One of the highlights I was recommended to visit in Durban was Distillery 031, a Distillery, with restaurant and bar, as well as Gin Tasting Room, in a less desirable location near the railway line in Durban. While the Distillery 031 products are of an excellent quality, the service is not!

Last Tuesday I took an Uber to the building on Station Road, and found the Gin Tasting Room. It was locked and there was no one to give information as to the tasting times. A lady working in a business nearby told me to go one floor up, to find further information. I wandered down the passage, and found the restaurant and bar, as well as Distillery section, taking the bulk of the second floor. The door was standing open, and I wandered in, finding Chef Luke Sherriff in the kitchen. 

We started chatting, and he told me that he was preparing dishes for a High Tea which was planned for last Saturday. I got really excited when he told me that it would be a G & Tea, with a gin pairing. In addition Chef Luke told me that they would offer South African treats.

I found the Manager on the third floor, and she seemed surprised to hear about the High Tea. 

She called someone, to confirm the High Tea and its cost, and based on the information, I booked with her, giving her my phone details too. I planned my Saturday on the basis of the booking, getting back to Durban earlier, to make the 15h00 start of the High Tea. I found a small table, and waved at Chef Luke on entering. The waiter seated me and gave me a menu, but I declined it, telling him I’d come for the High Tea. He did not respond. I went to chat with 
Chef Luke, and this is when I was told that they were so busy in the past week that they had decided to cancel the High Tea, without calling me to cancel my booking! I was aghast at the poor service and lack of customer care. I took my book and walked out, but on the way out I was stopped by co-owner Jordan, who sat me down, and apologized, saying that it was his fault that I had not been called to cancel the reservation. He could not say whether they had forgotten, but I told him that I was not happy. He offered me a cocktail as compensation, but I told him that I do not drink much, especially as I was driving a rented car.  

The Distillery 031 product range was started in 2007 by Andrew Rall, whom I met when I was waiting for an Uber to collect me. I was told that Andrew is almost as tall as the doorway, so I asked him if he is Andrew when he walked past me. I praised his product range, and told him that I had once worked in the advertising industry. Andrew runs an ad agency in the same building, on the 3rd floor. The website states that Andrew is passionate about creating craft spirits with ‘distinctly Durban flavours and an intimate experience’. Andrew’s first Distillery was one set up at his home in 2007, and he visited different countries, to study different approaches to spirits, in the USA, in Scotland, France, Norway, Brazil, and the U.K. He found the Station Road building in which to set up the Distillery, and his vision was to set up the Distillery, capturing the ‘essence of
contemporary Durban in the spirits we produce… Durban Distilled’, Andrew said. 

The Distillery 031 range consists of about twelve products, and the product labels are striking: 

#   Durban Dry Gin (43% alcohol) is a London Dry style Gin, but made with ten botanicals, including African Rosehip. It has a strong citrus nose, with juniper coming through. Other ingredients are cardamon, orris root, pepper, and cassia bark. ‘…when designing the labels, we drew on Durban’s lush foliage which provided
inspiration…’

#   031 Vodka (43# alcohol) is made from molasses made from KZN sugar cane, the province’s climate being suitable for growing sugar cane. It is ten times distilled, first in a copper stripping still, and then in their 8 plate column still. Production is in small batches, to preserve as much of the flavours as possible. Flavours include citrus, caramel, butterscotch, and cupcakes, ending off with a warm and spicy note. 

#   Agua Zulu Cachaça (43%) is made in their copper pot, using KZN sugar cane, which is pressed and fermented within 24 hours of harvesting so that the freshness of the sugar cane is retained. ‘On the pallet (sic) fresh, grassy flavours open, natural preservative  followed by citrus and earthy notes’. The finish gives warm butterscotch and vanilla flavours. Cachaça is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice, and is the most popular distilled product in Brazil. 

#.  Bay of Plenty Spiced Rum is being made, maturing in oak barrels. It will be our country’s first premium barrel-aged sipping rum. 

#   Ancestors Absinthe is made in the traditional French style, with anise and bitterness of the grand wormwood. It has indeginous botanicals, including the African wormwood, and a traditional Zulu herb impepho. The beverage pays tribute to the Zulu tradition of ancestors appearing in dreams.  Absinthe tastings are offered by Distillery 031. 

#.  Spirit Aperitifs (30% alcohol) are infused with natural and local ingredient combinations, including Madagascar vanilla bean and baobab; naartjie and rooibos; and cinnamon and wild dagga. 

#.  Tonic and Lemonade, made with natural ingredients, natural flavours, natural colorants, and preservative-free. Products offered are 031 Tonic Cordial, and 031 Lemonade. 

Distillery 031, 43 Station Road, Durban. Tel 087 941 4540 www. distillery031.com, Twitter: @Distillery_031 Instagram: @distillery031

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter: @Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein