Drinking Culture

In Cape Town, people rarely drink gin alone in the living room. There's usually a terrace involved, a sunset over the Atlantic, and a gin and tonic in a tall glass. The so-called sundowner is more ritual than drink: the sun sinks behind Robben Island, and the glass gets topped up before it has a chance to warm.

Woodstock has become the neighborhood where distilleries keep their doors open to visitors, often right next to street art walls and the Saturday Neighbourgoods Market. Book a tour there and you'll usually get several small glasses to compare. The distilleries themselves take pride in the differences between their varieties, rather than simply serving up a finished drink.

Stellenbosch blends this gin culture with its wine landscape. On the very same estates where wine is tasted at midday, small bars open in the evening. They serve a signature gin and tonic with a matching botanical garnish, often a sprig of rosemary or a slice of grapefruit instead of the classic cucumber.

The classic way to drink a gin and tonic is in a balloon glass, large enough for plenty of ice so the drink doesn't warm up quickly. The Martini has a presence in the city's cocktail bars. But it remains more of an urban drink, while the sundowner keeps its firm place out on the coast.

Gin festivals are young but growing. Small gin festivals in Cape Town and Stellenbosch bring several distilleries together for an afternoon, with stalls instead of fixed bars. There, visitors talk directly with the people who actually distilled the gin.