Naartjie, the South African name for a small aromatic mandarin, gives Ginfuse Sunset Naartjie its colour and defining flavour. The real fruit is infused after distillation, allowing its peel and flesh to perfume the spirit rather than appear as a superficial citrus accent. Ginfuse develops the gin in small batches with Deep South Distillery. The pale sunset tone comes from the infusion, and the current bottling is presented at 40% ABV.

Juniper supplies the dry gin foundation and naartjie provides the defining fruit. On the nose, freshly opened mandarin peel arrives first, vivid and slightly oily, followed by a cleaner pine note. The palate brings sweet orange flesh, lemon-like brightness and a gentle botanical coolness. It feels generous rather than confectionery, with enough juniper and citrus-pith bitterness to prevent the ripe fruit from becoming heavy. This simple dialogue between pine and mandarin gives the gin its immediacy.

That clarity helped Sunset Naartjie stand out at the 2025 American Distilling Institute International Spirits Competition, where it received gold as well as Best of Class and Best of Category honours. The awards are useful context, but the pleasure of the gin is simpler: it captures the scent released when a naartjie is peeled by hand. The finish narrows from juicy mandarin to drier zest and a faint resinous trace, leaving the palate ready for another sip.

Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water gives the fruit room without adding aggressive bitterness. Pour 4 cl over clear ice, add 10 cl of tonic slowly and finish with a thin fresh mandarin wheel and a fine strip of peel. Both garnishes should remain modest; their purpose is to extend the natural citrus perfume already present in the gin, not to turn the drink into an orange-flavoured soda.