Musgrave Premium Craft Gin
Life is full of mediocrity. We are often not aware of how boring or bad our experiences are until we come across something that is startlingly amazing.
Something that crashes in on our consciousness and makes us realise how mediocre our existence has been.
When I first heard of craft brews and spirits, I doubted that they would be any good. Surely, no backyard distiller could match a large corporation. I can look back on my naivety now and laugh.
No franchised restaurant can match the food, service or ambiance of a restaurant, whose owner started with a dream and a passion for creating a dining experience par excellence.
Musgrave Gin a principal of passion
And so it is with craft distilleries. I have loved my journey of discovery into the craft gin industry that is flourishing in South Africa. My latest discovery is Musgrave Gin. Everything about this gin expounds the principle of passion, craft and a love of creation.
One’s first contact with Musgrave Gin is the packaging. It is beautiful and a great deal of attention has gone into making the boxes an absolute work of art. In fact, the containers are so beautiful that one may be concerned that your expectation of the gin may be set to high and that your first sip may be a disappointment.
Fear not, for both the Premium Gin and the Pink Gin are superb. Both are distilled at the famous Hope on Hopkins Distillery in Cape Town. Under the combined supervision of four very knowledgeable and capable contributors and using a beautiful stainless steel pot still affectionately named Mildred, the resultant spirit is amazing.
The Musgrave brand is owned by Simone Musgrave, who has a passion for adventure and the unusual. It is her careful selection of 11 botanicals that originate in Africa and are reminiscent of its ancient spice route that make Musgrave Gin distinctive.
An afternoon tasting with Musgrave Gin
Two friends and I, all gin enthusiasts, spent a wonderful afternoon sampling the two Musgrave gins.
The tasting notes describe the Musgrave Premium as having “top notes of aromatic Cardamom, African Ginger and Grains of Paradise… The aroma is woody and forest-like and the flavour is an inviting, peppery warmth without the harshness of black pepper. The woody character gives way to cloves, cinnamon and a faint hint of cardamom and leaves you with a gentle flame”.
We found that the Musgrave Premium Gin was fantastic neat or on the rocks. The flavours are too good to be over ridden by a strong tonic. If you want to use a mix, then we suggest a small amount of Indian Tonic topped up with soda water. Add a slice of cucumber.
The Musgrave Pink Gin has all of the spice and flavour of Musgrave 11, but is toned down to be gentler and less spicy and to bring out the floral of the rosehips and the infused rosewater.
Simone says, “Musgrave pink celebrates the flower of love and beauty with the source of the rose, rosehip, which complements Musgrave’s spicy nature. It is then infused with rose water for its timeless perfume and romance.”
We loved the Pink Gin and before the afternoon was over, half the bottle was empty. What more of a compliment could we give?
For more information, go to www.musgravegin.co.za today.
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