The brand names of craft gins in South Africa*

Abstract

Abstract Gin has become a very popular alcoholic drink, and is often used with various other mixers, often including fruit. The definition ( Collins Paperback English Dictionary ) reads as follows: “an alcoholic drink distilled from malted grain and flavoured juniper berries” (1994: 351). One of the most common drinks is gin mixed with tonic water, but there are also others mixers involved. Recently, in 2020, a competition was held in South Africa, with a panel of assessors tasting a wide variety of gins, and many who supplied their gin products with the brand names thereof achieved gold and silver medals for their entries of mainly craft gins. The purpose of this contribution is to analyze the various craft gin names in South Africa, as well as the names of the producing firms, distilleries, and estates. Within the context of onomastics, the focus is therefore on the actual name of the brand as it appears on the label, as well as on the location where it was produced, hence it is a combination of brand and location.