Maker of Jozi's award-winning Westcliff Gin set to launch new sip

As the owner of Joburg's Angel Heart Beverages, Jacqueline Grobler’s passion for making gin is easy to see when she talks about the spirit.

Having already created Ginifer Gin and the award-winning Westcliff Gin, she’s just getting started.

“The inspiration to make gin stemmed mostly from my love of the science and my passion for creating,” Jacqueline says.

“I love the challenge and the complexity of working with a live botanical and manipulating the oils to create a unique flavour profile – it’s quite a heady experience and incredibly rewarding.

In addition to her love for making delicious gins, it’s also clear that Jacqueline has a real passion for Joburg itself.

“When we set out to develop Ginifer and Westcliff gins, we were determined to capture the energy of Joburg: its vibrancy, insanity and creativity. Gin first came to Joburg with the gold rush of 1880 and is very much a part of the history this city was built on.

"A truly South African gin, Westcliff pays homage to the City of Gold. It’s inspired by the gold rush of 1884 and the rich heritage of gold that flows through the veins of the Joburg landscape. The taste profile of the gin is based on the green of the man-made forest.

"And then Ginifer’s name is the feminine embodiment of the city of Joburg. It represents the vibrancy and life this city has to offer.”

Looking forward, Jacqueline says there’s still a lot of great things to come from Angel Heart Beverages.

"We recently added an eighth variant to our Ginifer Bitters range: a beautiful pomegranate option. We’ve also developed a new Westcliff Bitters – baked apple. Both of these are available exclusively through our distillery." 

“We’re launching a new gin called Tincture: a super-small-batch gin using scarce and complex botanicals; it will be available next week.

"As if that weren’t enough, we have yet another very exciting project brewing; the development of a vodka which we’re doing in service of the breast cancer non-profit, Pink Drive. It will be out in August."

This article is adapted from one originally published in Sunday Times Neighbourhood, a must-read property and lifestyle guide. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za