With gin becoming so popular in Cape Town, we had to get involved and find out which places in the Mother City are producing the best of the botanical spirit, and one of those places is Woodstock Gin Company.
Woodstock Gin Company is based in, well, Woodstock and are producing some of the tastiest South African gins. Founder Simon Von Witt’s passion for experimenting new recipes and creating amazing flavours, as well as distilling alcohol, led to the creation of a gin that is so much more than a Juniper berry infused alcohol.
Woodstock Gin Company’s flagship gin is named Inception. It embodies the difference the gin co. makes in making truly unique, South African gins and is made with the highest quality ingredients to ensure a delicious bottle of gin every time. Staying true to quality and individuality, Woodstock Gin Co. uses water collected from the Albion spring in Newlands, Cape Town, to avoid allowing chemicals to alter the taste of their uniquely flavoured gins.
What’s more is that the gin company uses an incredibly distinctive method to make their Inception gin. Inception is made from either a beer or wine base, each of which brings an eccentric and unique flavour that compliments their botanical recipe. They are double distilled, with a balanced mix of botanicals infused through the second distillation.
On our trip to Woodstock Gin Company, Simon had us taste the three signature Inception gins. Here’s what they are.
Inception Wine Base
The Inception wine base is a very smooth, elegant, full bodied gin with a slight hint of jasmine and coriander on the palate. It boasts light tones of buchu, rooibos and a hint of citrus in the after taste. It can be enjoyed perfectly on it’s own or with a dash of tonic water, gooseberries and rosemary, or a slice of grapefruit for a classic South African gin & tonic.
Inception Beer Base
The Inception beer base is a more robust and punchy gin. The slight caramel, ovaltine flavour teases the nose from the initial beer distillation. This flavour moves into the traditional juniper berry flavour and picks up the lemon, lime and spices which transcend into the aftertaste. Enjoy it alone or with some Mediterranean tonic water, a silver of orange rind and piece of cinnamon bark for a a unique gin & tonic.
High Tea Gin
The High Tea gin is a refreshingly complex gin with similar flavours on the palate as the grape distilled Inception gin, but with lasting undertones of rooibos and honeybush, which are added after the distillation process. It’s a smooth and easy drinking gin on it’s own, or with a bit of light tonic or sparkling water. The High Tea gin boasts unique South African flavours and is invigoratingly different from other gins.
Videography Megan-leigh Heilig