South African Distillery Uses Elephant Dung To Flavor Gin

The makers of a South African gin infused with elephant dung swear their use of the animal's excrement is no gimmick.

The creators of Indlovu Gin, Les and Paula Ansley, stumbled across the idea a year ago after learning that elephants eat a variety of fruits and flowers and yet digest less than a third of it.

Mr Ansley said during a recent visit to their operations:

"As a consequence, in the elephant dung you get the most amazing variety of these botanicals."

Les Ansley and his wife Paula collect fresh elephant dung in the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve (Denis Farrell/AP/Press Association Images)

He recalled his wife suggesting:

“Why don't we let the elephants do the hard work of collecting all these botanicals and we will make gin from it?"

Her idea came after a safari during which a wildlife ranger described an elephant's digestive process.

Weeks later, he said his wife woke him up in the middle of the night with the inspiration.

“OK, I said sleepily. Let's give this a bash. Let's see how it works out."

The first batch of elephant dung came by mail from the park where they had taken their safari. 

Then the couple, both scientists, puzzled for a while before working out the gin-making process.

Now they collect the dung themselves, using their bare hands.

They described the gin's flavor as “lovely, wooded, almost spicy, earthy" and one that changes subtly with the seasons and location.

The gin bottles are marked with the date and co-ordinates of where the elephant dung was collected.

Mr. Ansley said:

“So, you're able to compare almost different vintages of the gin."

An elephant forages for food at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve (Denis Farrell/AP/Press Association Images)

After about five sizable bags of dung are collected for a batch of 3,000 to 4,000 bottles of the gin, the droppings are dried and crumbled, then washed to remove dirt and sand.

Eventually only the remains of the fruits, flowers, leaves and bark eaten by the elephants are left behind.

Those botanicals are then sterilized and dried again and placed in an airing cupboard.

Think of it like a “spice cupboard", Mr Ansley said.

Eventually, the remains are infused in the gin.

The couple are not above testing the gin on friends before explaining its provenance.

Even with an explanation in advance, they get raised eyebrows.

Husband and wife team Paula, left, and Les Ansley, right, collect fresh elephant dung (Denis Farrell/AP/Press Association Images)

Mr. Ansley said:

“The initial reaction of most people is, 'What? There's no way'. But most people are very keen to actually taste it."

And once people hear about elephants' digestive process “it becomes a lot clearer to them, and they accept it very well".

They decided to name the gin Indlovu, which means elephant in the Zulu language.

A bottle sells for around 500 rand, or about $36.

Elsabe Hanekom takes part in a gin tasting session at the Botlierskop Private Game Reserve (Denis Farrell/AP/Press Association Images)

The gin is often a hit with tourists seeking a unique souvenir and a story to tell when they return home, the couple said.

With that in mind, the gin is sold in game lodges and duty-free shops in addition to regular online sales.

One customer, Jade Badenhorst, said:

“Interesting. Very tasty. Very nice. I didn't expect to be able to drink a gin smoothly."