ZIMBABWEANS based in South Africa have launched, Masau Craft Distillery, a small batch craft distillery which uses traditional recipes and hand-crafted techniques to distill something unique to Southern Africa and marketed online to local, regional and international consumers.
Based at The Business Hub, Avianto, Portion 82 Villa Road, Muldersdrift in Gauteng province in South Africa and led by Lameck Garonga (pictured) from Zimbabwe, the craft distillery is offering something different: Masau Vodka, Golden Gin, Golden Liqueur, Wooded Spirit Aperitif and cocktails with a unique taste and flavour.
“Masau is a fruit that looks like a date and is found mainly in the African Southern Hemisphere. We chose the name Masau to keep the original name of the fruit as it is known in Zimbabwe and other parts of southern Africa as well as to become our brand name,” Garonga says.
“Masau Craft Distillery (MCD) is a small batch craft distillery that uses traditional recipes and hand-crafted techniques to distill something unique to Southern Africa and marketed online and distributed to both local, regional and international consumers. Our Spirits will not be available in retail shops anytime soon. We strongly believe in social distancing and encourage responsible drinking of our alcoholic beverages whilst we isolate, with friends and family.
“MCD is fully owned by family and very close associates, with the founding director being the master distiller and CEO of the Company. The board of directors as per the organogram is responsible for the operations of the day to day functions of the business.”
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The Pofera family settled in Zimbabwe from Mozambique where they fermented and distilled Masau to make alcoholic spirits used for family functions and traditional ceremonies. Upon moving to Zimbabwe and working in the mines and farms the family continued to distill the spirit for the enjoyment of close family and friends.
This family legacy of handcrafting and distillation by the Pofera family is now in the third generation who have now turned this family pastime into a craft distillery in South Africa. The fourth generation is being trained from grassroots levels of farming Masau fruit trees which will begin to bear fruit in five years time when Masau aims to launch their first whisky to the world in 2027.
Every winter in the African southern hemisphere, the Masau tree naturally and faithfully bears much fruit for our enjoyment. Carefully chosen and hand-picked the cyclical process that brings Masau to the world begins.
The brands of the brandy are already making an impact.
Masau Wooded Brandy (the Black Bottle) was awarded two prestigious Bronze medals in the brandy category and the new brand launch – design & packaging – at the International Spirits Challenge 2020. The accolade followed a rigorous judging process that saw more than 50 category experts gather for an intense blind tasting session.
Masau Wooded Brandy reportedly excelled throughout this comprehensive judging process and garnered praise from some of the most deeply respected spirits experts in the world.-STAFF WRITER
