Home grown handcrafted dry gin - Ginifer - has been recognised with three international awards in the American Distilling Institute’s (ADI) craft spirits competition, while Westcliff, a gin that belongs to the same stable, was also recognised. The annual ADI event is the largest and most-respected judging devoted to craft spirits globally and both US and international entries compete for the prestigious accolades.

The panel of experts who evaluated the South African gin brands in a blind tasting, included a mix of distillers, journalists, bar owners, bartenders, retailers, wholesalers, distributors and importers. The decision was unanimous and Ginifer was awarded the Silver Medal: International Contemporary Grain-to-Glass Gin. Ginifer Chilli Infused Gin walked away with two awards - The Best of Category Award - International Signature Botanical/Flavoured Gin and the Silver Medal: International Signature Botanical/Flavoured Gin. Westcliff was awarded a Bronze Medal in the category best International Contemporary Gin.

According to Jacqueline Grobler, the founder of Angel Heart Beverages and the manufacturer of the award winning spirits, gin is like making perfume – it’s pure alchemical magic. “The complexity of working with a live Botanical, manipulating the oils to create the taste you are after, is quite a heady experience and incredibly rewarding. These international awards are proof that we are getting it right.

“We use 13 gin botanicals, the bulk of which are sourced from across Europe, combined with African botanicals used in traditional healing. A few of these unique botanicals are sourced from the Faraday Muthi Market in Eloff Street in the Joburg CBD. The inclusion of these local botanicals gives our gin a distinctive taste and smell and with a heavy botanical load it and can handle stronger flavours without getting lost. Strong spices, fruit and good quality tonic water compliment this gin beautifully - a quality the judges liked.”

Adding to this Grobler says that the measure of a good gin is that it can be enjoyed neat, and Ginifer is very good served neat over ice – another strong point for the judges.

Commenting on the local gin scene, Grobler says that it’s still in its infancy; there are currently just 35 local Gins on the market in South Africa. Small breweries and distilleries locally are slowly and steadily gaining momentum as demand grows.

“A good gin can easily be distinguished from the next – each has a particular taste profile and a unique scent. This makes gin cocktails interesting. Gin is also easy to serve and easy to drink,” says Grobler.

Ginifer is copper distilled and takes four days to make. The ageing process takes a further two months. Everything is done in house and the Groblers distil, blend and bottle on site at their distillery in Gauteng.

Other awards received by Ginnifer include: Best Newcomer at the Good Food & Wine show July/Aug 2016 and the Best Shell Scheme Stand at the Good Food & Wine Show July/Aug 2016.

Ginnifer is currently available from an online store and delivered door to door:  www.ahbev.com. It’s also stocked at select leading bottle stores, bars and restaurants nationwide. For further information visit: www.ginifergin.com or follow on social media: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ginifergin/ and  www.facebook.com/westcliffgin/

Twitter & Instagram: @ginifergin and @westclifgin