One elephant dung gin coming up

Translated from several African languages, ‘indlovu’ means elephant. A fitting name considering the new product incorporates the foraging habits of the world’s largest land animal.

The Ansleys happened upon the idea when they were sipping on a G&T while on a family safari in Kenya. Watching a herd of elephants quietly grazing, Paula recalls the game ranger telling them about the elephants’ foraging habits. Although elephants graze constantly throughout the day, only a small percentage of what they consume is actually digested. This led Paula researching and eventually creating an elephant dung-based gin with her husband Les, under the guidance of ‘gin master’, Roger Jorgenson.

The botanicals used in the gin are selectively foraged by elephants, then extracted and cleansed from their dung for infusion. This means there's no need to be concerned about any 'dung flavour' lingering in your drink.

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Not the first time elephant dung has been used in a beverage, it's known to be brewed as a tea in Africa, as well as being used in traditional medicine for its healing properties. Indlovu Gin says these medicinal qualities have been ascribed to the large variety of fruit and plants than an elephant consumes throughout the day.

That same Savannah vegetation gives the Indlovu Gin its wooded, earthy flavours. The gin is a crystal clear golden colour, with aromas of juniper, citrus, grassy and an element of earthiness. On the palate is a blend of flavours such as juniper, angelica and citrus with earthy undertones and spice from the elephants’ favourite foraged botanicals.

As the Ansleys are passionate about wildlife and biodiversity, it became important to them that the brand underpins a strong conservation message. Therefore, 15% of the profits from the sale of the gin will be donated to the Africa Foundation to support their work in conservation through the Phinda Wildlife Project.

Indlovu Gin retails for approximately R615 per bottle and is available to purchase online via Yuppiechef.