Story by Tichaona Kurewa
Gin and gin tours have been introduced in the Victoria Falls to enhance the attractiveness of the resort city.
Victoria Falls, known for its awe-inspiring cascades, is now making waves in the world of spirits.
Two distilleries, Victoria Falls Distilling Company and Victoria Falls Gin, are leading the charge.
Victoria Falls Gin founder, Ms Charlotte Kanter, told the ZBC News, “Every time I was here in Victoria Falls everyone was drinking gin the whole time, whether it was sunset cruise or they were on a safari, they were always drinking gin. The options were Bombay, London dry and others. One day I was at the Falls and I thought if we could bottle how special Victoria Falls is, that would be a success with international tourists)l.”
“The emphasise when someone comes here is to not only drink the lovely flavours, but to learn a little bit about botanicals and about our countries as well. So we believe in Victoria Falls. It’s a new offering that people can enjoy when they visit our beautiful city,” noted Victoria Falls Distilling Company director, Lionel McCauley.
The revolution goes beyond the bottle as it is also empowering communities, creating employment and marketing the destination.
Added Kanter, “We use local ingredients that we get from local women. Some of the main ingredients are grains of paradise, baobab fruit seeds, buffalo thorn and others. Tourists come to Victoria Falls and they take the gin home. When they talk about Victoria Falls they bring out a bottle of Victoria Falls gin and they promote the destination to whoever they are with. This a tourism product from Africa to the world.”
Apart from just drinking a new product, a gin tour has been unveiled…
McCauley also said, “We have a botanical library where one can control flavours that go into their own unique brand. So they can potentially use monkey orange and a little branding their own. So, it’s hands-on interactive with tourists.
Zimbabwe continues to widen its tourist offerings to ensure tourists spend more nights in the country for the US$5 billion tourism industry to be realised by 2025.
