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= Elephant Gin = Elephant Gin is a premium handcrafted gin made with rare African botanicals, custom made bottles and hand written labels all produced in Germany. The company is passionate about the conservation of African elephants and contributes 15% of their profits from any full sized bottle sold to the Big Life Foundation and Space for Elephants. They also donate 15% of the profits from their small bottles to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Elephant Gin was founded by Robin Gerlach, Henry Palmer and Tessa Wienker in 2013 after an expedition to Africa. Elephant Gin can now be delivered to Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Peru, South Africa, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland. The product range has these distinct design features, a hand made label feature a nineteenth century stamp of an elephant, individually hand written calligraphy labeling, a cork sourced from Portugal, a clear glass 500ml bottle and a hemp string tied around the neck of the bottle.

History
Elephant Gin was launched in 2013 by its founders Robin Gerlach, Henry Palmer and Tessa Wienker. The gin was created in admiration for the Elephants they met in during their travels in Africa and because of this they donate their profits to charities that strive for the prosperity of these animals. Since their conception in 2013, the business has continued to produce a product that’s environmentally and socially sustainable, making the product globally available.

Awards
Since their release in 2013, Elephant Gin has received the following awards, World spirits awards 2014 gold, Goldener press 2015, World spirits awards 2015 gold, International spirits challenge 2015, World gin awards 2016 best,  World spirits award 2016 double-gold, World spirits award 2016 spirit of the year, The gin masters the spirits business 2017 gold, International spirits challenge 2017 gold, International spirits challenge 2017 trophy, World spirits award 2017 gold, International spirits award 2017 gold, International spirits challenge 2018 gold, International spirits challenge 2018 trophy, World spirits award 2018 double-gold, positive luxury brands to trust 2018, World gin awards 2019 worlds best, World spirits competition 2019 double gold and International spirits challenge 2019 double gold.

Production
Elephant gin is made using fourteen botanicals including, elderflower, lions tail, devils claw, African wormwood, apple, juniper, ginger, mountain pine, orange peel. Pimento, cassia bark, lavender, sole berries, buchu and baobab. Elephant gin uses artisan production methods, starting with all ingredients being checked for any impurities. The distileration process begins with the botanicals being macerated for 24 hours in a copper potstill. Elephant Gin produces approximately 600 bottles per batch through the ‘one-short’ method, which is then diluted with locally sourced spring water to be 45% ABV. The gin is then placed in 500ml or 50ml bottles, which are then secured with a cork thats sourced from Portugal,tied shut with hemp string around the base of the bottle neck and labeled with their hand written label. Their production method has been recognised by Positive Luxury for their environmentally and socially sustainable production and have therefore been bestowed with the Butterfly Mark. Elephant Gin is the flavour inspiration of Africa, produced in Germany and as of 2016 distributed world wide, in four varieties excluding the miniature bottles.

Distillation
The pot still distillation method can be used to make alcohols including tequila, some vodkas, cognac, stoch and Irish whiskey. The copper still distillation begins wth the turning on of the heat elements situated at the bottom of the copper pot, copper is the preferred metal to use due to its ability to conduct heat better than aliminum or other metals. Once the water in the pot is boiling, vapour begins to rise up through the basket where the fourteen botanicals are situated, effectively steaming the flavour of the fruits and other botanicals. Eventually after the twenty four hour maceration process the liquid had condensed to produce a refined, pure spirit. The gin is at a 94% alcohol percentage and is diluted using locally sourced spring water to become 45% alcohol by volume. After being bottled the gin is usually set aside to rest for two weeks before sale.

History of distillation
Evidence of the distillation process can be traced back to 3000 BC in West Pakistan where a terracotta distillation apparatus was discovered. Evidence of the distilling of liquids was also found in ancient Egypt back in the first century, where they used the process to make perfumes. It is only in the ninety century when an Arab chemist Al-Kindi used the distillation process to produce alcoholic liquids. This distillation process spread to Italy in the twelfth century. The first book ever to discuss the subject of distillation was Hieronymus Braunschweig s work, Liber de arte destillandi (The Book of the Art of Distillation). As the process became more widely known the distillation method was improved, the introduction of retorts, glass bottles with long, bent over necks to enable the cool air to get to the rising steam and direct the condensation down towards the collection pot. Another advancement in the production included performing the distillation process twice, this enable for a larger yield of alcohol and a more purified product. These improvements continued to evolve to into the nineteenth century where in 1822 Anthony Perrier created the first continuous distillation process. The twentieth century brought about the emergence of chemical engineering which enabled the production of petroleum and computer simulated distillation columns.

Varieties
The distillery produces four types of gin including:

Elephant Dry Gin
Current price not including shipping, $64.90

The Elephant Gin is inspired by London Dry Gin, however embraces more uniquely African botanicals so that it contains an alcohol by volume percentage of 45 percent. The bottles design features the same stamp design used by nineteenth century explorers  in Africa, which holds in place the custom made label that’s embossed with a tribal shield, information regarding the charity the bottle supports and has the label hand written by a calligrapher.

