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- Colourful cocktails are common in most restaurants and bars.
- Sandton's Davinci Hotel & Suites have launched a signature black gin to set itself apart.
- Bottles of the gin are also available for sale as a keepsake.
When I picture cocktails, I imagine clear, amber, pink, and even yellow drinks. The concept of a black cocktail is new to me, and I suppose it is new to most people who visit Johannesburg.
The Davinci Hotel & Suites considered this and developed a black spirit inspired by their classic black and white interiors. The spirit is a gin named DV Gin Nero (translated as "Black" in Italian).
The hotel in the heart of Sandton's business district is well-known for its elegant architecture, impressive art collection, and wide range of lifestyle activities.
The hotel hopes that its new black gin will be another reason to visit, and it hosted a cocktail evening with a curated list of drinks and snacks to introduce the media to DV Gin Nero.
What does black gin taste like?
Eyes are an essential part of tasting and perceiving food, and the colour of the gin can do quite a number on the mind.
You can ingest in specific quantities and formats, and I couldn't help but imagine that I would taste a hint of charcoal in the gin, but I did not.
It tastes just like gin, but its burnt orange flavour profile sets DV Gin Nero apart.
During an evening at a banquet table beside the pool, we heard about how the gin was distilled and bottled, especially for the Davinci Hotel & Suites by the award-winning Johannesburg Distilling Company.
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"We wanted a story guests could take home with them and share with family and friends on their return. The black gin is the first of its kind in Joburg, and the beautiful bottle can even be repurposed as a décor item back home," said Andrew van Hasselt, General Manager of the Davinci Hotel & Suites.
According to the hotel, DV Gin Nero has been designed for young, vibrant, sophisticated gin fanatics who are clued up enough to know what an expertly crafted gin should taste like but also adventurous enough to embark on a journey of discovery with a newly curated cocktail list.
The hotel's curated cocktail list will also be available to the public, and it features cocktails that are modern riffs on old classics. The gin cocktails get their names from aspects of the infamous Davinci's life and times.
Some of these include The Enigmatic Smile, which features Campari, sweet vermouth, orange peel, aromatic bitters, and simple syrup, as well as a drink called Lisa's Grotto which contains elderflower liqueur, jasmine tea infused-lavender syrup, fresh lemon juice, and blackberries.
"The gin will be available for purchase from the hotel's lounge/bar or to take home as a keepsake of one's time spent in Joburg at the Davinci," said the hotel.
Although the vibrant colours of cocktails are part of the fun that comes with consuming fruity and flavourful alcoholic beverages, the exciting look of the black gin more than makes up for that aspect of the experience.
The colour of the gin is also a great conversation starter.
If you want to try DV Gin Nero, you can book your table by emailing davinci-banqueting@legacyhotels.co.za or booking on the Dineplan app.
