SERVE OF THE PIONEER 

Woman's rights have changed over the past century and that is due to some amazing and inspirational women. For the past 3 weeks Inverroche and some lovely ginfluencers have celebrated famous women who have changed the world that we currently live in and have created a cocktail in their honour.

I am bringing up the rear to complete the series of four hosted by Inverroche UK and will be joining Inverroche brand ambassador Bo on an Instagram Live  - if you are interested, the recording is on their page.  I'm usually more comfortable behind my keyboard, so this was a first for me!

I will be featuring Inverroche Verdant, which has been distilled using Mountain Fynbos and using a sugarcane base.  It's a beautiful soft, floral gin with a translucent golden-green hue and has notes of elderflower.  It's also the perfect gin to feature for #ginadaymay as today's prompt is "floral". 

Inverroche was launched in 2011 by Lorna Scott and co-incidently the first bottles were sold on my birthday - I really couldn't make this up, so perhaps you can understand why this gin is so special to me! 

My cocktail is inspired by the amazing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a feminist who fought for gender rights and who in 1993 was the second woman ever to win a seat as a Supreme Court Judge.  She was known for her collection of collars, which was her way of showing femininity in the courtroom and to remind everyone just how powerful women can be.  She was fair, she stood her ground and she wanted to put women on the same plane as men, but at the same time she was shy, soft and feminine. 

Her collars had hidden meaning and she used these to not only represent her personality but also the day's cases.  She did have a favourite which she acquired in Cape Town - a simple white beaded jabot which she wore in multiple photos, including her official portrait and on the cover of Time magazine.  RBG was also close friends with Albie Sachs, an activist and former SA judge and she was an ally of the SA Constitution.  She was also gifted a beautiful white silk bobbin-lace collar made by Kim Lieberman - a SA conceptual artist - which was delivered to her by Albie on one of his visits.  The history of lace reflects societal inequalities and Kim felt her work was akin to the reason why RBG wore the collars and was therefore inspired to make it for her.

Finally, this cocktail is also a tribute to my mother, who used to make beautiful beaded decorations. She was strong, beautiful and had a can-do attitude - loved by all who met her and missed every day.  

BOLD & BEAUTIFUL

25ml Inverroche Verdant

25ml Amaro

25ml Capertif Vermouth

10ml each of Orange & Lemon Juice

5ml Elderflower cordial

Foamer eg egg white, aquafaba

SHIMMERING SUNSETS 

South Africa has long been known for its winemaking, especially the Western Cape, but we cannot overlook the contribution it is also starting to make to the global gin industry.  Over half the 300+ registered gin brands are based in the Cape, with some distilleries already producing and exporting world-class gins and winning international spirits awards. 

What sets most of these gins aside from their competitors are the unique botanicals that are used - the indigenous fynbos of the Cape.   Whilst a few international brands will use some of these botanicals, South African distillers have an abundance of choice on their doorsteps and they are taking full advantage of it.  

You've probably heard of rooibos, honeybush and baobab, but there are other weird and wonderful botanicals like Kalahari truffle and elephant dung, that some distillers are using.  With a wealth of unusual and undiscovered botanicals, I'm sure there will be lots more experimenting and products expanding the current niche SA gin occupies in the global market.

One of the SA brands which has seemingly come from nowhere but has already won several international awards, is Copper Republic.  Headed by Bryce Kennard, CR are currently producing some high end products, but started out as a low-end spirit and contract packing company. 

Bryce has a financial background and worked in a corporate job for a well-known international banking company.  His career took a different path when he bought a pub and started exporting cheap spirits into Africa.  Dealing with a fickle African market was extremely challenging, with most clients valuing quantity and pricing over quality.  However, he used this time well and managed to turn his business around and relaunch as a premium brand, making his own spirits.

Entering an already busy market with 2 new gin brands alongside 5 other spirits (whisky and brandy) was never going to be easy, but his focus was on high-end design and packaging and of course a quality product that was affordable to ensure repeat business.  I'm sure you will agree that these are stunning bottles and much thought has gone into all the design.  This was not by accident either, as initially they were going to launch the brand as Copper House.  Adnams apparently didn't have any objections, but Diageo did, as around 2010 when he was about to launch, they made contact and said no can do as the logo was too similar to Haig Club - to be fair, it's very similar even with the change!  However, although this was a mighty setback of about a year he chose not to take on the giant and go back to the drawing board.  If you recall the story of Scapegrace, you will remember how important it was for them to present uniform branding in international and local markets and the same applied for Copper Republic, who also wanted international recognition and to export their spirits.  Bryce spent the time perfecting their design and branding and they finally launched in 2012.  

