Six Dogs Distillery (pty) Ltd

What Six Dogs Distillery (pty) Ltd does

Six Dogs Distillery (Pty) Ltd is a South African craft distillery founded in 2013 by brothers Charles Bryant (master distiller) and Glenn Bryant (director, marketing), together with friend Luigi Marucchi (co-distiller). Commercial operations began in late November 2016 with the first sales of Six Dogs Karoo Gin; the company is headquartered at Boschkloof Farm in the De Wet valley, Western Cape, and operates a second distillery in South Africa alongside a wholly-owned European subsidiary, Six Dogs B.V., based in Kaag, Netherlands. Distribution spans approximately 30 countries across five continents through a mix of direct-to-consumer e-commerce, named regional distributors, and on-trade hospitality accounts.

The product portfolio centres on four premium gin variants — Six Dogs Karoo (London Dry style with twelve botanicals including Karoo thorn flower, wild lavender, and lemon buchu, refined over 187 iterations), Six Dogs Blue (the first blue gin launched in South Africa, using pH-responsive blue pea flower that turns pink with tonic), Six Dogs Pinotage Stained (whole-berry pinotage grape infusion), and Six Dogs Honey Lime (farm-bee honey and on-site limes) — all priced at R550 per 750ml bottle. Adjacent products include Six Dogs XO Brandy (R990, minimum 10-year French oak aging) and Red Chenin wine. Production relies on molecular and vacuum distillation on custom-designed copper stills, including a still three times the size of the original copper-geyser prototype, to preserve delicate botanical flavours. The company also operates an experiential services line comprising wedding gin bars, corporate tastings, at-home tastings, and distillery visits by appointment.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: direct online sales in South Africa via sixdogs.com with delivery to Western Cape and major national centres; international distributor partnerships in the Netherlands, UK, US, Germany, Belgium, and 30+ additional countries; and experiential services. Customers include premium South African hospitality venues (Delaire Graff Estate, Boschendal, The Royal Hotel Riebeek Kasteel), cocktail bars, and export distributors; consumer segments span gin enthusiasts, premium gift buyers, hospitality buyers, and event planners. Pricing is uniformly positioned at the premium end of the craft spirits market with consistent unit pricing across SKUs and accepts credit card, bank transfer, PayFast, and three-instalment PayJustNow options domestically. The company is privately held, founder-owned, self-funded (no disclosed funding rounds), GDPR/POPIA compliant, and operates the Venture Hounds angel investment initiative out of the brand.

Name

Six Dogs Distillery (pty) Ltd

Legal name

Six Dogs Distillery

Website

https://sixdogs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Six Dogs Distillery is a South African craft distillery producing premium gin, brandy, and wine via molecular and vacuum distillation on custom copper stills, selling direct-to-consumer domestically and through international distributors across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Spirits & Premium Gin

NAICS

Distilleries (312140)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Distilleries & Microdistilleries (THAFALAH), Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft gin
• Premium spirits
• Craft distillery
• South African gin
• Artisan gin brands

Headquarters

HQ city

De Wet

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Online Sales (South Africa): Direct e-commerce sales to South African consumers through sixdogs.com. Products shipped to Western Cape and major national centres including Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, East London, Kimberley, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth and Pietermaritzburg.
2. International Distributor Sales: Products sold through international distributors and stockists. Available in Netherlands (TopDrinks, Ginfling), UK (Sidwells), US (Saratoga Wine), Germany (Suedafrika-Genuss) and 30+ countries worldwide.
3. Experiences and Events: Revenue from wedding gin bars, corporate gin tastings, at-home tastings, and distillery visit experiences (by appointment).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Six Dogs Distillery produces and sells small-batch craft gin and other premium spirits distilled in South Africa using locally hand-picked botanicals and molecular/vacuum distillation techniques. The product portfolio includes four gin variants (Karoo, Blue, Pinotage Stained, Honey Lime), an XO Brandy, a Red Chenin wine, and gin tasting experiences for events and distillery visits.

