Six Dogs Distillery is one of South Africa’s most distinctive craft-gin producers and wear their roots with pride. Located near De Wet, between the Breede River Valley and the Hex River Valley in the Western Cape, the distillery captures the essence of the land: the wild Karoo, the fynbos-rich slopes, mountain water streams and a healthy dose of passion and creativity.
The story of Six Dogs Distillery is charmingly humble: it began when founders Charles Bryant, his brother Glenn Bryant, and their friend Luigi Marucchi converted a farm shed, originally used to house six dogs, into a makeshift distillery. An old copper water-geyser was welded into a still, and that is how the very first batch of gin came to life.
The name “Six Dogs” quite literally honours the six dogs who lounged around the shed-turned-distillery, watching over those early experiments. Of course, today’s distillery is far more sophisticated, but the distillers remain proud of their heritage.
What sets their gin apart: quality, craft, and local terroir
What makes Six Dogs stand out is their commitment to authenticity where local botanicals, purity of water, and hand-crafted small-batch production is part of ethos. The water used to make their gin comes from pure mountain springs located in the area.
Their botanicals draw heavily from the unique biodiversity of the Karoo and surrounding bioregions: wild lavender, Karoo thorn flower (locally known as soetdoring), lemon buchu, and other herbs and fruits grown or foraged in the area.
On the technical side, Six Dogs uses a carefully calibrated distillation process: heavier botanicals go into a traditional copper still, while delicate botanicals are vapour-infused which is a method designed to preserve subtle aromatics and deliver smooth, complex flavours.
They take their time: for example, developing the recipe for Six Dogs Karoo Gin took 187 separate iterations and more than two years before they got it just right.
The Gin Range
Six Dogs doesn’t just stick to one style. Over the years they’ve crafted a varied collection of gins, each with its own character.
Six Dogs Karoo Gin: Their flagship, a London-Dry style gin with a juniper heart and twelve select botanicals including Karoo thorn, wild lavender, and farm-grown lemon buchu. Expect floral, herbal, and citrus undertones with juniper and lavender first, followed by fresh citrus and subtle herbal complexity.
Six Dogs Blue Gin: One of Africa’s first commercially available “blue gins,” coloured naturally (via botanicals) and boasting a distinctive floral character. When mixed with tonic, its colour reportedly shifts to a light rose pink — a playful visual flourish to match its personality. Click here to read more.
Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin: An audacious and uniquely South African creation. Because of regulation around adding grapes to spirits, the distillery macerates hand-picked whole grapes from a nearby block of Pinotage grapes after distillation. Over several weeks the gin absorbs the deep colour and essence of this native grape, giving the spirit rich colour and flavours reminiscent of black cherry, plum, and dark berries, a bridge between gin and wine. Click here to read more.
Six Dogs Honey Lime Gin: Born from a sustainability initiative with a bee conservation partner. Using honey produced on the farm plus home-grown limes, this gin blends zesty citrus with gentle sweetness for a smooth, refreshing finish. Click here to read more.
Each of these gins reflects the careful balance between local terroir, artisanal craftsmanship, and bold creativity.
Proudly South African with global aspirations
Six Dogs is unabashedly a South African success story. Their distillery remains on their farm near De Wet and all crafting, from distillation to bottling, happens in South Africa. Their gins are billed as “100% natural hand-crafted premium gins.”
But the world has taken notice. What began as a humble shed project has grown into an internationally recognised brand. By 2018 they had earned a spot at the international gin festival in London thanks to the success of Six Dogs Karoo Gin. Though they opened an office in the Netherlands to better manage exports and distribution abroad, their roots remain firmly in the South African soil.
For many, Six Dogs represents not just a brand but a story: of ingenuity, of local pride, of respecting the land while pushing boundaries, and of doing something uniquely South African that resonates around the world.
Order Online
For any gin lover, and especially anyone interested in South African craft spirits, Six Dogs is more than a drink: it’s a taste of place, of history, and of daring imagination. Click here to order online.
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