Cheers! There’s now gin made from elephant dung
No, this isn’t a disgusting joke: in South Africa, gin makers have developed a gin based on elephant dung. Yes, really, those big, round droppings. Apparently, they’re packed with fragrant botanicals. Uh… okay.
Indlovu (elephant in Zulu) is the name of the dung gin, which is made by Les and Paula Ansley, reports AD. Paula got the idea when she saw that elephants eat all kinds of flowers, plants and fruit. Apparently, they only digest 30% of it, meaning the rest comes straight back out the other end.
Fragrant
In other words: elephant dung still contains plenty of botanicals that can be used. “Why don’t we let the elephants do the work of collecting these beautiful plants and make gin from them?” Paula said—and so it came to be.
The couple—scientists by profession—describe the gin’s flavor as “delicious, woody, earthy, almost spicy.” It does vary somewhat with the seasons and location, though. The gin bottles state where the elephant dung was collected. “So you can compare the different harvests,” says Ansley.
Safe
So do they simply put dung in a bottle of gin? Of course not! Five bags of dung are needed for 3,000 to 4,000 bottles of gin. The dung is dried and crumbled, and the dirt and sand are washed out. What remains are fruit scraps, pieces of flowers, leaves and bark that the elephants have eaten. And don’t worry: all of those remnants are sterilized and dried, so there’s no need to fear for your health.
Verdict
We haven’t tasted it (yet), but if we’re to believe guests of the Ansleys, it’s a matter of “getting past the idea” and then you’re drinking a “flavorful, very delicious gin.”
A bottle of Indlovu costs around 29 euros and is available online and in lodges and duty-free shops in South Africa. A fun little souvenir—some elephant dung to take home, right?
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