I’ve always been of the opinion that gin is very much an acquired taste. The very thought of tasting and drinking gin was completely foreign to me until June 2017. A blogger friend of mine from Dubai came to visit Cape Town and the winelands and we met up one evening. At a gin bar. To be honest, I was a tad panicky about trying gin as my previous experience had not been a good one at all.
But as I sipped my first craft gin cocktail with fresh orange slices, I thought that maybe, just maybe, it could be fun to start trying new gins and drink something other than wine and champagne. Don’t get me wrong, I still love these two, but craft gin has also become a firm favourite. I know it has taken me awhile to join the #GinRevolution, but better late than never right? 😉
And my #GinJourney continues with my latest craft gin discovery. Have you heard of Autograph Gin? Gifted with a beautiful bottle of Autograph Gin (the exquisite packaging and design recently won a Loerie Advertising Award) at an event a few months ago, I have to say that this award-winning craft gin is at the top of my #Gin4TheWin list! I’m a big lover of fresh fruit and enjoy my G&T’s with fresh strawberries, blueberries or orange slices, adding a splash of pink tonic and regular tonic water … super delicious and refreshing!
The next award they won is incredibly prestigious. Winning the Top Rated Craft Gin of 2018 (Distillique Craft Gin Trophy) at the Michelangelo Wine & Spirit Awards is no mean feat. Seriously impressive stuff don’t you think? Their Chief Alchemist and Distiller, Matthew Beech, also happens to be the youngest distiller in South Africa.
Enjoy informal distillery tours and gin tastings, as well as bespoke gin tastings at The Gin Bar & Lounge. The bar and lounge is one of Stellenbosch’s “best kept secrets” and is open on Fridays from 4pm-8pm, so stop by for live music and something to drink. The venue is also available for private function hire.
ABOUT AUTOGRAPH GIN
“Autograph’s inspiration and identity lies in the rich, colourful history of a thousand years of gin making. Autograph is the embodiment of this timeless tradition, encapsulating years of passion, inspiration and discovery.
Like the first bottles of gin painstakingly created by medieval monks, each bottle of Autograph is carefully crafted by hand. Its unique taste is derived from the blended botanicals and fynbos carefully selected by it’s master distillers.
Every drop is curated by hand; each sip is an expression of shared pleasure and passion – the finishing touch on the story of gin.
Autograph, South Africa’s newest bespoke Gin distillery and bar, aspires to produce limited volumes of handmade and individually crafted premium spirit products.
Distillery Road in Bosman’s Crossing, Stellenbosch, was chosen as the perfect location for the distillery due to the area’s unique history and world renowned reputation for pedigree of wine and spirits production. While Stellenbosch is renowned as a wine growing region, it is also developing a reputation as an area for boutique spirits production.
The unique blend of botanicals are grown on-site and handpicked by the distilling team, with the intention of creating a distinct fusion of tastes and scents. This is Africa’s most exclusive, premium dry gin.”
Why the name “Autograph”?
“The products are crafted with meticulous care and detail. It’s a brand that master craftsmen would be proud to attach their signature to.
“Success is when your signature becomes an autograph”.”
WANNA WIN GIN-TASTIC PRIZES?
I’m partnering with the lovely guys at Autograph Gin and we are giving away not ONE, not TWO, but THREE gorgeous bottles of Autograph Gin! How amazing is that? Want to win? Of course you do!
Follow these easy steps and you just may be celebrating #GinSmas with Autograph Gin!
1. Like the Facebook competition post.
2. Like the Living It Up CT and Autograph Gin Facebook pages. Comment on the Living It Up CT Facebook page and let me know what cool and creative gin-tastic cocktail you will make with #AutographGin. I need some new gin cocktail ideas for the festive season 🙂 Each comment + tag = 1 entry (no duplicate names please)
3. Subscribe to my blog livingitupct.com to receive notifications of new articles and exciting competitions. This will be verified, so please make sure you are a subscriber or you won’t be in the running to win. If you have already subscribed, there is no need to subscribe again.
T&C’s
The competition opens on Monday, 3 December 2018 and closes on Monday, 10 December 2018. The 3 lucky winners will be announced as soon as possible after the competition closes.
Competition is open to all South African residents over the age of 18 years with a valid South African delivery address.
Delivery of the prize is included and will be arranged by Autograph Gin.
The prize cannot be exchanged for cash or any other items.
Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Happy entering and good luck!
Yours in Gin xoxo
PLEASE NOTE:
This is not a sponsored post.
The prizes are sponsored by Autograph Gin.
Images provided by Autograph Gin.
