Lishe had the chance to speak with Andre Pienaar of Pienaar and Son. The distillery currently produces several gins, including Ugly Gin.
- Could you please talk us through the making of Ugly Gin and What set Ugly gin apart from the rest?
When the craft gin scene started, people were buying craft gin because it tasted better than commercial gin. Then at some point it turned into a bit of a fashion show. People were more obsessed with the questions: Is it pink? Is it blue? How pretty is the box it come in? Is that gold foiling on the label?
As a bit of a show of resistance I wanted to create a gin that was stripped of all the non-essential packaging and marketing fluff.
So I found one of the cheapest bottles I could find, then I convinced our label manufacturer to give me all their off cuts that they would have thrown away and we starting tearing this paper and camping it by hand in the distillery. This way we did not pay for labels, so neither would the customer.
Then I decided to make a delicious citrus based punchy gin to live up to the semi “anti-hero” concept of the brand.
We made 100 bottles as an experiment and they sold out in 2 days… ha-ha
The rest is history 🙂
- What solidified the need for the launch of Ugly Gin? What was your biggest hurdle so far?
The need was to get our customers to ask the hard question. What were they really paying for? The liquid, or everything else.
I think the hardest hurdle is that with this big cost saving, there is the assumption that the liquid is not of equal quality to our more expensive variation. But then we won “The best citrus gin” at the SA craft gin awards and a double gold in 2021 which put to bed any questions on the quality of the gin itself.
- How has Ugly gin been received so far and what do you think has caused the rise in gin’s popularity?
At this moment in time Ugly Gin outsells our other gin range by about 12 to 1 so I would say the reception has been overwhelmingly positive 🙂
I think gin is so popular because the law does not restrict the creativity distillers are allowed to exhibit as much as other spirit categories such as whisky of vodka or brandy. It allows for immense creativity and diversity which is really exciting for the consumer.
- What are some Ugly gin cocktails you would recommend our readers making?
Our perfect serve is an ugly gin and tonic. Which is basically a double Ugly Gin, ice, Indian Tonic and banished by taking an 8th of a grapefruit and squeezing the hell out of it into the drink 🙂
Another great one is the UGLY NEGRONI. Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred over ice and garnished with an orange wedge.
- Where can readers find out more about Ugly gin?
The best is to go onto our website – pienaarandson.co.za
And the follow us on instagram of course 🙂 @pienaarandson
“Gin’s high antioxidant content benefits more than simply your skin. According to some research, the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory qualities of juniper berries might enhance blood flow and the removal of toxins from the circulation, which can improve health and possibly lengthen life. Gin has fewer calories and less sugar than some other alcoholic beverages. Gin might be a little healthier if you already drink alcohol. But exercise caution while using mixers. They may dramatically increase the amount of sugar in your beverage.” What about a glass of gin as we celebrate the month of love? Gin has been proven to be a heart-healthy beverage.
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