Boutique distilleries are all the rage with a fire being lit under a new still every other week. Most of these distillers focus on gin because it can be distilled from just about any organic matter and they tend to produce the most weird and wonderful concoctions.
After years of tasting gins infused, mixed, bathed or distilled from every botanical available I have come to the conclusion that the classic London Style Gin is unbeatable for drinkability.
However, every now and again I come across a gin that is outstanding, despite the fact that it has an unusual character. One such gin is the Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin.
I have long been a fan of Six Dogs Distillery because their recipes are simple and delicious. However, when I first heard about their Pinotage Stained Gin I thought that they may have been a bit touched by their Karoo sun.
Honestly, Pinotage and Gin? Well, even with my prejudice against unusual concoctions, I’m here to tell you that their Pinotage Stained Gin is superb.
According to their website this gin “is the love child of Six Dogs gin and their neighbour’s highly prized block of pinotage grapes”.
It is a small batch gin distilled through generous quantities of juniper and fresh citrus and then placed in tanks together with handpicked whole pinotage grapes for a period of several weeks where it gathers its unique character.
On the nose and pallet the juniper is foremost and, in typical Six Dogs style, the gin is dry, fresh and crisp. The pinotage adds subtle notes of dark fruits such as plums and black berries which make it not only very palatable but also rather intriguing.
As with all meticulously crafted spirits, the Pinotage Stained Gin is perfect neat or on the rocks. If you do want to use it as the base for a tall refreshing drink then add a dash of tonic and top off with soda water and ice.
Click here to order Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin or any of the other wonderful Six Dogs wares.
Pinotage Stained Gin Winter Warmer
The winter of 2023 has been bitterly cold. Snow has fallen in Johannesburg and even in Hillcrest just above Durban! Red Wine, Glühwein and hot chocolate are the normal beverages for this kind of weather. However Six Dogs Distillery have another that is just as delicious and warming.
Checkout this recipe for a great winter warmer cocktail. Last night while the family sat around a blazing fire I prepared this super easy cocktail and it only took a few minutes to make.
Light, frothy and warm with sharp nip and pleasant nose, this cocktail went down a treat.
INGREDIENTS:
– 25ml Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin
– 100ml hot milk
– 1 x tsp of honey
– cinnamon stick or powder
METHOD:
1. Bring your milk to a hot (not boiling), but drinkable temperature
2. Add one to two shots (25ml – 50ml) of Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin to the hot milk
3. Slowly add a teaspoon of honey
4. Stir with a cinnamon stick or sprinkle a light dust of cinnamon powder to add to the winter warmer cocktail
5. Make this in any cup or flask you have available for whether you are around the campfire or fine dining by candlelight.
