in establishments known as gin palaces . And gin accompanied British colonial officials to every corner of the world – well , every potentially profitable corner . It was here , in the malaria-infested tropics of Asia and Africa , that gin met its soulmate – tonic – in a marriage that has stood the test of time like almost no other . And , yes , while the consumption of quinine in the form of tonic water did certainly save many colonials from malaria , the concomitant , mandatory , and generous , consumption of gin gave them the stereotypical red-faced , blustery , bristlymoustached , rheumy-eyed visage so beloved of caricaturists .
But there was another side to gin . Gin was the spirit of choice for a range of cocktails . A Martini , for example , was by definition gin and vermouth ( and orange bitters ). But then , in the 1960s , when besuited businessmen ( yes , usually men ) habitually indulged in a three-Martini lunch , the inspired advertising slogan “ Smirnoff leaves you breathless ,” had them promptly substituting vodka . And then the decline of the cocktail in general relegated gin to something Aunty Mary would drink with tonic before lunch ( and after lunch , and before dinner , and after dinner – and maybe even before breakfast ).
With this country ’ s truly phenomenal botanical biodiversity , it ’ s not surprising that South African artisanal distillers are making big waves in the craft gin pond . There are at least 15 distillers in South Africa creating craft gin , with the centre of gravity decidedly in Cape Town , which has eight . And Cape Town is also home to more gin bars ( as opposed to gin joints or gin palaces ) than any other South African city .
Here ’ s where it gets exciting . Local gins make use of local plants . So , for example , one of the three gins produced by Triple Three Estate Distillery on Blaauwklippen Wine Estate is infused with buchu – and you don ’ t get much more local than that .
Or maybe you do … The beautiful , deep red Cape Town Rooibos Red Gin is infused with , of course , rooibos , and also juniper , orange peel and cinnamon . The clean fresh taste of Jorgenson ’ s Gin comes from locally grown juniper , the zest of six different local citrus fruits , and grains of paradise ( Melegueta pepper or Guinea pepper ) from West Africa . And Wilderer Fynbos Gin has honeybush , buchu and wild dagga .
Well , that ’ s all changed . But before we get to the present and future of gin , what is it that makes it unique – that sets it apart from , say , vodka or brandy ? Gin is a clear alcohol that is redistilled with botanicals ( plant matter ) to create a delicately flavoured spirit . The botanical most commonly used – in fact , the one that defines the spirit as gin – is juniper . But each and every gin manufacturer adds a few other carefully guarded secret ingredients . And , with the resurgence of craft gin , those botanicals are becoming more and more important and more and more interesting .
These gins are all smooth , and each has a distinct flavour and aromatic profile , so they are worth sipping carefully − but they ’ re also awesome in cocktails . So I chatted to master mixologists Owen O ’ Reilly and David Sandler from Sip Exclusive .
“ Different gins have such different characters . For example , Bloedlemoen Gin by Hope on Hopkins − a gin with blood orange as a top note − is light and subtle with hints