You're probably wondering, where's the distillery? They do now have a family-owned distillery in KwaZulu-Natal, but it's a massive investment and having a finance background, Bryce believed his resources in the initial stages were better invested in marketing and branding and not equipment.  He however did not contract distill, but rather used someone else's still and equipment to produce his own spirits.  He received advice, but claims it was very much trial and error and fumbling about in the dark.  Apart from Cape Brandy which is location sensitive, he now produces all his own spirits in KZN, and works with strategic partners who are able to help him drive the brand forward.

As for awards - they have totally smashed it locally and internationally with both gins winning several awards each.  Copper Republic is a true celebration of the Cape Floral Kingdom, incorporating traditional herbs, spices, citrus and rare fynbos - perfect for an African Sundowner!

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

WATERFRONT NEGRONI

The 123 hectare V&A Waterfront is situated in the oldest working harbour in Africa with the majestic Table Mountain as a backdrop, making it one of the most popular places to visit when in Cape Town.  As far as history is concerned, it's relatively new, with the redevelopment as a visitor attraction only conceived around 1988.  

The origins of the waterfront date back to 1654, when the first jetty was built so that Cape Town would serve as a port where the ships belonging to the Dutch East India Company could stop and restock with fresh water and produce for their onward journey to the east.  The harbour was expanded and developed over the next 200 years and in 1860 a breakwater was constructed, to ensure ships were protected year-round from harsh storms.  With the discovery of diamonds and other valuable minerals, traffic increased and the original Alfred Basin was not big enough to accommodate all the passing ships and so they built the Victoria basin.  More expansion resulted in the building of the Duncan Dock in 1938 and 230 hectares of land was reclaimed on the Foreshore - expanding the city centre.  

The scope of recent developments which has transformed the area from port to playground is large and includes a variety of residential, retail, leisure and commercial buildings.  What has been fundamental is that all development should be sustainable and many historic buildings have been restored and preserved during this time.  Green construction and efficient use of natural and energy resources has resulted in the V&A Waterfront claiming to have achieved over 20% saving on electricity consumption.  It comes of course with controversy, with concerns around international property developers from London and Dubai who have acquired ownership of the space  in 2006, with the aim of turning it into Africa's Riviera.   

Regardless of this, the Waterfront has given Capetonians a great sense of pride.  It's a symbol of heritage and diversity and has resulted in increased economic activity in the Western Cape.  Whilst it's still a working harbour, it is also a mini-city and caters for everyone, from local families to wealthy tourists.  It's no surprise therefore that many small businesses are relocating to the Waterfront in order to benefit from the additional footfall and international exposure that this offers.

In November 2020 after operating for 5 years, Pienaar & Sons relocated their micro distillery from a cul-de-sac off Roeland Street to the V&T Waterfront.  This dynamic father and son team combine traditional distilling methods with cutting edge nerdy engineering principles (their words!).  They believe in starting new traditions and not following them.  Alongside their Empire and Orient Gins (flavours which honour the city's history, culture and cuisine), they produce vodka and brandy but also their Ugly Gin, which features grapefruit and goji in the botanical lineup.  As the name suggests, this has no frills and is just good, hand-made gin - giving the consumer all the benefits of a great product, without having to pay for any fancy marketing or branding.  A popular serve with this is a negroni and Ugly Friday's have become a thing with negronis costing just R50 all day on Fridays (that's less than £3!!).  

So if you are down in Cape Town soon, get yourself over to the Waterfront and indulge in a few Ugly Negronis in a fabulous location!

Today's #ginadaymay prompt is #negroni Whilst I don't have any Ugly Gin, Orient makes a perfectly acceptable substitute, with it's spicy Eastern Spices, including cassia, ginger, allspice, vanilla and mandarin orange.

