Sugarbird® Collects accolades and launches brand new products
Multi award-winning craft spirits producer, Sugarbird®, which embodies flavours from the Cape Floral Kingdom, continues to grow internationally, as it collects accolades and launches exciting new products.
The brand was founded in 2017 by a small team of innovators and enthusiasts in Cape Town, who set out to create gin in a unique way. Five years later, they have won multiple international awards, the most recent of which is 2022’s Best Luxury Spirit Brand in South Africa – awarded by US-based Luxury Lifestyle Awards (LLA). This is an unprecedented second, “best in South Africa” win, by Sugarbird’s Cape Fynbos Gin range, having been crowned South Africa’s Best Premium Gin, in 2021 by LLA.
“Awards like this confirm our objective, that Sugarbird® is delivering the very best products to our clientele who have now come to expect nothing less.” said Sugarbird’s Matt Bresler. “We set out to create gin in a new way, going beyond the usual ingredients, and instead, drawing inspiration from the fynbos growing on our doorstep.” With its spirits, the Sugarbird® team has exquisitely combined various buchu species with rooibos, honeybush, several Pelargonium species and other fynbos plants, to create gins that attain a balance between citrus and floral notes – the hallmark of this popular brand.
“We are not resting on our laurels, as we continue to innovate with our new Honeybush and Moringa gin. This is a truly African product, steeped in two strains of fynbos tea. We released the gin variant, initially, as a “limited edition” gin mini. But, we’ve had so many requests for it, as a full-size bottle, locally and abroad, and additionally, the amber diversifies and strengthens our existing range of gins.” said Bresler, who is a scientist whose passion and experimentation with fynbos has yielded both unique and impressive results.
This floral-driven amber gin is trickle-filtered through the leaves of the honeybush (Cyclopia) and rooibos (Aspalathus) plants, adding warm toffee and woody notes, for subtle aromatic spiciness. Honeybush’s natural sweetness is balanced by Namibian Moringa, which brings its own tart, herbaceous characteristics.
This gin pairs perfectly with the woody characters of a charcuterie platter, or with the sweet fruitiness of a pavlova dessert.
Always true to its innovative roots, Sugarbird continues to delight connoisseurs with new flavours and exciting novel products. These products include a wide range of exclusive gifts for liquor retailers, in South Africa and abroad, many of whom have selected products for this year’s festive gifts (like Sugarbird® gin crackers, gin baubles, advent calendars). Packs of minis showcase not only Sugarbird® but also the brands of our South African craft competitors – the “Sugarbird® & Friends” brand. This defies the traditional rules of competition – instead it favours collaboration, offering consumers choice, variety and value.
Much of the Sugarbird® range, which includes a premium fynbos rum and a 14-year old barrel-aged XO brandy, is now exported into Africa, Europe, UK, Asia, North America, UAE and Australasia.
“We’ve been delighted with the interest shown in our South African brand, by so many overseas markets, who are obviously looking for something a little different and special.
We like to believe that our unique products capture some of the true spirit of South Africa, in all its richness – and specifically showcase the stunning flavour and taste diversity of fynbos and the Cape Floral Kingdom. We are now represented and available in 16 different countries and are delighted to be sharing in our small way.” Bresler said.
Sugarbird® Honeybush and Moringa – a delightful new addition to an already sublime signature range is available nationally for online purchase via Smous and Takealot.
RSP R375
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A food stylist and recipe developer, contributing to Food & Home and other esteemed magazines under Habari Media. I love for creating mouthwatering recipes, I bring culinary visions to life through my work.