Six Dogs Honey Lime is an irresistible combination of farm honey, home-grown limes and the finest botanical spirit. Sip it and you’ll taste classic notes of juniper, coriander and the earthy tones of angelica, complemented by a bite of zesty limes and a subtle infusion of honey to soften and sweeten the overall taste.

A dusty and well-worn dirt track, somewhere on the fringes of the otherwise endless and arid Karoo region in South Africa, leads to an oasis of indescribeable beauty. Close to the tiny village of De Wet, but not too far from the major highway between Cape Town and Johannesburg, this is the home of Six Dogs Distillery, one of South Africa’s most renowned boutique gin distilleries.

Arrive at the farm where the Distillery is situated and be prepared for an unusual welcome: six canines – four large and gentle Great Danes and two smaller dogs – all demanding your attention, which is inevitably drawn to the circle of mountains and the line of trees that surround this perfect little valley. They will accompany you too to the stoep or verandah area where you will be able to take in the spectacular views while sipping on a range of delicate hand-crafted gins.

“Because we could” is the obvious answer from Charles Bryant, Master Distiller and one of the original founders of Six Dogs, when you ask why this former capital markets trader and serial entrepreneur turned his hand to perfecting the art of gin distillation. But that simple answer belies a fascinating story of how a business born in a shed on the farm where the dogs sleep (hence the name) only seven years ago spawned one of the most well known gin brands in South Africa and one that now has a presence in some thirty countries around the world.

This delectable drink is the result of a sustainability project that began when South African bee conservation company, Bee Smiths, approached Six Dogs Distillery to relocate distressed bees to the farm on which the distillery is situated. Their new home, found on the intersection of the Fynbos and Karoo biomes, proved to be the ideal location for the bees.