COLOURFUL CAPE

Today's prompt made me think about what I consider local.  Whilst obviously local is London/Surrey for me at the moment, I also consider Cape Town to be my home, so today I am showcasing Cape Town Gin.

I wrote about the Waterfront yesterday and the Bo Kaap, an area on the slopes of Signal Hill, is just a short walk from there.  This colourful district has inspired a colourful cocktail too - a Bramble Sour.

The Bo Kaap used to be called the Malay Quarter and has its origins back in the 1760s when numerous "huurhuisies" (rental homes) were built and leased to slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries in Africa, who were brought to work in the Cape.  These people were known as Cape Malays.  When slavery was abolished in 1834, they were allowed to buy their houses and to celebrate their freedom they painted them bright colours.  More homes were built around this time by property developers - terraces of homes which often are considerably deep to compensate for their narrow frontage.  During the apartheid years, it escaped demolition, unlike District 6, and with the Group Areas Act enforced, non-Malay residents were forcibly removed, in order to preserve the Malay character of the area.  

Today large parts are under the supervision of the Cape Town Council and Historical Monuments Commission to preserve the area from re-development and also gentrification.  Due to rising property rates, transport and utility costs, families who have been living there for generations, are selling (sometimes to developers) and moving to more affordable areas, meaning this unique and historically important district is under threat.  Old family businesses are also being driven out and replaced by modern businesses, trading off the Bo Kaap's authentic culture.  One of the areas at the foot of Signal Hill, De Waterkant has become one of the most expensive suburbs in the CT area and the Bo Kaap is also becoming a very sought after area due to its picturesque architecture and Dutch cobble stoned streets.  As a result some buildings have been declared National Heritage Sites and are protected by the SA Heritage Resources Act of 1999.

There are many gins being produced in the Cape Town area, with several focussing on local botanicals or flavours of the Cape.  Cape Town Gin does this through their range of 3 gins - Classic Dry, Rooibos Red and The Pink Lady.   Alongside 2 other investors, Jaco Boonzaaier, formerly of Pernod Ricard, launched their business in 2015 and currently have their gin contract distilled. Many of the classic gin botanicals we know today passed the Cape on their route from Asia to Europe and without a stop at the Cape of Good Hope, this route would have been impossible.  Their Dry Gin therefore pays homage to the classic - the botanicals that the Dutch East India Company brought from the East to Holland and which played a part in making gin what it is today.  Furthermore, these are the spices which are used in classic Cape Malay recipes, so link back to the city's history.

The Classic Dry includes juniper, cardamom, star anise, orris root, cardamom, cassia bark lemon peel, orange peel, and coriander.

DESERT MARTINI

Day 61 #virtualworldgintour

Cruxland is made by South African wine and spirits producer, KWV, who have been trading for just over a century.  In 1997 it changed its status from a cooperative to a private company but still plays a very important part in purchasing grapes from dozens of vineyards in the Western Cape. 

KWV was originally established in 1918 as a regulatory body for the then very young South African wine industry and has brought to market many successful products - ranging from affordable to luxury wines and brandies.  In 1924 the KWV Act was passed which made KWV solely responsible for exporting and importing excess alcohol.  In 1979 they purchased 30% of the Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery and Distillers Corporation and until the 1990s when world markets started to reopen to South Africa, they played a central role in regulating the industry.   As there was so much focus on exporting products historically, it was only in 2004 when many products became available to the local market.

Cruxland Gin is infused with a rare delicacy, Kalahari, or desert, truffles.  They have a light mushroom perfume and taste that is akin to corn and asparagus.  They are found in the Kalahari Desert after the rain and autumn moisture cause them to swell leaving telltale X-shaped cracks in the dry ground.  They are infused with 8 other signature botanicals in a grape spirit base. Rooibos, honeybush, almond and cardamom do feature, making this a truly South African gin.  The name is also appropriate, as the Crux Constellation is another name for the Southern Cross, which can be viewed clearly in southern skies.

They also have a Black Winter Edition which uses Perigord Black Winter Truffle, which originates in France.  

How does this fit into the #ginadaymay Global prompt today?  I think that's pretty obvious!

Desert Martini

50ml Cruxland Gin

25ml Capertif 

A few drops of cardamom and orange bitters

MYTH OR TRUTH?

Let's get our fruit on today and discuss an African fruit, the Marula while sipping a Hanky Panky.

