UNIQUE BOTANICALS

Some botanicals are more unique than others however. You may have heard of Vietnam’s squirrel poo coffee, but have you heard of South Africa’s elephant dung gin? You could accuse it of being an attention-grabbing gimmick, but allegedly the same theory applies here regarding the animal’s unique ability to seek out and consume only the best produce and botanicals.

The mammals are said to be particular about the food they consume, but absorb less than half of what they eat. Meaning a lot of it remains in their dung.

Indlovu Gin is infused with “botanicals foraged by elephants” and sourced from their poop. The brand was founded by two South African biologists, who wanted to start a business that contributes both to conservation and the local community. 15% of profits are donated to the Africa Foundation, to support wildlife conservation.

Social Causes

Elephant poop is an extreme example. And there are brands like South Africa’s excellent Caperitif vermouth, that have been championing the region’s unique botanicals (think fynbos, kalmoes and naartjie) in a more, shall we say, traditional way for decades. The recipe was created back in the 1930's when it was a key cocktail ingredient referenced in tomes such as the Savoy Cocktail Book. It was lost in the 1940's when production ceased, until its recent revival by a mixologist and wine maker.

But the region’s storied history in cocktail culture fails to register on the zeitgeist as much as the region’s socio political presence on the world stage. As the spotlight since the BLM movement has swung towards better representation for a wider range of people, a number of new brands are stepping up to meet the moment.

Florida’s Patel Spirits has launched its P1 Vodka, with the USP that it is produced by the son of an African refugee, specifically from Uganda. However, the product itself references the family’s ethnic Indian and pan-Asian heritage. Working with a branding design agency, it has incorporated Indian designs and motifs into the bottle design, while the name itself references the Indian tradition of giving money in sums that end with a one. A large Indian population settled in Uganda under British rule in the 1890's, before a vast number were expelled in the 1970's.

According to founder Mitch Patel: “We felt it was of the utmost importance to create a vodka brand that bears a premium taste profile while also giving the Indian community a sense of ownership in the brand.