2020 SA Craft Gin Award-winners announced

The gins were tasted blind by a judging panel, which included Kurt Schlechter, spirit expert and bar owner; Jean Buckham GM of the Gin Club; Thierry Lubala, mixologist at Africa’s largest gin Bar in Asara Estate; and Pam Koen, heads up Africa Infused, a beverage consulting and training company.

Roger Jorgensen, ‘The Father of South African Gin’, chaired the judging panel.

He commented: "I am delighted that, despite the pandemic, the SA Craft Gin industry is in rude health. We were delighted with the level of entries this year, especially from new gin brands. The judging panel concentrated on rewarding gins that delivered on taste and quality, as many South African gins do. We look forward to witnessing the continued boom in craft gins in South Africa. SA craft gins can clearly hold their own against international competitors.”

Here are all of the double gold winners, in alphabetical order:

• 48 Gin Premium
• African Craft Naartjie
• Amari Atlantic Ocean 
• Roxi Botanical Gin
• Roxi Vine Blossom
• Bossieveld The Inspiration
• Caspyn West Coast Dry 
• Darlington Gin
• Deep South Spice Island
• Giniper
• Melodramatic The Phantom
• Nuy Legacy 
• Pienaar Ugly Gin
• Poetic Licence Fireside Spiced
• Poetic Licence Northern Dry
• Poetic Licence Old Tom
• Rebel Dry Gin
• Smiths Spice
• Smiths Elderflower
• Smiths Citrus
• Sugarbird Cape Fynbos