Is it true?  Do animals get drunk eating this fruit or is it all just a total myth? 

There is no denying elephants love this fruit, which is why the trees are often referred to as Elephant Trees.  Elephants not only eat the fruit, but also the bark and branches of the tree, making them easily identifiable as Marula trees due to the damage caused.  The fruit itself is about the size of a plum and is yellow when ripe, with white flesh.  It has a tart flavour and will range from sweet to sour depending on its ripeness.  It falls to the ground when still unripe and ripens on the ground and being high in sugar, this does cause the fermentation process to happen fairly quickly. It's also high in vitamin C - containing 8x more than oranges and is an important source of protein and minerals.  It's no wonder it's seen as such a delicacy by elephants and other wild animals. 

The fruits, which ripen between December and March, can be used in the making of jam, juices, oils (edible and also for cosmetics) and of course, alcoholic beverages. They are an important source of income for rural people, who collect the fruits from trees on their land and deliver them to the processing plants.  

But back to drunk animals.  If you are South African you will recall Jamie Uys, who around the early 1970s produced two documentaries - The Gods Must be Crazy and Animals are Beautiful People - no doubt you cannot forget the drunken animals scene.  Well, I've read that the fruit was spiked, helping them capture those unforgettable and funny scenes.  Those were the days - something that unethical would never happen now! 

Most animals pick the unripe fruits directly from the tree and when they do fall, it's a feast for all, so the fruits don't have time to lay about and ferment and nor do they ferment in their stomachs!  To produce a litre of marula wine you need about 200 fruits.... which means an elephant would need to eat about 1400 well-fermented fruits to get drunk.  It's a great story and is also the inspiration for many spirits, including Marula Gin.

Marula Gin is the brainchild of Thomas Wuyts, an entrepreneur, business coach and gin lover from Antwerp, Belgium.  He founded an event company called Gintin in 2012, specialising in gin tastings and soon started experimenting with his own recipes, based on marula fruit, sourced from Namibia. Marula Gin launched 2 years later and since then he has expanded the range to include Marula Pomegranate and Cafe Marula.

AFRICAN SUNDOWNER

Pango Junior has made an appearance during the African sector of my virtual tour to remind you that Pangolin Gin's mission is to raise awareness about the most trafficked mammal in the world - the Pangolin.

There is a lengthy post about Pangolins on my blog, so please do pop over and give it a read so I don't have to repeat myself here! There is a link in my bio!

Pangolin Gin is a balance of African and Traditional gin botanicals and includes rooibos honeybush and baobab. It may be UK distilled, but the idea was born in Africa by the owner, Chris, when out on safari he first heard about their plight. By buying Pangolin Gin, you are also supporting the Born Free Foundation, who they partner with.

A G&T is the perfect African bubbly sundowner -  this one is served with Mediterranean Tonic with grapefruit garnish.  

MEMORIES

I'm sure this award winning gin needs no introduction, being the original in the range by Johnny Neill and released in 2005 - his own signature English gin inspired by South Africa.  It includes two African botanicals - the nutrient dense Baobab fruit (sourced from a cooperative on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa) and Cape Gooseberries. 

Johnny comes from a long line of distillers who have been crafting gin since 1762.  This gin is a tribute to his distilling heritage and also his wife, who is from Durban, South Africa.   If you look closely, you will see that the WN logo is actually a baobab tree, which endorses the importance baobab fruit played in the creation of this gin.  The tree is also commonly known in Africa as the monkey-bread tree, upside-down tree or the cream of tartar tree and is protected in South Africa.

The trees are an icon of the African continent and form part of African folklore and traditional medicines.  It's said they have existed for over 200 million years and are a symbol of life, growing in dry and arid conditions where very little else exists.  During the rainy season the tree absorbs water which it stores in it's massive trunk, making the tree over 75% water.  This stored water enables it to produce fruit in the dry season. 

Many living specimens are estimated to be over 1000 years old but they have documented some that have died and estimate their ages between 2000-2450 years.  They grow up to 30m high, having trunks with diameters over 20m.  In early summer it bears large white flowers which open late afternoon and last only one night.  They produce an unpleasant rotting meat smell, which is said to attract fruit bats which are their primary pollinators.   The sweet and citrussy fruit is the only fruit in the world that dries naturally on the branch.  The outer shell hardens and the pulp dries out completely and just needs sieving to become a fine powder.  The fruit is so abundant in Africa that much goes to waste and it's only since 2008 that the EU approved it's use in food, with the USA following a year later.

