Truman & Orange aims to accelerate the growth of Bloedlemoen in the competitive premium gin segment.
“We’ve been watching the developing local gin scene closely as gin’s prominence continues to grow internationally. The South African gin category is one of the fastest-growing in the world. We believe that the Bloedlemoen brand and its quality liquid are on par with our range of hand-selected, premium, international brands. We are thrilled to be in a position to help grow this superior local gin to scale,” says Truman & Orange founding owner Rowan Leibbrandt.
Over the past two years, Truman & Orange has introduced a range of gins to the South African market, including Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation American, super-premium Brooklyn Gin, traditional London Dry gin Hayman’s True English Gin and most recently Drumshanbo Irish Gunpowder Gin.
The latest brand to be added to its stable, Bloedlemoen Gin, is a premium, small batch gin that was conceptualised in 2015 by sommelier Pierre Strydom, chef Mike Jones and winemaker Stefan Coetzee. The South African trio wanted to create a gin that is deliciously refreshing, while layered with the warmth of select spices.
The answer came in developing a recipe that balances spices – Grains of Paradise, Coriander, Cassia bark, Nutmeg, Liquorice Root and Cardamom – with classic gin botanicals, Juniper and Angelica Root, and then adding local flavour, Tarocco Blood Orange and Orange Peel, as a unique twist.
Bloedlemoen is the first Blood Orange Gin in the world and the fruit is locally-sourced from growing partners in the Cape. It’s a contemporary, London Dry-style gin distilled using 10 botanicals through a combination of maceration and vapour infusion.
The founders spent the first two to three years selling their gin to friends and family off the back of their bakkie. When Lions Head Beverage Company took a share in October 2017, Bloedlemoen began to rise above the myriad of gins produced in our relatively young local market and took its place as a quality South African gin to keep an eye on. The attractive packaging was created by internationally-renowned local miniatures artist, Lorraine Loots.
