A working distillery in Salt River, we’re open for bottle sales during the week. Contact us to arrange a distillery visit or to host a private event in our StrangeLove Cocktail Lounge.
Founded by husband and wife team, Lucy Beard and Leigh Lisk in 2014, Hope Distillery is one of the few remaining independent founder-owned distilleries. All of our spirits are distilled and bottled on site at our Salt River home, a once run-down warehouse in Cape Town’s industrial heart.
Our small distillery team is led by head distiller, Ranga who works closely with Miranda, who runs the Distillery office and ensures the smooth running of the entire operation.
Freshly pressed sugar cane stalks produce a rich sugar cane juice wash, from which we ferment our rhum agricole. We import organic blue weber from Mexico which we ferment for our agave.
Freshly pressed sugar cane stalks produce a rich sugar cane juice wash, from which we ferment our rhum agricole. We import organic blue weber from Mexico which we ferment for our agave.
For our gin distillations we use a combination of maceration and vapour infusion. Selected botanicals steep in the spirit before distillation, extracting richer, deeper flavours. More delicate botanicals are suspended in a basket above the spirit, allowing the vapour to gently capture their aromas and essential oils.
We have pot stills and a hybrid column still allowing us to select the best method for the character and flavour of the spirit.
Every batch is blended, diluted with purified water to bottling strength, and bottled and labelled at our Cape Town distillery.
At the heart of our operations are our hybrid and pot stills. Named after our grandmothers, these are the hardest workers in the Distillery.
Copper Hybrid Pot Still
Our newest and most versatile still — a magnificent copper hybrid that brings precision and character to every distillation. Mad Mary is where our gin range is brought to life.Stainless Steel Pot Still
The original workhorse — Maude was the city of Cape Town's first pot still and kick-started the entire craft distilling movement in the Western Cape.Stainless Steel Pot Stills
Twin stills that expanded our production capacity while maintaining the small-batch integrity that sits at the heart of everything we do.Step through our doors in Salt River and discover where Hope spirits are made. Visitors are welcome to purchase bottles directly from the Distillery, and because we’re a working production facility, there’s every chance you’ll see our team fermenting, distilling, blending or bottling while you visit.
It’s not a showroom, but it’s where the work happens. Many visitors arrive expecting a warehouse and leave having discovered an unexpected world of gleaming stills, unusual aromas and a hive of activity.
7 Hopkins Street
Salt River, Cape Town, South Africa
Mon to Fri: 08:30 – 17:00
(16:00 on Fridays)
Enquiries & bottle sales
+27 (0)21 447 1950
Our StrangeLove Cocktail Lounge sits on a spacious mezzanine overlooking the distillery floor. Scandi furnishings, lush greenery, wooden finishes and the gleaming copper stills below. Available for private events and group tastings.
Capacity: Up to 65 guests
Includes: Curated cocktails | Options on food platters
Enquire about our different events packages