Moving briefly off Africa, the Avenue of the Baobabs is a well-known attraction on Madagascar and is the country's first natural monument.  There are approximately 25 trees growing along this stretch of 260m road and they are around 30m in height.  It's estimated these are up to 2800 years old and are a legacy to the once tropical forests of Madagascar - lost due to agriculture.  It's one of those bucket-list places, offering the tourist the most amazing photo opportunities, yet the area makes very little from tourism.

For today's cocktail, I thought I would balance out the citrus in the gin with a Herbal Sour.

50ml Gin

15ml Green Chartreuse

25ml Lemon Juice

10ml Sugar Syrup

Egg white or foamer

ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME

Whilst this gin is based in Richmond upon Thames, London, there is an Africa focus, given the work the brand does through The One Foundation.

It all started back in 2002 when Duncan Goose was moved by a photo of a young girl sitting next to a padlocked tap in Nairobi, Kenya.  Having had first hand experience seeing what life was like without clean water while working in Honduras in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, he started selling One Water in the UK - giving the profits to fund the provision of clean water in communities where there was none.  

In 2017 One Gin was launched on World Water Day - a gin which was created to give back to a global humanitarian cause and donate 10% of profits to fund water projects and programmes around the world.  Since it's inception, The One Brand has raised over £20m which has been used to change the lives of some of the poorest communities in the world.  At this time, The One Foundation is working on projects in Malawi, Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya.  In Malawi they are working in rural areas and drilling new community water points and repairing broken pumps while in urban areas they work with key stakeholders to help deliver sustainable services.

In order to bring to market a unique gin, they were assisted by Sarah Thompson at the Blackdown Distillery.  Sarah has a wealth of experience creating and incubating gins - some for very well known brands.  They agreed on a gin which used 9 botanicals from around the world, but also included one special signature botanical - one that Sarah picked in the distillery grounds - Sage.  The sage is separately distilled and added to the main distillate and then cut down to 43%.  I've an original bottle of One Gin 9 + 1 which is quite special, for a couple of reasons!

I fortunately live close enough to have been able to drop in at  Blackdown Distillery to see where the magic happens.  It's an amazing setting in the foothills of Blackdown Hill and surrounded by 40 acres of Silver Birch Trees within the Southdowns National Park.  They have had their ups and downs too with a fire a few years ago, but if you live locally and are looking for somewhere to go on a weekend - check their opening times and pop in for pizza (husband Nathan deals with the food!) and get Sarah to whip you up a negroni or other cocktail while you graze!  You can also try their range of gin - honestly I couldn't choose, but her Limited Edition Sage came home with me and is totally delicious!

These days, One Sage Gin is distilled using traditional methods in The Black Country in the Midlands. The Distillery, built over an ancient underground water source, is home to some of the oldest working copper gin stills in the UK - some dating back to the early 1800s. You've probably also spotted their new RTDs and their Sage & Apple and Port Barrel Rested Gins.

IT STARTED IN AFRICA

While its story started in South Africa, Elephant Gin is handmade in Germany with a focus on the highest quality production standards. 

The bottles are decorated with glass beads, handcrafted in Kenya by the Maasai and you will notice some clues as to the inspiration behind Elephant Gin – the postage stamp, maps, elephants and handwritten labels. This is because the founders were inspired by and fell in love with Africa after spending some time travelling there.

With a vision to conserve the wildlife they feel so passionately for, they decided to launch a product that would help conservation trusts. They strongly believe that this generation has a responsibility to support the African wildlife today, so others can continue to enjoy it in the future and they donate 15% of profits towards the conservation of the African Elephant. Sustainability and social responsibility are also important and reflected in all parts of their business, right down to their packaging.

Their Orange & Cocoa Gin which was recently launched, includes sweet orange peel and gently roasted cocoa beans. So popular it's currently out of stock on their website, but hopefully it will be available again soon.  Thank you so much to their team, who very kindly sent me one of the first bottles of this amazing gin - it's absolutely delicious as a martini, but today's cocktail is a Chocolate Orange Gin Sour, to fit in with the prompt for #ginadaymay.  Everyone's favourite chocolate so it has to be everyone's favourite cocktail!

