A myriad of Black-owned gin brands are delivering top-quality gin in this predominantly White-owned industry. Gin has become a very popular spirit for a variety of cocktails in recent years. You may not recognize these names, but these Black-owned spirits are making their mark on the spirits industry and trail-blazing for other like-minded Black entrepreneurs.
Mayine Premium
Mayine Premium from South Africa is the first Black-owned gin brand in Africa. It has two flavors, a grape-based gin, and a rooibos-infused gin. Husband and wife Luvuyo and Nodumo Jongile have been gin enthusiasts for over 15 years, and in 2017, their love for gin gave birth to Mayine, which means “let it rain”. Mayine Premium won the first SA Gin Business Bursary to help grow their business, culminating in a trip to London’s Juniperlooza Festival in 2019 on World Gin Day.
Du Nord Craft Spirits
Owned by Chris Montana, former president of the American Craft Spirits Association, and his wife Shanelle, Du Nord Craft Spirits produces blended whisky, apple liqueur, and gin. Du Nord’s Fitzgerald gin is a hybrid between a classic London dry style gin and an old world gin and leads with a strong juniper flavor, backed by citrus, angelica root, and licorice root.
Indoggo
Founded by rapper Snoop Dogg, Indoggo is a life-long dream come true. In 1994, he wrote Gin & Juice, and since then he has always wanted to create his spirits brand. Indigo is a blend of seven premium botanicals infused with all-natural fruit flavors. Indigo is different from most gin as it’s gluten-free, sugar-free, and low-calorie.
Ingenious Gin
Ingenious Gin was created by three friends who said they have never stumbled upon a great tasting gin that they could appreciate, foreign or domestic. So, they created their own. Ingenious Gin is intelligently infused with ingredients that would be known today as the celebration of the renaissance of an American-made Old Tom Gin. The gin is made with a masterful blend of botanicals and 100% made in the United States.
Gologo Spirits
Gologo Spirits is a South African start-up distillery that produces gin. They have two gins, Queen Nandi Pink Gin, and Zulu Dry Gin. “I started Gologo Spirits to create an Afrocentric and transformative distillery seeking to highlight the role and influence spirits have played and continue to play in South African cultures and lifestyles,” said founder Mzwandile Xaba. The brand’s name is taken from the Nguni word for distilled beverages, ugologo.
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Boitumelo Masihleho is a South African digital content creator. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes University in Journalism and Media Studies and Politics and International Studies.
She’s an experienced multimedia journalist who is committed to writing balanced, informative and interesting stories on a number of topics. Boitumelo has her own YouTube channel where she shares her love for affordable beauty and lifestyle content.
