THE GIN PASSPORT ATLAS - DISTILLERY STORY- PINNED ON THE MAP - AFRICA
TWO GINGERS GIN, Cape Town, South Africa
If you are after great... no wait... fantastic hospitality, then you have to pop in to Two Gingers and see Simon and Angie. Sadly, the other ginger, Wynand, wasn't free the day I was there, but hopefully when I'm in town next time, I'll get to catch up with them all again!
Gember Distillery, which produces the Two Gingers gin range, is tucked away in Platinum Park, Muizenberg, in an industrial estate just south of Cape Town. It's not the sort of setting where you necessarily expect to find a craft distillery bar, but they've made the most of the space, with production downstairs and a very comfortable bar and tasting area upstairs.
They really did lay on the hospitality for us too, with a fabulous spread and plenty of time to chat, taste and generally put the world to rights. Simon was a brilliant host, Angie was wonderful and the hounds were clearly very much part of the welcome committee!
The story behind the two gingers is almost as much fun as the gin. Simon Cranswick and Wynand de Vries came from very different backgrounds. Simon was an IT executive, while Wynand was a builder, and the two became friends despite being rather different characters. The common ground? A love of a good braai, a sense of humour and, most importantly, ginger hair!
The idea for the distillery developed after a trip to Phinda Private Game Reserve, where their guide pointed out the distinctive aroma of curry bush after a rainy game drive. That sparked an interest in South African botanicals and eventually led to the creation of Gember Distillery.
Gember opened for trading in February 2022, producing the Two Gingers range. The name Gember comes from the Dutch word for ginger, although the founders decided that Two Gingers was rather more memorable for the gin itself.
The philosophy behind the brand is summed up nicely by their “Still Talking” tagline. The aim is to create gin with enough flavour and character to be enjoyed without needing flavoured tonic, elaborate garnishes or lots of fuss. Classic distilling methods are combined with less conventional flavour profiles, giving each expression its own personality.
The original range was designed around something anyone who has spent time in Cape Town will recognise — four seasons in one day.
There are four gins in the collection: La Primavera, representing spring; Pink Pomelo, summer; Spice Route, autumn; and Soul Flame, winter. Simon took me through the range during my visit and, predictably, choosing a favourite wasn't happening. I eventually narrowed it down to two.
Soul Flame is the winter expression, with cardamom, cassia, coriander, jasmine and citrus bringing warmth and spice. It really does have that warming character that makes you want to curl up somewhere comfortable with a glass.
Then there's La Primavera, the spring gin, with wild jasmine, lemongrass, orris and angelica. Fresh, green and bright, with a completely different personality.
One warms the cockles of your heart; the other practically announces that spring has arrived.
The awards came remarkably quickly for such a young distillery.
Within their first year, Two Gingers had picked up five Gold and Double Gold awards across the Merit Wine & Spirit Challenge and South African Craft Gin Awards. At the 2022 SA Craft Gin Awards, Pink Pomelo and Soul Flame received Double Gold, while Spice Route took Gold. Spice Route and Soul Flame also picked up Gold at the Merit Awards.
The following year brought even more recognition. Pink Pomelo won Best Gin in Africa at the 2023 Gin Guide Awards and also won in the Contemporary Gin category, while Spice Route and Soul Flame were Highly Commended. Gember Distillery was also a runner-up for New Distillery of the Year.
Then they decided to do something slightly more bonkers. On 6 April 2024, Gember hosted the Cape Cheers Gin Festival in Muizenberg and attempted to create a Guinness World Records title for the largest gin tasting.
423 people took part.
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story"
STILL TALKING (IYKYK) 🎶
cont...
The attempt was successful, but there is an important little distinction here: they equalled rather than broke the existing record, which is now shared between Two Gingers and Bar Plata in Denmark. I should have been there!
The event seems a fitting extension of the philosophy behind Two Gingers. Simon has spoken about customer experience being at the heart of the business, from product development and packaging through to tastings and events. That certainly came across during my visit.
I wish I'd had more time with them, but I was whizzing around the peninsula trying to squeeze far too much into the trip. It was one of those visits where you leave thinking, I should have allowed another couple of hours!
There are also exciting plans for the distillery and wider business, so I'll be keeping an eye on what happens next.
For now, there is one very important item still outstanding.
The braai.
I believe there is an open invitation, so I'm going to hold them to that when I'm next in Cape Town!
A huge thank you to Simon and Angie — and, of course, the hounds — for such a fun-filled morning, the fantastic hospitality and for taking the time to show me around and taste through the Four Seasons.
I'll be back!
