When I popped the cork on the Ginsala bottle, I was transported…back to my hometown of Durban in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The aromas of East Indian markets wafted up through the neck of the bottle - curry, really? And not just any curry, but specifically Durban Masala, with its complex blend of coriander, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and a host of other spices.
Conservation, the environment and social upliftment programs in the rural areas of KZN are central to Brackenhill Craft Distillery’s business.
Several years ago, I saw a vendor at our local Shongweni Farmers Market dispensing G&T’s on tap and thought it an interesting idea, but was hesitant to try. Not only was it barely 9AM but the limited experience I’d had with ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) had turned me off them. But I did attempt to find out who the distiller was behind the idea, with no success.
Sugar cane fields stretch for hundreds of hectares around the Sugar Baron Craft Distillery in Richmond, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Brad and Marisa O’Neill officially opened in October 2019 and produce a wonderful rum distilled from fresh sugar cane juice, employing a method called Rhum Agricole.
OOLA Distillery in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle holds one of the oldest commercial distillery licenses in Seattle and is the second largest producer in Washington State, all the while maintaining the charm of a local craft distillery. Copperworks Distilling Company, 2018 Distillery of the Year, is barely a mile away and together they make for a great day of craft spirit tasting.
Mike Gifford, owner of Blackfish Spirits Distillery in Auburn, Washington is obsessive about flavors. His conversation is peppered with references to them and how Blackfish uses them. “The flavors in our spirits are in the primary color range you expect when you’re buying art supplies,” he said. Big, bold and beautiful.
