The coming of spring is a time to celebrate new beginnings and at the Flowstone Gin distillery in the Cradle of Humankind, the wild Bushveld botanicals that fragrance and flavour these unique spirits are in full bloom.

Sustainably hand harvested, with evocative names including African butterfly bush (Buddleja salviifolia), blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie (Ziziphus mucronata), iNhliziyonkhulu (Dombeya rotundifolia), and raasblaar (Combretum zeyheri) among others, they make Flowstone Gins the perfect choice for a spring heritage cocktail.

As all South Africans know, the best way to celebrate a beautiful spring day is by sharing a drink with close friends and family. Gin, paired with some good food, has surpassed beer in popularity with middle-class South Africans, and is the drink of choice for such a day. A  2021 study of more than 30 000 South Africans found that gin’s popularity had soared across all age groups.

The BrandMapp survey also noted that younger South Africans in the workforce are choosing to drink responsibly, and happy to consume both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at occasions. Flowstone’s range offers both alcoholic and 0% spirits (Wild Cucumber 0% is a gentle pink while Marula 0% captures a blush of sunset).

What better way to celebrate spring and our heritage than with a refreshing cocktail crafted in the place where human life began, here in the heart of this incredible country? Try these delicious spring cocktails and raise a toast to friends, family and better days.

Dirty Donga Martini

Ingredients:

• 60ml Flowstone Bushwillow GinVermouth2-3 skewered pimento olives, to tasteTruffle-oil mister, to finishIce

Method:

• Add your gin and vermouth to taste before stirring over ice and decanting into your martini glass, add olives for the iconic finish. Then mist the top of the cocktail with just one or two fine sprays of truffle oil.

The Greyhound

Ingredients:

• 60ml Flowstone Marula Gin120ml grapefruit juice1 tsp simple syrupIce

Method:

• Add 3-4 ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Pour gin, grapefruit juice, and (optionally) 1 teaspoon of simple syrup into the shaker and shake well.

If you want your Greyhound Cocktail without ice, which is the classic method, pour it into a martini or cocktail glass and serve. If you prefer ice, pour over a small glass half-filled with ice.

The Gimlet

Ingredients:

• 70ml Wild Cucumber gin50ml lime juice, freshly squeezed50ml simple syrupLime wheelIce

Method: Add the gin, lime juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Serve and enjoy!

Buy the Flowstone range of gin online at www.flowstone.co.za as well as Makro and Takealot. To connect with Flowstone, visit Facebook at @FlowstoneGin and Instagram @flowstonegin.