking a completely different route. He bought a pub and began exporting spirits into Africa, where he discovered that selling into different markets could be challenging, particularly when price and volume mattered more than quality.
Rather than give up, he used what he had learned to change direction and develop his own premium spirits business.
The branding was clearly going to be important. Copper Republic was originally going to be called Copper House, but there was an objection to the proposed branding because it was considered too similar to Haig Club. Rather than take on a much larger company, Bryce went back to the drawing board and spent more time developing the identity that eventually became Copper Republic.
The bottles certainly make an impression. The distinctive hand-blown glass and bold copper-coloured branding were designed to make the spirits stand out, while still reflecting the African story behind them.
When I originally wrote about Copper Republic, I was particularly intrigued by the question of where the distillery actually was.
At that stage, Bryce had chosen to invest his money in developing the brand rather than buying a complete distilling setup. He was making his own spirits using another producer's still and equipment, rather than simply buying in finished gin.
That has since changed.
Copper Republic now describes itself as a family-owned distilling company, with its operations in KwaZulu-Natal. Bryce and his wife Carey are still associated with the business, and Bryce's current professional profile places him in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal.
The move into its own distilling operation meant that the company could bring more of the production process under its own control and develop the wider portfolio of spirits that Bryce had originally envisaged.
The range has grown well beyond those first gins. Copper Republic now produces African Dry Gin and Rooibos & Grapefruit Gin, as well as whisky and several Cape brandies.
The African Dry Gin is still very much rooted in the original idea. The current recipe uses 11 botanicals, bringing together traditional gin botanicals with ingredients inspired by the Cape Floral Kingdom, including fynbos, wild rosemary, confetti bush and buchu.
The Rooibos & Grapefruit Gin takes another distinctly South African route, combining rooibos and Cape ruby grapefruit with fynbos botanicals and African ginger.
The awards have also continued to be part of the story. The African Dry Gin won World's Best Signature Botanical Gin at the 2020 World Gin Awards, while the Rooibos & Grapefruit Gin has also picked up recognition at international competitions.
What I particularly liked about Copper Republic when I first came across it was that Bryce wasn't simply trying to make another gin. He had taken a business that had started in a very different place, learned from the challenges of selling spirits into Africa and decided to build something premium that could represent the country internationally.
The story has obviously moved on since I first wrote this, but the original idea is still there. The current Copper Republic describes its spirits as an evocation of African botanicals and the landscapes of southern Africa, which is exactly what drew me to the brand in the first place.
The bottles may have been designed to stand out on a shelf, but it is the ingredients that tell the more interesting story.
Copper Republic is a celebration of South Africa's extraordinary botanical heritage, bringing fynbos, rooibos, honeybush, citrus and African spices together with more traditional spirit-making.
For a South African sundowner, I think that's a pretty good place to start.
"Women helping women"
One of the first cocktails I can recall drinking was a Ginger Square, a beloved cocktail from the 80s which seems to have been forgotten despite it being really delicious! As the name suggests, it's got a double ginger element to it, using ginger liqueur and ginger ale, with brandy and a maraschino cherry. I've swapped out the Brandy for Copper Republic Grapefruit and Rooibos gin which I think does a good job as a substitute! It's a perfect sundowner drink - even the colours match!
GINGER SQUARE (revived and riffed!)
25ml gin
25ml ginger liqueur
Top with ginger ale (or ginger beer if you prefer)
Garnish with a maraschino cherry and mint
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."