It’s the bittersweet taste of colonialism. It’s Madam & Eve’s Mother Anderson’s favoured form of tipple. Defined by the Collins English Dictionary as “a strong, aromatic alcoholic liquor distilled from rye and other grains and flavoured with juniper berries”, gin has entered the collective consciousness of spirit enthusiasts worldwide.
In South Africa, it has been given an authentically Saffa-spin in the form of Inverroche craft gin: the country’s first fynbos-infused gin.
Founded by Lorna Scott and her family in the coastal Southern Cape town of Stilbaai, Inverroche has gained international recognition, with luxury wine and spirits group Pernod Ricard acquiring the business in 2025.
Stilbaai native Jan de Vynck, who holds a PhD in oceanography and is an expert on human behavioural ecology, was appointed creative and strategic manager at Inverroche — “that fancy gin,” he grins — aiding Lorna in launching the craft gin brand and developing it from a translucent tipple to its fynbos-infused hues.
Malva, particularly rose malva, Pelargonium graveolens, and boegoe pair exceptionally well with gin, says De Vynck, quoting Bruce Gold — “the last true surfing hippie” from Jeffrey’s Bay: “If you don’t use boegoe, you’re a moegoe!”
Entry level requirements for fynbos-infused gin are that the plant must be palatable, non-venomous and ingestible. As to how to determine its palatability? Pluck a leaf off the plant, rub it between your fingers, nasally imbibe its aroma — the scent will give you a hint of what to expect when imbibing it orally, De Vynck shares.
Adding fynbos to gin is an homage to the Khoisan people of the southern Cape, with De Vynck drawing on Scott’s saying that “the bottle is merely the vessel to the story”. One should drink a libation to the Khoisan people — who lived harmoniously within an ecosystem, sharing a symbiotic relationship within the environs that sustained them — whenever enjoying an Inverroche beverage.
“They weren’t windgatte who saw themselves as superior to the ecosystem,” adds De Vynck of the Khoisan.
Stilbaai’s proximity to Blombos Cave — where the earliest evidence of cognitive abilities central to modern human behaviour was found, in the form of ochre drawings, ornaments and bone tools — adds to the significance of the relationship between the origins of cognitive abilities, human life and botanicals.
“I believe you can say ‘Welcome home, Homo sapiens!’” De Vynck chuckles of Blombos.
Back to the 21st century, our group of modern Homo sapiens is specially catered for at an event at Dave’s Kitchen at Oudewerfskloof Olive Farm and Self-catering. Oudewerfskloof is being renovated but you can still enjoy fine four-course dining (and gin-pairing) at the gourmet restaurant’s branch in the dorp.
A FLAVOURFUL JOURNEY
Day two of the tour is met with a classic Southern Cape April morn: overcast, humid, intermittent drizzle. Yet a heritage tour of Stilbaai’s ancient Khoisan fish traps waits for no-Jan, as he takes us on a guided tour of the ancient intertidal stonewall fish traps.
"Donner!" De Vynck exclaims of this “remarkable technological feat”, describing the stone walls as “architectonic marvels”. Constructed thousands of years ago by the Khoisan, the walls form pools in the intertidal zone. Come high tide, when fish swim over the walls to feed, they get trapped in the enclosures as the water recedes, which makes for easy gathering of the aquatic comestibles.
Time to put the “distil” in “Stil” as the behind-the-scenes tour of the Inverroche Distillery at Stilbaai commences, led by master distiller and GM Morné van Rooyen. Following a safety measures 101 (hard hats not necessary, but closed-toe shoes are), Van Rooyen’s guide introduces us to the distillery’s version of the Dewey Decimal System: a tincture library featuring spiritus vessels with elixirs labelled sarsaparilla root, undistilled toasted coconut, raisin, ground cumin, liquorice .... You name it, Library L’Inverroche has it.
Were it not for the contemporary (read: smartphones-in-hand) setting, you could easily imagine you’ve strolled into the pages of an HG Wells or Jules Verne novel, as the copper stills themselves resemble steampunk machinations – cinder goggles excluded, unfortunately.
Yet sunglasses (or a solid SPF) do come recommended as Van Rooyen takes the group on a tour of the surrounds of the distillery, including its greenhouse, accompanied by talks on Inverroche’s green/sustainable approaches to water management, energy consumption, waste reduction, and creating job opportunities for members of the local community.
Waste not one drop, for next on the itinerary is Inverroche’s Gin Academy: an opportunity to “double, double, distill and swallow” our own potable potions.
Presented by Inverroche mixologists, this masterclass offers us lay-people the chance to try our hand, measurements and favoured flavours at distilling our own gin.
Chemistry meets alchemy and aromatic adroitness, as we take our seats at the long table set with pot stills, furnaces, condensers with wee bowls of base-gin botanicals — juniper, angelica root, orange zest, coriander and cassia — placed at each distill-it-yourself station.
Yet there’s more to the base/basics! Top note botanicals range from floral (lavender, rose malva, wild dagga, kooigoed) to citrus (lemon zest, grapefruit zest, baobab, hibiscus); from herbal (rosemary, thyme, cancerbush, basil) to cool (cardamom, boegoe, mint, aniseed). And for those who seek a skop to their dop, there is spicy ginger root, grain of paradise, chilli and pink peppercorn.
Via the step-by-step masterclass, ingredients meet heat, turn to vapour, condense back into liquid and are finally bottled. And yes, do pay attention to the portions (and proportions) of your concoction. Forty-odd minutes later and voilà you have your very own personalised bottle of gin.
Add your potable potion to a glass of ice and tonic, garnish and - ultimately - exclaim a resounding cheers to going (fyn)bos for Inverroche!
EXPERIENCE THE DISTILLERY
Gin Academy: Two-hour masterclasses are hosted every second Saturday of the month for individuals; Tuesday to Saturday for groups of six or more. The experience includes a welcome drink, a full gin portfolio tasting paired with handcrafted chocolates and light snacks – culminating in your personalised 500ml bottle of Inverroche gin. R1,250 per person.
Guided tour: See Inverroche’s brand home and still room, learning about its history and production processes on this one-hour tour. R280 pp includes a tasting of three gins, paired with bespoke chocolates. Both can be booked at inverroche.com/gin-academy.
WHERE TO SLEEP
Little Rock Guesthouse is a B&B 10km from Stilbaai in the town of Jongensfontein. Sleeps 14 guests in total, with seven en-suite bedrooms, all with Indian Ocean views. Priced from R1,540 per room per night (2 adults). littlerockguesthouse.com.
WHERE TO EAT
Dave’s Kitchen: An upscale but casual international menu that incorporates South African specialties. Find them on Facebook or call 084-850-3408.
Die Seekombuis: Seafood and pub restaurant famous for its fresh catches and rustic, ocean-side setting. seekombuis.co.za
• De Villiers was a guest of Inverroche.
COCKTAIL RECIPE
THE AMBER MULE
Tall glass (440ml)
40ml Inverroche Amber gin
15ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
10ml Botanique liqueur
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Top up with ginger beer
Fresh mint
METHOD
Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and strain into glass
Fill glass with ice
Top up with ginger beer
Stir gently to mix ingredients
GARNISH
Fresh mint sprig and a lime wheel.
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