Elephant Gin - Elephant Strength
Current price not including shipping, AUS$79.95

The Elephant Strength Gin is inspired by the “navy strength” gin that originated in the Royal English Navy, which has the history of being put to test by igniting it with gunpowder and if the gin lit it would mean its alcohol by volume percentage was over at least 57 and therefore past the test and was deemed suitable for the navy to consume. The gin is stronger and richer in flavour than the original due to the use of double the amount of botanicals used distil the gin, the bottle design is easily recognisable due to the use of blue accents on the label, map of the ocean and features a rope fashioned string with an anchor hanging from it  that’s tied around the neck of the bottle unlike the originals hemp string.

Elephant Aged Gin
Current price not including shipping, AUS$64.90

Elephant Aged Gin is a rye-based dry gin that has an alcohol by volume percentage of 52 percent. The gin is allowed to rest in oak for one year after its initial distillation. The design for the Gins label is black featuring gold elements with each bottle holding its own vintage number. The gin still contains the sustainability sourced cork and custom made calligraphy label. The gin is highly competitive to purchase due to its first in first buy distribution method.

Elephant Sloe Gin
Current price not including shipping, AUS$64.90

Elephant Sloe Gin is the flavour combination of sloe berries and Elephant Gins dry gin, which is limited to one vintage per year, which means it’s produced only once a year. This is due to them being macerated for several months and having a low sugar content and an alcohol by volume percentage of 35 percent. The Elephant Sloe Gin is a warm red in colour that can be seen through the clear glass bottle, that’s adorned with a set of colourful beads around the neck of the bottle. As well as the cork from Portugal, custom made label and handwritten calligraphy.

Miniatures (50ml)
Current price not including shipping, AUS$11.95

The miniature bottles are shrunk down versions of the 500ml bottle holding the additional design features of baby elephants and the name of twenty two elephants the Elephant Gin donate their profits to help foster at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Big Life Foundation
Big Life Foundation is an organisation thats looks after and protects 1.6 million acres of land in the Amboseli-Travolta-Kilimanjaro region of East Africa. To take care of this vast space they have build over 30 permanent outposts, operate 13 vehicles, have trained tracker dogs and two planes to take care and conserve this ecosystem. The organisation was founded in 2010 by Nick Brandt, Richard Bonham and Tom Hill whose goal was to coordinate a anti-poachers watch operation. They seek to protect and sustain the elephant population in East Africa. They’ve been able to achieve this through the collaboration of local communities, partner NGOs, national parks and government agencies. Big Life Foundation is the coordinate programs such as wildlife protection, rhino protection, predator protection, human-wildlife conflict, education and the Maasai Olympics. The Maasai Olympics is the Big Life Foundations outstanding feature, with the event first being held in 2008, it was designed to promote the hunting of medals not animals. The four day long event is held every four years and has see positive results including a decline in lion poaching. The organisation uses their website to self promote their cause, selling merchandise and with the funds created gets put towards the conservation projects.

Space for Elephants
Space for Elephants is a non for profit organisation that works to allow elephants and other African wildlife to have land that they can safely roam freely inside. The organisation arose out of concern for the livelihood of the animals who only had a restricted area to roam. Space for Elephants as an organisation is there to erase arch and educate organisations and facilitate more land for the elephants to live on in respect to the local communities who co habit with the animals space. They work with the Man and Biosphere Program (MaB) with the aim of establishing a safe environment for African wildlife whilst ensuring the well-being of humans. They promote, support and implement education and training in the managing the balance between conservation and tourism. Space for Elephants was founded by Dr Heinz Kohrs, a veterinarian, his chairman, Jasper Colette has been a trustee of the organisation since 2004 and focuses on research concerning biomass renewable energy fields. Other members include their CEO Digs Pascoe, scientist Dr Marion Garai, scientists and elephant researcher Bob Preller, treasure and marketer Dulcie Pascoe. Space for Elephants run a series of educational and research programs including the maputaland ponds land Albany hotspot, the trans frontier conservation areas-lubomobo eco trails, students training programme, rhino security and monitoring, adult skills training programme, resource centre for adult skills at local school adjacent to Pongola game reserve and corridors.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust are best known for their successful elephant rehabilitation and orphanage operation, with 244 orphaned elephants successfully raise from their establishment over fourth years ago. The organisation strives to protect and promote the preservation of the wildlife and their habitats within East Africa. Their headquarters are based in Nairobi and Kenya but have other offices in the United Kingdom and United States of America. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust tackle challenges including habitat destruction, poaching, wildlife to community balance through the pioneering of field projects and other research programmes. As the human population expands animals and humans come into increased areas of conflict especially in regards to food and community to wildlife borders. The increase of wildlife land being used for farming puts a strain on the space elephants have to roam without introducing on villages. Apart from territory resources including water become more scares as each population grows particularly in areas where communities keep livestock or crops. Where elephants can make there way into farms and flatten entire fields in hours which can then lead to retaliation killing. Similarly, man made wells and watering points used for human consumption have become increasing areas for young calf’s to get stuck in and later abandoned by the herd. This is due to elephants having to move through protected areas and community land in search if food and water throughout the year. Sheldrick Wildlife trust have introduced a series of projects to help eliminate this threat including anti-poaching, mobile veterinary units, orphans’ project, community outreach and fence lines.