South Africans love their gin.

I’m not sure it’s ever going to replace brandewyn as the go-to drink when the rugby is on, but over the past few years the liquor has shot to prominence, and everybody is cashing in.

That includes Pick n Pay, although there’s been a pretty mixed reaction to their “citrus for gin” offering, launched just before Christmas and set to roll out in additional stores shortly.

Check this, from a tweet by @eimaj_j:

Well, nail on the head – that’s peak Cape Town right there.

The picture, taken at Pick n Pay Montclare, has led to some zingers, with this my favourite:

Let’s circle back – R45 for one grapefruit, two limes, and two lemons? Steep.

Business Insider spoke with Pick n Pay spokesperson Janine Caradonna, who had this to say:

“Gin continues to be a favourite with customers and we wanted to enhance their gin experience over and above offering them an increasing range of tonics options,” Caradonna [said]…

The selections of citrus in the bag each offer a unique flavour and accompaniment to gin, Caradonna said.

“We recommend slicing the citrus, giving it a light squeeze to release some of its juice before placing it into the glass with ice and topping with your mixer of choice,” she said.

Hang on – cutting some citrus, squeezing it into the drink, and then placing said citrus in the glass? Revolutionary – why haven’t we ever thought of this?

Jokes aside, I’m sure the convenience of a one-stop citrus shop will prove popular with shoppers, so good luck to Pick n Pay.

If we’re talking about gins, and you want to see the most Cape Town thing ever, then we really must talk about Cape Town Gin and their three offerings.

It doesn’t come more local than the Cape Town Rooibos Red Gin, which is infused with organic, handpicked rooibos to extract the essence of this remarkable plant, indigenous to the Cederberg region of the Western Cape.

For this tasty treat, juniper, orange peel and cinnamon flavours combine harmoniously with the earthy, slightly sweet and nutty flavour of rooibos. The result is a unique and truly South African gin, vibrantly red in colour with the distinctive taste of rooibos.

 

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A post shared by The Cape Town Gin Company (@capetowngin) on Dec 14, 2018 at 6:10am PST

Of course, there’s also the famous Cape Town Pink Lady Gin, made with the purest neutral spirit, and then infused with rose petals, hibiscus flowers and a heavenly hint of rosewater.

You end up with a delicious gin with fresh floral aromas and a slightly sweeter aftertaste, which is consistently amongst the top-selling liquor offerings on Takealot each month.

For the old school ‘keep it simple’ types out there, you could just enjoy the perfectly-crafted Cape Town Classic Gin, made in the traditional Dutch style with rich Juniper and vibrant citrus aromas, and ending in a smooth and clean finish.

I’d suggest you enjoy all three with some bespoke Fitch & Leedes mixers, because you’re treating yourself now, darling.

Keen to go really wild? Slip a little lemon slice in there, after you’ve squeezed some juice into the glass first, of course.

Now you’re living.

[source:businsider]