Gin & excellence. Two of my favourite things right there. I spoke to Lucy Beard of Hope on Hopkins Distillery in Cape Town about the marvellous gin she has created with her husband Leigh Lisk.
1. Tell me about your line of work?
We’re in the Craft Distillery business (if that’s what you call it!), handcrafting gin and other spirits with passion. We’re quite new to it – only been at it for 2 years, with product to market for nearly a year and a half – but it’s been a while in the planning. We’re unusual in that we make some of our own spirits (two of our gins are made from a malted barley base, which we cook, ferment and then triple distil on site, before distilling a fourth time with botanicals to make the gins) and also make gins for other people.
On the gin brand name: it’s two-fold, Hope of course has lots of positive connotations and associations with Cape Town, but mostly we just hope like hell it works (as we gave up corporate life to set it up!) and hence the fingers crossed logo. And we’re on Hopkins Street.
The distillers, Leigh Lisk & Lucy Beard
2. What is your passion – what inspires you?
Doing things simply, properly and naturally: it’s what being a craft distiller is all about, handcrafting beautiful products from natural ingredients.
3. What is it you love about Cape Town?
What’s not to love: we moved to Cape Town after spending nearly 16 years in Europe (most of it in London) and love every minute of living here. It’s a cosmopolitan, beautiful city and I love the people, the mountain, the sea, the food and the wine!
4. Name a favourite travel destination and tell us why you love it?
There are so many – but I think the place I’m yearning to go back to at the moment is Ibiza: not the crazy clubbing part, but the wild, out of the way north of the island, with beautiful beaches, aquamarine waters and amazing restaurants . I’m lucky enough to say I hope to get there again next year, and run the half marathon on neighbouring white isle, Formentera.
5. What are a few of your favourite things in life and what is your pet peeve?
Good food, interesting art and design, food, drink and friendships are a few of my favourites. My pet peeve is that Cape Town is not a more bicycle and pedestrian friendly city (related to my other pet peeve: bad, aggressive drivers – what happens to Capetonians when they get behind the wheel of a car?!)
On social, have a Follow:
Twitter: @HopeOnHopkins / Facebook: @HopeOnHopkins / Instagram: @hopeonhopkins www.hopeonhopkins.co.za
The tasting room at Hope on Hopkins
Until next time,
