Get into the spirit this week!

The gin spirit that is. So while you sit back and sip on your "dutch courage", have you ever wondered why it's even called that? In fact, have you ever wondered about what you don't know about this "lekker" liquor?

Well so have we. Other than already knowing how to perfect the production of gin and the wonderful taste of it (which you are more than welcome to come taste at the distillery), we've dug up some fun gin knowledge and trivia.

As you most likely already know, gin is mostly associated with British culture. But did you know it's also catching notoriety in Spain and other parts of the world? South Africans has a very healthy thirst for this spirit, even though we're no match for the Philippines where about 25 million cases are consumed per year. That is a lot of Martinis!

Speaking of Martinis, you can only call it a "Martini" if you use gin. Making it with vodka makes it an entirely different cocktail known as a "Kangaroo"! Not to be associated with the first dedicated gin distillery in Australia - Kangaroo Island Spirits.

Another popular cocktail using gin was called "The Gin Twist". It was roaring in the 1920's and has been mentioned in quite a few novels and writings of the time. Consisting of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and hot water, this drink 'stirred' things up at any party!

So back to the "dutch courage" thing, gin was used by the Dutch army for it's calming side-effect (in the Thirty Years War if you were curious) and was rationed in portions to the soldiers before a battle to calm their nerves. The English army caught sight of this and could see the difference in the Dutch after their servings. And this is how the name came to be :-)

Do you have any interesting stories or fun facts about gin? Come tell us in the distillery where we can all appreciate this fine beverage. Or add it to your note when you place your next order. Looking forward to be hearing from you again soon!

P.S. Gin doesn’t have a shelf life. There's another fact for you :-P