Mahala

The brand name comes from the Zulu word for "free", a nod to its South African origins. Mahala was developed during the global pandemic by a master distiller based in Cape Town and a UK-based co-founder. Production takes place at Doña Distillery in Cape Town, where an all-female distillery team oversees what Mahala calls a Farm to Glass process, covering each stage of production in-house.

Nine hand-sourced botanicals form the basis of each batch, many of them indigenous to South Africa, including clove, orange, angelica root, buchu, cassia bark, honeybush and cardamom. The botanicals are first infused under vacuum, a process that draws out their character under reduced pressure rather than direct heat, before the liquid passes through triple-distillation in custom-built vacuum stills. Distilling under reduced pressure, rather than at conventional boiling point, allows the spirit to develop depth of flavour without alcohol.

Mahala targets health-conscious and mindful drinkers and is designed to be mixed with premium tonic, soda water or ginger beer. The brand has announced a UK launch, extending its reach beyond its South African home market.