[image]
[title]Welcome to Mother Sippy, where we shine a light on the talented winemakers, brewers, distillers and mixologists that make sure the Mother City never goes thirsty! From new wine releases to taprooms pouring perfect pints, Mother Sippy is your guide to all that’s good and great in Cape Town’s world of drinks.
South Africa’s gin landscape has come a long way since ‘craft gin’ first became the country’s favourite excuse for a long lunch and a fancy tonic (Barker & Quinn for me, thanks).
What began as a hipster niche has gone thoroughly mainstream, and any restaurant worth its bartender has a collection of craft spirits at the back. Look a little harder, and you’ll find distillers dabbling in indigenous botanicals, small-batch production and distinctly South African flavour profiles.
From Inverroche’s fynbos-led bottles and Musgrave’s rose-scented pink gin to Hope Distillery, Six Dogs, Pienaar & Son... the list goes on... South African gin has earned its stripes here and abroad.
This week, the latest World Gin Awards added fresh weight to our high-proof reputation, with a handful of South African gins earning international recognition in the 2026 results.
Leading the local charge is KWV, which landed a double triumph at this year’s awards. Imagin Classic was named South Africa’s Country Winner in the Classic Gin category, while Cruxland Kalahari Truffle took the same top national honour in the London Dry Gin category. Both were also awarded Gold in their respective categories. Judging at competitions like these is done ‘blind’ (no labels in sight), so a gold medal means that spirit achieved a certain quality level in terms of style, flavour and so on.
It marks the second consecutive year that Imagin has been named South Africa’s best classic-style gin. At the same time, Cruxland continues an impressive awards run that has already included World’s Best London Dry Gin in 2020, according to KWV.
And KWV was not the only South African name on the list. Old Buck Dry Gin earned Silver in the Classic Gin category, while Hout Bay Harbour Distillery Lavender took Silver in the Flavoured Gin category.
Other leading South African names on the list included... well, here’s the thing.
That’s it.
It’s just those four.
They are, apparently, as good as South African gin gets. Now I certainly enjoy Cruxland, and it’s a great gin surely deserving of its gold medal, but what about Hope, Inverroche or countless others?
Where are our craft distillery stars?
So, what’s going on?
Awards like these often tell you as much about who enters the race as who takes the podium.
And the World Gin Awards – like most drink competitions – are entry-based. And it costs plenty to enter. That means the results do not really amount to a full national ranking of every serious South African gin on the shelf.
In other words: these may not be South Africa’s best gins, full stop. They are simply the best South African gins that chose to enter this year’s World Gin Awards. Important difference.
“Brands pay an entry fee to enter any wine and spirits competition. There are loads of them all over the world, and the entry fees are usually quite substantial, especially for international competitions,” says Leah van Deventer, an international spirits judge. “So brands usually pick and choose where to invest, based on the market their product is available in. If you’re pushing your brand in the US, for example, you might choose San Francisco World Spirits. They might also choose based on competitions they haven’t yet entered, or the ones they feel are most highly regarded.”
That makes sense, because the costs to enter this year’s World Gin Awards were pretty hefty. Entry fees ranged from £186 to £217 per gin – about R4850 + VAT – and that’s before courier, customs and sample-bottle costs.
“Brands also need to supply product, usually two bottles per entry,” adds van Deventer. “So, logistically, if your product is not already on the shelf in the competition city, you need to courier it in and jump through the red tape of alcohol imports. It becomes really expensive. So indie brands are understandably very selective about what they enter. Most would stick to local competitions, like Michelangelo or the Intercontinental Spirits Challenge, which are Rand-based and easier to get bottles to.”
If there’s a lesson for gin-lovers, it’s that marketing ain’t everything. Do a little reading. Visit your distillery (if it’s open). Read a few independent reviews. Taste widely. Think critically. Don’t, whatever you do, get sucked in by that gold sticker alone.
The next test comes in London on 2 June, when country winners from around the world – like our own KWV Cruxland – go head-to-head for the global titles against other entrants. And the results of that might be more revealing.
Mother Sippy: Take a sip at Pienaar & Son city distillery
Sign up to Time Out Cape Town's free newsletter for expert recommendations on new things to do, see, eat and drink in the Mother City. You can also follow Time Out Cape Town on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!