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Article In:
Naming and Labelling Contexts of Cultural Importance in Africa
Edited by Nico Nassenstein, Sambulo Ndlovu and Svenja Völkel
[International Journal of Language and Culture 10:2] 2023
► pp. 224–239

The brand names of craft gins in South Africa [*] *

An onomastic analysis

| Durban University of Technology

Gin has become a very popular alcoholic drink, and is often used with various other mixers, often including fruit. The definition ( Collins Paperback English Dictionary ) reads as follows: “an alcoholic drink distilled from malted grain and flavoured juniper berries” (1994: 351). One of the most common drinks is gin mixed with tonic water, but there are also others mixers involved. Recently, in 2020, a competition was held in South Africa, with a panel of assessors tasting a wide variety of gins, and many who supplied their gin products with the brand names thereof achieved gold and silver medals for their entries of mainly craft gins. The purpose of this contribution is to analyse the various craft gin names in South Africa, as well as the names of the producing firms, distilleries, and estates. Within the context of onomastics, the focus is therefore on the actual name of the brand as it appears on the label, as well as on the location where it was produced, hence it is a combination of brand and location.

Keywords: names of craft gins, names of producing distilleries, breweries or estates, location of producers
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Gin within an onomastic context
  • 3.Craft gins entered for the competition
  • 4.Names of gins
  • 5.Analysis of gin names and places
    • A Mari Atlantic Ocean
    • A Mari Indian Ocean
    • Nuy Legacy Limited Edition
    • Blomendahl Roxi Vine Blossom
    • Darlington Gin
    • Bossieveld the inspiration
    • Deep South Spice Island
    • Giniper Gin
    • Pienaar Ugly Gin
    • Poetic Licence Fireside Spiced
    • Rebel Dry Gin(’rebellious’)
    • Smiths: Spice, Elderflower, Citrus
    • Sugarbird Cape Fynbos
    • Benedict’s London Dry
    • Blackwood Spirits Cape Kelp
    • Blind Tiger
    • Clemengold Gin
    • Copeland Gin Cape Peninsula
    • Die Mas Kalahari Gin
    • Distillery Road Gin
    • Flowstone Bushwillow
    • Hobbs Cape Dry Gin
    • Hobbs Pink Pepper Gin
    • Inverroche – Verdant Gin
    • L-Gin
    • L-Gin Plush
    • L-Gin Lush
    • Monks Fynbos & Sceletium Gin
    • No Frills Gin
    • Pesky Hobbit
    • Primos Crisp Citron
    • Unit 43
    • Vuttomi Classic Gin
    • Vuttomi Moringa
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Note
  • References
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
References
Collins Paperback English Dictionary
1999 Collins UKGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, E.
2007 Falling into place: The story of modern South African place names. Cape Town: David Philip.Google Scholar
2014 Public hearings on South African geographical names, 2008–2014. Nomina Africana 281. 1–14.Google Scholar
2017a Hybrid geographical names in South Africa. Nomina Africana 31 (2). 153–160. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2017b Some aspects of South African geographical names registered between 2000 and 2014. South African Geographical Journal 99 (1). 1–13. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jorgensen, R.
2020 Comment by chair of awarding panel. Die Burger 29 October [Published in Die Burger in Afrikaans]Google Scholar
Raper, P. E., L. A. Möller & L. T. Du Plessis
2014 Dictionary of Southern African place names. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers.Google Scholar
Website consulted
[URL]. Many of the brand names and the distilleries were briefly analysed on Google.

Editorial remark: Many of the descriptions of the gins are either taken directly from the websites of the producers, or in some cases the author has adapted the wording slightly.