Gin lovers, your prayers have been answered! South Africa is set to have its very own gin and tonic festival in the New Year. Following hot on the heels of the booming craft beer industry and its associated festivals, the makers of small-batch artisanal gin are dedicating a day to everyone’s favourite summer drink.

This inaugural festival will launch in Cape Town on 30 January 2016, right on time for those scorching summer days, with a Joburg date set for soon after. The event will be held in the charming new Mason’s Press Building in Woodstock and will showcase South African micro distilleries and some well-known international producers. A few to expect on the day will be New Harbour Distillery, Hope on Hopkins, Musgrave, Jorgensen’s and Triple Three Estate Distillery, as well as the launch of the new Bloedlemoen Gin, plus a selection of quality tonics.

New Harbour Distillery.

Gin lovers will also be able to enjoy a range of artisanal food offerings that will pair with various G&T cocktails, and enthusiasts will have the opportunity to learn from various expert ginsmiths and mixologists about what goes into making their G&T cocktail unique. Belgian entrepreneur and founder of the online shop Ginsonline Vincent Parisis will be sharing his knowledge and curating tasters of a few unique gins at the speaker’s corner.

The distillers.

First-phase tickets are sold out, but special edition tickets will be released in early January 2016 for the Cape Town launch. To book your tickets, keep an eye on their website or Facebook page for more details. All ticketholders will be presented with a beautiful large balloon glass at the festival for sampling gin and to enjoy at home.