The gin market in South Africa, like that of many countries before their local gin renaissance, used to be dominated by a couple of multinational-brand imports and a couple of more affordable, domestic brands. The biggest of these is Old Buck, a gin distilled by Henry, Tayler & Ries, which is part of spirits giant Distell. The second biggest is Stretton’s, which is made in Durban by Edward Snell & Co. Both are dry gins, but have recently expanded their ranges to include fruitier flavoured gins.
Things began to change on the South African gin scene in 2011 with the release of Inverroche Gins, but first, let’s look at some of the things that make the country’s market so unique. Firstly, from a regulatory point of view: the minimum ABV…