I love all their gins and have pretty much a complete collection, including their cocktail range, but if I have a favourite....hard to choose.... it's their sloe! In my opinion one of the best sloe gins that I have tried, so if you were thinking of trying one, don't hesitate!

Elephant Gin supports:

BIG LIFE FOUNDATION is an anti-poaching organisation that employs over 280 rangers protecting two million acres of wilderness in the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem of East Africa (just north of Mount Kilimanjaro). They do so through innovative conservation strategies that address the greatest threats while – at the same time – satisfying the economic interests of the resident Maasai people in ways that improve the quality of life for the entire community.

SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST is known as the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world. Its elephant orphanage near Nairobi nurtures baby elephants who have been orphaned in the wild – often either left behind when their mother dies due to poaching or other human intervention. Each baby elephant has the support of a dedicated team to nurse them back to strength and to rear them in such a way that they can return to the wild when grown.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST

Bottle 4834

My last stop in Africa as I move on with my #virtualworldgintour

Juniper!  This is at the heart of every gin, but Procera Gin is quite special as it uses fresh juniper, harvested from tall trees that grow in the Kijabe forest, 50 miles from the first craft distillery in Kenya.  The procera juniper grows at a high altitude - some trees at around 3500m - and it gives the juniper a distinct and unique flavour profile.  It's green, nutty and earthy due to being bathed in sunlight year round.  These berries are plump, ripe and green after the seasonal rain and full of bright citrussy notes.

Procera juniper blends beautifully with other African botanicals in a Kenyan sugarcane base - Madagascan Pink peppercorns, Swahili limes and Pixie Oranges from Kenya, Somalian acacia honey, Moroccan coriander and orris root, Mace and Cardamom from Zanzibar and Selim Pepper from Nigeria.  It's the brainchild of Australian Guy Brennan, but it's the master distiller that has managed to bring this all together to make an exceptional and truly African gin, which is winning world awards and gaining recognition and accolades from bar professionals.

Roger Jorgensen is known as the father of distilling and dare I say it, gin, in South Africa. He's the font of knowledge, a farmer, and crazy scientist, having taught himself the art of distilling and having led the fight in South Africa to allow small distillers to gain their rights back and enable them to produce artisan spirits.  His Savignac potstill brandy, aged in oak for 12 years, is renowned and one of the first spirits he produced at Jorgensen's Distillery after the "potstill revolution".  He is the leading guru on panels in spirits award and assists with bringing other local brands to market.  Roger as spoken highly of the South African gin industry - calling the Cape the new Gin Capital of the World back in 2019.  

Africa has romanced many and Guy is no exception - having fallen in love with the continent several years ago when working in the Congo and Uganda.  He settled in Nairobi where he met his wife and it was over sundowners that he and a group of friends had the idea to make gin.  I've covered several gins over the past week and it's just a handful of the UK/European gins which are either inspired by Africa and/or which use African botanicals.  Yet none use African juniper!  So Guy smuggled some Procera juniper in his baggage and took a visit to Cape Town, South Africa to see what Roger could do with it.  The rest is history.  Roger sold his farm and moved to Kenya, experimenting with the recipe until it was 100% and even collecting the juniper with the rest of the team.  They do add a third Macedonian juniper in order to get the flavour profile "just right", but all other botanicals are African.  Blue Dot makes that elusive perfect dry martini that Roger spent all his life yearning for.

Red dot was recently launched with a heavier botanical profile and is perfect in a Negroni but the current batch is already sold out! Green (New) dot - a solely African juniper gin, using fresh and dried procera berries, foliage and juniper wood won't be out till later this year.   And let's not forget the botanical salt - perfect for pimping up your G&T! 

I was disappointed to hear they have put on hold any plans for an African 55 Gin that I'd read about - containing 1 botanical from each African country, but I'm sure they won't disappoint with what's in the pipeline.  It's a growing brand and definitely one to watch, especially with London-based spirits specialist Ivan Dixon now co-owner of the brand.

Maisha marefu! (Swahili for Cheers)