While on a European tour, Lucy Beard and Leigh Lisk got caught up in Spain's obsession with gin and tonics. So began the lawyers' improbable journey towards opening Cape Town's first inner- city distillery, Hope on Hopkins.Originally associated with the Brits, quinine and mosquitos in the Indian Raj, the headquarters of all things gin and tonic these days is Spain.After spending a few months mooching around gin distilleries they moved back to Cape Town and into an industrial space in Salt River, to both distil gin and live in.They spent another few months setting up the distillery and honing their technique. Finally their first release, a London dry gin, has hit the market.David Cope, owner of Publik, one of Cape Town's most discerning bars and a big gin fan says: "It's a purist's gin - a clean, dry gin without any overly sweet notes."Lucy says: "London dry gin is a style of gin, the only international style where you can put yourself up against other people making that style."The botanicals all have to be natural, no oils and essences."It has to be made using the one-shot method, so everything needs to be added at once and then distilled."You're not allowed to tinker with it, after all. Making a London dry is a way of proving your worth as a distiller."Even though there is a trend to having 40 botanicals, we think that simple is better."Ours is juniper, coriander, angelica root, organic orange and lemon peel from the Cederberg, and lemon verbena and rosemary from a friend's garden."Our Mediterranean gin will be based on wine, not barley."At the heart of Hope on Hopkins are two stills named after their grandmothers, Maude and Madeleine, who were "hard Irish grafters who got stuff done".That's what it's taken.Initially, they weren't sure what the job division would be, but Leigh says, "I realised Lucy's palate was far more developed than mine." His role? Chief bottle washer, a vital job ensuring the stills and tanks are clean, while he also makes the base alcohol.From legalese to the language of evaporation, distillation, heat, pressure, botanicals and infusion that they now speak, Lucy and Leigh have come a long way.Their three styles of gin effectively sum up their path thus far. Done London, done the Mediterranean (which inspired them to make gin) and now they're doing their thing in Salt River.www.hopeonhopkins.co.za..