Pretoria - July 2021

WIN! One lucky reader can
win a Flowstone Gin range
hamper worth R2 000.
Simply like GetItPretoria
on Facebook and tag a
gin-sipper-friend in the
comments section.
Entries close July 23.
throwaway comments ... ‘someone
should make a gin out of this’.
A month later the idea was still floating
in Glyn’s head. With a lot of help from
neighbours and friends, and many
experiments using a small 5 litre
still, Flowstone was born. A year of
research, study and trials followed, and
Flowstone was ready for launch. Justin
became a partner in the business and
now heads up Flowstone Australia.
‘What makes Flowstone so unique
are the incredible wild botanicals that
are quite literally on our doorstep. A
great friend, Jenny Hyde-Johnson,
who lives in the same area, took me
traipsing over the hillsides, sharing her
vast knowledge of the plants in the
area. I did about 70 single botanical
distillations to see what would work
and what wouldn’t. Some just did
not and were shelved. Others were
ruled out either because of rarity or
they were an important food source
for animals in the area and could not
be harvested ethically or sustainably.
As it is, the wild botanicals we use in
Flowstone are now all harvested within
fenced areas around the homes here
– so we do not impact the wilderness
part of the environment.’
While Glyn was the original driving
force behind Flowstone, her son Mark,
a qualified forensic psychologist,
heads up a small tight-knit team,
to produce a range of gins that’s
authentically African.
‘In 2019, we became the only ever
gin range to hold three double-gold
medals from South Africa’s largest
spirits competition, the Michelangelo
Awards. In 2020 we were the highest
awarded SA gin range at the IWSC, the
world’s largest and most competitive
spirits competition.’
Most recently, Flowstone scooped
three awards at the 2021 International
Spirits Challenge. These coveted
awards will take Flowstone’s award
count up to 21 since its launch just four
years ago. Impressive!
And there’s no stopping them yet.
‘I have at least three to four more
gins up my sleeve and working on
special limited offers for online only.
And I’m also toying with the idea of
complementary food products. Watch
this space.’
Oh ... we’re watching. And enjoying a
Flowstone G&T while we wait!
About Flowstone Gins
The name Flowstone comes from the
rock formations that defines the area,
and each gin is intrinsically linked to
The Cradle.
The bushwillow we use has
beautiful, winged seed pods, large
enough to comfortably fill an
adult’s cupped hand. The fruit in
Flowstone Bushwillow Gin results in
a full-flavoured sip with unusual and
seductive woody, earthy notes.
The iconic fruit of Africa, marula has
been enjoyed by man and elephants
alike over the millennia. Flowstone
Marula Gin delivers a luscious marula
bouquet that primes the palate for the
soft tang that floods the mouth.
As its colours change from speckled
green to a distinctive swirling orange,
the wild cucumber’s vibrant but subtle
flavours of green melon and kiwi
emerge. Flowstone Wild Cucumber
Gin is smooth and refreshing, the
perfect everyday sipper.
The snuffbox tree gets its name
from its small dark fruit which used
to be hollowed out to store snuff in.
Flowstone Snuffbox Gin is produced
in limited quantities, but its burnt
caramel, coffee and vanilla notes make
it worth hunting down.
Shop the range online at flowstone.
co.za or get it at Makro and Takealot.
From R385 per bottle. Details: Follow
them on Facebook, @FlowstoneGin and
Instagram @flowstonegin.
Glyn’s wild cucumber
julep recipe
You’ll need: 50ml Flowstone Wild
Cucumber Gin; 20ml fresh lime
juice; 15ml simple syrup; 2 to 4
mint leaves
How to:
Drop your Flowstone Wild
Cucumber Gin, fresh lime juice,
simple syrup and mint leaves into
your shaker then get your arms
moving. After mixing thoroughly,
fine-strain it into a chilled gin
goblet, before adding three mint
leaves and ice. Muddle the mint
just before serving for a deliciously
refreshing cocktail.
Text: JEAN-ELIZE MARAIS.
July 21 Get It Magazine 17