Spearhead releases palm and pineapple gin

African spirits group Spearhead has launched Bayab Palm & Pineapple, a gin crafted from botanicals solely grown in Africa.

Spearhead said the gin has a ‘refreshing soul that celebrates the vibrancy of modern Africa in every sip’.

The gin is distilled in a copper pot in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. All eight botanicals used in the distillation – a 14-day steeping process to maximise flavour – are grown in Africa.

They include baobab sourced from Ghana and Zambia, juniper from Kenya, coarse salt from Botswana, and orange peel, cinnamon, coriander, rosemary and pineapple, all from South Africa.

Baobab is the gin’s main botanical – an African superfruit that comes from the baobab tree, commonly known by its nickname ‘the tree of life’.

Spearhead said the fruit has a ‘sweet, tangy taste that unlocks the distinctive sweet African citrus flavour in all Bayab bottlings’.

Bayab Palm & Pineapple is recommended in citrus-forward cocktail serves such as a Gimlet. Its profile is described as ‘refreshing with a hint of sweetness on the palate’ and with notes of fresh citrus and sweet pineapple.

It is available online for £28 (US$36) on Amazon (for the UK), Reserve Bar (the US) and Makro (South Africa).

Spearhead Spirits, a Black-owned company, was founded in the UK in March 2021 by Chris Frederick and Damola Timeyin, who seek to connect the world to Africa via their range of spirits.

The pair raised US$3 million in funding in 2022 to ramp up their international expansion plans and launch new products.

They also have a partnership with Ho Technical University in Ghana to support its efforts in the conservation of the baobab tree, which provides water and shelter for people across the continent.

Along with Bayab Gin, the company also produces Vusa Vodka, a premium small-batch vodka made with African sugarcane.