Award-winning Bloedlemoen Gin introduces Bloedlemoen Amber.

Just in time for endless summer days, Bloedlemoen Gin has added a new variant to their collection. Bloedlemoen Amber, now available nationwide at all good liquor stores, is made with the same ten botanicals as the Classic, along with an exclusive selection of locally forged fynbos and honeybush to create a perfectly-balanced, unique gin infusion.

Bloedlemoen Gin was conceptualised in 2015 by sommelier, Pierre Strydom, chef, Mike Jones and wine maker, Stefan Coetzee. The South African trio wanted to create a gin that is deliciously refreshing, while layered with the warmth of extraordinary spices. The answer came in developing a recipe that balances spices – Grains of Paradise, Coriander, Cassia bark, Nutmeg, Liquorice Root and Cardamom – with classic gin botanicals, Juniper and Angelica Root, and then adding local flavour, Tarocco Blood Orange and Orange Peel, as a unique twist.

Bloedlemoen is the first Blood Orange Gin in the world and the fruit is locally-sourced from growing partners in the Cape. It’s a contemporary, London Dry-style gin distilled using ten botanicals through a combination of maceration and vapour infusion. The result is a premium, small batch gin that cuts no corners when it comes to quality and consistency, despite its humble beginnings.

The founders spent the first two to three years selling their gin to friends and family off the back of the quintessential South African mode of transport: their bakkie. When Lions Head Beverage Company took a share in October 2017, Bloedlemoen began to rise above the myriad gins produced in our relatively young local market and took its rightful place as a quality South African gin to keep an eye on.

The award-winning Bloedlemoen Gin – including the brand-new festive variant, Bloedlemoen Amber – is the latest brand to be added to premium drinks company, Truman & Orange’s, portfolio of collectible gins. The beautiful packaging was created by internationally-renowned local miniatures artist, Lorraine Loots – its elegant simplicity is the perfect fit for a unique, delicious local gin that is set to do great things.

Founding owner of Truman & Orange, Rowan Leibbrandt explains the company’s decision to invest in Bloedlemoen Gin: “Truman & Orange has always been about offering South Africans choice and uncompromising quality. We’ve been watching the developing local gin scene closely as gin’s prominence continues to grow internationally. The South African gin category is one of the fastest growing in the worlds. We believe that the Bloedlemoen brand and its quality liquid are on par with our range of hand-selected, premium, international brands. We are thrilled to be in a position to help grow this superior local gin to scale.”

Over the past two years, Truman & Orange has introduced a range of expertly-crafted gins to the South African market, from easy-drinking new western-style gins – like Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation American and the super-premium Brooklyn Gin, with its hand-cracked juniper berries – to expertly-crafted London Dry gins for traditionalists, like Hayman’s True English Gin. Their most recent offering, the curious and quirky Drumshanbo Irish Gunpowder Gin, has helped to establish Truman & Orange as the South African drinks company that offers a gin for all South African gin lovers’ tastes.

Recommended Retail Price: R399 per bottle at all good bottle stores for both Bloedlemoen Original and Bloedlemoen Amber.

Bloedlemoen Amber Perfect Serve: Enjoy neat, on the rocks or with a cut of orange zest and tonic.

Bloedlemoen Amber Tasting Notes: Hints of warm, sweet, creamy caramel on the nose, a spicy almost woody palate that is full of complexity and flavour and a strong, earthy, nutty finish with a juniper aftertaste.

Bloedlemoen Classic Perfect Serve: 50ml Bloedlemoen Gin topped with premium tonic water poured over ice with a slice of orange (fresh or dried) and a cinnamon stick or a piece of cassia bark.

Bloedlemoen Classic Tasting notes: Expect citrus and juniper on the nose, nutmeg and cassia on the palate and a lingering blood orange aftertaste.