A new release by Pienaar & Son distillery of Cape Town might help the drought-stricken city’s residents forget their dilemma, if only for a while.
Cape Town’s drought conditions have splashed the city all over the world’s newspapers and news sites for all the wrong reasons. But one local craft distillery, Pienaar & Son, has decided to do its part to conserve water, by creating the world’s strongest gin.
READ: The World’s 10 Best Cities for Live Music
When the distillery’s existing Empire and Orient gins are produced, the spirit comes out of the still at 80% ABV, only to be watered down to the far more palatable 43% ABV with approximately 200 litres of water per batch. This is essentially the same process used by any other distillery, except Cape Town is in a severe drought, which called for a drastic, if not inventive, solution.
The distillery’s new limited-release Drought Edition gin simply skips the thirsty last stage of the process, with the distillery instead bottling the heady drought edition gin as it leaves the still at 160 proof.
The distillery has released both of its gins in the Drought Edition strength; Empire (above) is a dry London-style infused with cucumber, grapefruit, fresh lemon peel, and cardamom; while Orient is a sweet and spicy Eastern gin with vanilla, rosemary, orange peel, and cinnamon. Given the popularity of gin at the moment, it’s expected the release will be snapped up.
READ: 8 Essential Sipping Tequilas
Keeping in mind that most punters drink their gin with a mixer and that over half of every bottle of gin at 43% ABV is water, the distillery’s owners decided that they could help shift drinker behaviour while also doing their part for the drought relief.
If ever there was a time to use a jigger, this is it.
For more Wines & Spirits inspiration click here.