Gin is booming in Cape Town and spreading across South Africa, with around 50 distilleries now producing no less than 250 different gins. Promoting this trend is using the country’s attractive flora to add flavor.
‘The joy of jinns is that no two jinns are alike.’ Says Lucy Beard, one of the key players in recent gin Early In Cape Town
South African founder father Roger Jorgensen, whose distillery, Jorgensen, started in the Cape Winelands in the 1990s. But it will take a few decades for them to start flourishing. Lucy Baird launched Hope on Hopkins Distillery in 2014, not realizing how successful it would become. ‘We expanded very quickly and produced more gin than we ever expected,’ says Lucy. ‘We’ve grown from producing three gins to producing a permanent collection of 16, and our tasting room has gone from being open for one tasting a month to being open and busy every Saturday afternoon. .’
Here are five Cape Town producers to watch and five venues that pour a fine range of local gins.
Producers
Jorgensen’s
Although the distillery itself is not in Cape Town, no list of local gin makers would be complete without a mention of ‘The Stillman’. If you plan ahead you may be able to arrange a tour of the Wellington-based distillery, but if not, keep an eye out for Roger Jorgensen’s creations in Cape Town gin bars. His classics include a mix of locally grown juniper, West African grains of paradise, lemon peel and fynbos herbs – mostly native plants that grow in the mountains of the Western Cape.
Hoping for Hopkins.
Book ahead to grab a spot at one of the Saturday tastings at Hop on Hopkins’ tasting room in the Woodstock area of Cape Town. Tastings are a relaxed affair – you order three gins of your choice while discussing botanicals or peering into the distillery below from the balcony. Distillers are always on hand to answer questions or you can sit back and sip some of South Africa’s best gin.
Penner & Sons
This Unusual garage setup In the East City offers free gin and vodka tastings on Saturday mornings. Distiller Andre Pienaar recommends starting by tasting the spirit neat, then progressing with just a splash of tonic and later topping up and adding ice to your liking. Orient Gin is full of oriental spices, imparting flavors of ginger and allspice – and is great with just a hint of tonic.
Woodstock Gin Company
Open for tastings from Monday to Saturday, Woodstock Gin Company produces an interesting range, including variants with a beer or wine base, a cask-aged version and a pre-mixed G&T. The tasting room is in the heart of Woodstock and is the perfect place to take a break from craft shopping at the nearby Old Biscuit Mill.
Deep South Distillery
of the city Southernmost Distillery For its flagship gin, which won the gold medal, which uses hole — An aromatic herb harvested in the Cape Peninsula. Bookings are essential if you want to visit their Kommetjie tasting room to sample Cape Dry and Ruby gins, the latter infused with hibiscus to give it a stunning shade of fuchsia.
Pourers
Gin times
Known as the ‘Secret Gin Bar’, this little place is hidden behind a chocolate shop in the heart of the city. Grab one of their signature cocktails or gather your choice of gin, tonic and garnish to enjoy in the beautiful, Mediterranean-style courtyard.
Botanical Bar
There is more than gin on the menu. Here, with a range of bespoke cocktails and house-made bitters that showcase locally sourced botanicals. Even indigenous herbs are incorporated into the food menu, with dishes like olives marinated with African wormwood or seared springbok with moist jam.
The art of duplicity
‘Mae West meets Al Capone’ is the dress code on it. Underground speaker somewhere in the city. Once you’ve booked, you receive a password and clues to the secret location of the glamorous cocktail bar. Once you’ve sorted out the clues, you’ll find a lively space with live jazz and an excellent cocktail menu that includes some gin-based classics.
Williston Bar
Found on the sixth floor of the Silo Hotel, Williston The V&A is the place to splash out on a signature cocktail while enjoying the waterfront views. On the menu is the Kalahari Safari, an ax truffle-infused gin served with rooibos syrup and tonic – and it doesn’t get much South African than this.
Botany
If you’re looking for gin in the suburbs, go for it. BotanyTucked away behind a cluster of restaurants on busy Dean Street in Newlands. It’s a small bar with the cutest little mezzanine where you can sip your G&T.