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Hobbyist finds calling in crafting gin

In 2020, at the foothills of Magoebaskloof, an inspired hobbyist, Grant Shulman, set out to create the finest of spirits which led to the birth of the Grandis Distillery.

He says during the pandemic, with the gift of time in isolation, he was able to craft a gin that reflects the subtropical forest that the gin was created in. “Most of our botanicals are specifically locally sourced to convey the taste of Mother Nature herself in the bliss of Magoebaskloof,” Shulman says. The name of the distillery was inspired by the Eucalyptus Grandis tree which is prominent in the Magoebaskloof area.

Also read: Locally ginspired craft beverages scoop awards

Grandis gin.

“When I started making spirits, it was just for fun, and at the time I was not licenced. After seeing that something great was coming out of my hobby, I applied for my licence which I obtained in January this year.” His gin was followed by a second spirit, Air-Born Rum. “Our process starts with fermentation, followed by triple distilling, we then blend and the final product is ready to be bottled.” He says the feedback on their products has been very good.

“At first I struggled to keep up with demand but have now come up with a solution to address the challenge,” he says. He is currently working on two more products, Pinkberry Gin and Rooibos Gin. “We have a mobile bar at events, weddings, and festivals serving our crafted spirit cocktails.” Visit www.grandis. co.za or their Facebook, Grandis Distillery for more information.

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Emelda Tintswalo Shipalana

Tintswalo Shipalana, a journalist for the Letaba Herald, has been in the media industry for over a decade. She started her journey in radio, but ended up in print which is her first love. She joined the Herald newspaper as a cadet in 2016, where she graduated with a journalism qualification from the Caxton Training Academy. She also has a qualification in Feature Writing from the University of Cape Town and a Media Management qualification from Wits University. She is completing her BA Communication Science degree with UNISA. She sleeps well at night knowing she is a voice to the voiceless and her work contributes to promoting local talent, businesses and service delivery. Her love for her community keeps her working hard every day.

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