When David Livingstone first saw the falls in 1855, he wrote that scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight, and Victoria Falls Gin borrows that sense of wonder for its promise of a taste of African magic. The brand presents it as a premium, small-batch gin, lovingly crafted and made in honour of Mosi-oa-Tunya, the local name of the falls, which means the smoke that thunders.

Three ingredients inspired by local traditional practices define the recipe: baobab, buffalo thorn honey and grains of paradise. All the baobab is bought directly from women in Victoria Falls, so each bottle supports the local community. Listings for European buyers present it as a gin from Zimbabwe at 43% ABV, sold in 700 ml bottles.

Each ingredient carries a story. The baobab, a tree that can live for thousands of years, bears a tart, powdery fruit that the brand notes is far richer in vitamin C than oranges. Buffalo thorn honey comes from a tree used in traditional Zulu medicine and believed to protect against lightning, and grains of paradise, a West African spice, recall cardamom, coriander, citrus, ginger and nutmeg at once.

Together they give a clear profile: tart fruit from the baobab, a rounded sweetness from the honey and a warm, peppery finish from the grains of paradise, with juniper keeping the gin dry. An Indian tonic balances the honey with its bitterness, and a thin lemon wheel adds freshness. The gin also works neat over a single ice cube, where the spice of the grains of paradise shows best.