When the Karoo Gin was launched towards the end of 2016, it was the founders’ intention that this would be the brand’s sole product, for which it was expected that the Distillery would be more than adequate in terms of production capacity.  A thirst for innovation, however, led over the ensuing years to the development of a range of other Gins, which, when coupled with the brand’s unexpected success, necessitated the establishment of a second distillery which is today managed by Luigi in his home town of George. 

Charles explains that while the flagship Karoo Gin has earned a loyal and growing following of admirers amongst the world’s gin-loving community, the brand’s big break came with the introduction of its second gin – simply named Six Dogs Blue Gin – in 2017.  Amongst the very first of its kind in the world, this amazing naturally blue-coloured gin incorporates the blue pea flower, which not only gives the gin its striking colour, but which also causes the Gin to change colour to a light pink when combined with tonic!

“The blue pea flower – an antioxidant and alleged aphrodisiac in traditional eastern medicine - is truly an amazing flower that will react to the pH level of any mixer by changing colour.  It’s easy to see why we call it our ‘party gin’, but in fact the true magic comes from the addition of home-grown and freshly harvested rose pelargonium that gives the gin much of its lightness, softness and smoothness and it is these qualitites that somehow took the local market by storm and which seem to appeal also to a much wider international audience,”he says. 

Today the range consists, in addition to the Karoo and Blue gins, of a further three gins.  The first of these is the Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin that employs a highly innovative technique of extracting the colour and flavour of this quintessential South African grape cultivar to create a deeply layered gin with hints of cognac, port, sherry or a good red wine – the perfect winter or after-dinner gin.  

By contrast, the Six Dogs Honey Lime Gin, with its refreshing mouthfeel that deliberately sets the tanginess of the lime against the subtle sweetness of the honey, has a delightful spring or summer feel about it and just might be the best way to start an evening.  Interestingly, the honey in this gin comes from bees that have been rescued from stressful urban areas and relocated to hives on the farm.

Most recently, the company added the Six Dogs Blue Light Gin to its range, in a nod to a growing consumer interest in lower alcohol strength products.  While sharing many of the characteristics of the Blue Gin, the botanicals in this product have been enhanced to ensure a full-flavour gin, despite an alcohol level of 24% relative to the normal 43%, that will completely satisfy the “sober curious” drinker.

With their distinctive bottle, beautifully designed labels and amazing packaging it is easy to see why each of the gins in the Six Dogs range will stand out on a bar counter or on the shelves of any liquor retail outlet.  But as Charles’ brother Glenn, responsible for the sales and marketing function, explains, the success of the brand is as much a function of the passion and hard work of the team of Six Dogs employees and associates as it is the quality of the gins themselves.

“When we launched our first gin, not one of us had any background or experience in the liquor industry and we had to learn the hard way, by pounding the streets, knocking on doors, slowly building an online and social media presence, and always seeking the advice and assistance of the people in the trade,” he says. “In hindsight this proved to be a great strategy as it underscored the importance of relationship-building, which today is one of the key values of our brand, along with quality, innovation and passion.”

Of course the COVID pandemic took its toll on Six Dogs Distillery as it did on so many businesses in the hopitality sector, particularly in view of the total ban on alcohol sales in South Africa over much of the period.  Never ones to simply wait for things to improve, the team at Six Dogs decided to set up an associate business in The Netherands – at the height of the pandemic - in order to extend the brand’s footprint in Europe.  This is proving to be a sucessful strategy:

“In the space of only a few months, and from a zero base, we have seen The Netherlands grow from non-existent in terms of our global sales to our second best market after South Africa itself.  Again, this is a factor of our actually being on the ground to build the brand, while having warehouse facilities in the country means that we can guarantee a regular supply without having to depend upon the lengthy process of shipping  product from South Africa,” says Glenn.  “We are much looking forward to using The Netherlands as a base from which to grow our pack of Six Dogs fans across Europe!”

It's not all plain sailing.  The brand must compete against literally thousands of other craft gins from all over the world for shelf space, and in many instances competitor brands are far more established and have way deeper pockets when it comes to marketing expenditure.  But this seems only to drive the team at Six Dogs to ever greater heights:

“I have complete confidence in the quality of our products, the design of the packaging and most of all the passion of our team.  Yes, it’s tough out there, but we are lucky to have so many great supporters in the trade and amongst our customer base, and on top of all of that, we’re having the time of our lives.  How can we not succeed?”, says Glenn.

From a dog shed on a farm in Africa to the world, the team at Six Dogs lives by the brand’s motto: “born to explore”.  Long may the journey of exploration continue!

When the Karoo Gin was launched towards the end of 2016, it was the founders’ intention that this would be the brand’s sole product, for which it was expected that the Distillery would be more than adequate in terms of production capacity.  A thirst for innovation, however, led over the ensuing years to the development of a range of other Gins, which, when coupled with the brand’s unexpected success, necessitated the establishment of a second distillery which is today managed by Luigi in his home town of George. 

Charles explains that while the flagship Karoo Gin has earned a loyal and growing following of admirers amongst the world’s gin-loving community, the brand’s big break came with the introduction of its second gin – simply named Six Dogs Blue Gin – in 2017.  Amongst the very first of its kind in the world, this amazing naturally blue-coloured gin incorporates the blue pea flower, which not only gives the gin its striking colour, but which also causes the Gin to change colour to a light pink when combined with tonic!

“The blue pea flower – an antioxidant and alleged aphrodisiac in traditional eastern medicine - is truly an amazing flower that will react to the pH level of any mixer by changing colour.  It’s easy to see why we call it our ‘party gin’, but in fact the true magic comes from the addition of home-grown and freshly harvested rose pelargonium that gives the gin much of its lightness, softness and smoothness and it is these qualitites that somehow took the local market by storm and which seem to appeal also to a much wider international audience,”he says. 

Today the range consists, in addition to the Karoo and Blue gins, of a further three gins.  The first of these is the Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin that employs a highly innovative technique of extracting the colour and flavour of this quintessential South African grape cultivar to create a deeply layered gin with hints of cognac, port, sherry or a good red wine – the perfect winter or after-dinner gin.  

By contrast, the Six Dogs Honey Lime Gin, with its refreshing mouthfeel that deliberately sets the tanginess of the lime against the subtle sweetness of the honey, has a delightful spring or summer feel about it and just might be the best way to start an evening.  Interestingly, the honey in this gin comes from bees that have been rescued from stressful urban areas and relocated to hives on the farm.

Most recently, the company added the Six Dogs Blue Light Gin to its range, in a nod to a growing consumer interest in lower alcohol strength products.  While sharing many of the characteristics of the Blue Gin, the botanicals in this product have been enhanced to ensure a full-flavour gin, despite an alcohol level of 24% relative to the normal 43%, that will completely satisfy the “sober curious” drinker.

With their distinctive bottle, beautifully designed labels and amazing packaging it is easy to see why each of the gins in the Six Dogs range will stand out on a bar counter or on the shelves of any liquor retail outlet.  But as Charles’ brother Glenn, responsible for the sales and marketing function, explains, the success of the brand is as much a function of the passion and hard work of the team of Six Dogs employees and associates as it is the quality of the gins themselves.

“When we launched our first gin, not one of us had any background or experience in the liquor industry and we had to learn the hard way, by pounding the streets, knocking on doors, slowly building an online and social media presence, and always seeking the advice and assistance of the people in the trade,” he says. “In hindsight this proved to be a great strategy as it underscored the importance of relationship-building, which today is one of the key values of our brand, along with quality, innovation and passion.”