Michael's on East, 1212 East Ave. South, Sarasota & Michael's Wine Cellar, 1283 S. Tamiami Trail, Midtown Plaza, Sarasota, 941-366-0007.

Add South African craft gin to your palate's thirsty repertoire. Inverroche Gin debuts in Florida by special request of Co-proprietor Michael Klauber of Michaels on East & Michael’s Wine Cellar—who'll be the first restaurant and retailer to offer all the artisanal spirit’s varieties to the Sunshine state.

Distilled in small batches in a custom-made copper pot still, then bottled and labeled purely by hand, Inverroche comes in three varieties Classic, Verdant and Amber—each with their own distinctive flavor profiles, but all infused with Fynbos botanicals. Haven't heard of this highly aromatic, fine-leaved flora kingdom? That's because it's only found scattered along the coastal dunes and rocky terrain of the southern tip of Western Cape. The distillery attributes its fragrantly smooth, specialty taste to hand-selected bouquets of this native flowery petal, as well as the family estate’s limestone-rich water aquifer and ancient secrets passed down over millennia. 

This exciting debut comes three years in the making, when Klauber first tasted Inverroche with his wife Terri while leading a wine-focused luxury safari journey for clients in South Africa in the summer of 2015. “Gin & Tonic is known as the cocktail of choice when on safari and we’ve been known to enjoy a classic ‘Sundowner’ cocktail with friends while leading our bi-annual Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club trips,” says Klauber. “But I’ll never forget our first sip of a Sundowner with Inverroche while visiting Londolozi Game Reserve. We knew immediately it was a special part of Africa we’d like to offer it to our friends back at home.” Since that pivotal safari ride, Klauber’s been working closely with distributors and importers the last three years to bring Inverroche to our local market. And after a stroke of Good Hope, the “crafted by nature” gin made its way to the Gulf Coast.

So let the evening beGIN with 'The Cape Town Fig Bramble'—the newest handcrafted cocktail at MOE featuring Poire Williams Liqueur, bitters, and yours truly Inverroche Amber Gin—garnished with Allspice-soaked figs and an orange twist to complement the delicate, woody finish. The Cape Town Fig Bramble is available during lunch, happy hour or dinner at the Michael’s On East Lounge or in the Restaurant’s dining rooms for $14. “Gesondheid”.

Michael's on East, 1212 East Ave. South, Sarasota & Michael's Wine Cellar, 1283 S. Tamiami Trail, Midtown Plaza, Sarasota, 941-366-0007.

Photo courtesy of MOE