Product overview

Six Dogs Distillery is a South African craft distillery producing premium gins and spirits. The product portfolio consists of four gin varieties (Six Dogs Karoo, Six Dogs Blue, Six Dogs Pinotage Stained, and Six Dogs Honey Lime), one brandy product (Six Dogs XO Brandy), and one wine product (Red Chenin™). All gins are distilled at the distillery located in De Wet valley, Western Cape, using hand-picked botanicals and molecular distillation technology. The company also offers experiential services including wedding gin bars, corporate tastings, and distillery visits. Products are available in South Africa and exported to approximately 30 countries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Six Dogs Karoo: The first product from Six Dogs Distillery; a London Dry style gin with twelve select botanicals including Karoo thorn flower, wild lavender, and lemon buchu.
• Six Dogs Blue
• Six Dogs Pinotage Stained
• Six Dogs Honey Lime
• Six Dogs XO Brandy
• Red Chenin

Products and services

• Six Dogs Karoo Gin A London Dry style gin made with twelve select botanicals including Karoo thorn flower, wild lavender, and farm-grown lemon buchu, sold at R550 per 750ml bottle. Targeted at gin enthusiasts seeking distinctive South African craft spirits.
• Six Dogs Blue Gin A classic dry gin with floral character featuring rose pelargonium and blue pea flower (Clitoria Ternatea) that gives a natural blue color which changes to light pink when mixed with tonic due to pH sensitivity. Sold at R550 per 750ml bottle.
• Six Dogs Pinotage Stained Gin A deep red-colored gin infused with whole berry pinotage grapes handpicked from a neighbouring wine farmer and naturally infused over several weeks without artificial additives. Sold at R550 per 750ml bottle.
• Six Dogs Honey Lime Gin A gin combining farm-grown limes with honey from bees on the distillery farm, resulting from a bee conservation sustainability project with Bee Smiths. Classified as spirit aperitif in South Africa due to liquor regulations. Sold at R550 per 750ml bottle.
• Six Dogs XO Brandy A collaboration brandy distilled in copper pot stills and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of 10 years, blended with a small amount of raw fynbos honey from the distillery's own hives. Sold at R990 per 750ml bottle.
• Red Chenin A unique red-coloured white wine created by blending Chenin Blanc with Roobernet grapes in collaboration with winemaker Ters Jonck. Sold in cases of 6 bottles at R720 (R120 per bottle).
• Six Dogs Gin Tasting Experiences A range of gin tasting experiences including wedding gin bars, at-home tastings, corporate tastings, and distillery visits by appointment, with services such as trained staff, mobile bar, glassware, complementary mixes and garnishes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 187 iterations and 2+ years to perfect Six Dogs Karoo recipe

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hendrick's Gin: Globally distributed super-premium craft-positioned gin with distinctive apothecary branding, the closest established competitor to Six Dogs' botanical-driven, premium-craft positioning.
• Tanqueray No. Ten: Premium craft-positioned gin from a major multinational, competing with Six Dogs in upscale bars, hotels, and restaurants globally.
• Monkey 47: Premium German craft gin with established global distribution in 60+ countries, competing with Six Dogs at the high end of the craft gin category in international markets.

Direct peers

• Copperhead Gin: Belgian craft gin with strong European distribution and similar premium pricing, competing with Six Dogs in Belgium, the Netherlands, and broader EU markets.
• Inverroche Distillery: South African craft gin distillery based in the Western Cape using indigenous Cape fynbos botanicals, directly competing with Six Dogs in the premium SA craft gin category domestically and in export markets.
• Pienaar & Son Distillery: Cape Town-based craft gin distillery with a similar premium positioning and botanical-driven recipes, competing with Six Dogs in South African on-consumption venues and retail.
• Bobby's Gin: Dutch craft gin distributed across European markets and beyond, directly competing with Six Dogs Karoo in the Netherlands and other EU markets where Six Dogs B.V. operates.
• Wilderer Distillery: South African craft spirits producer offering gin and other artisanal spirits from the Western Cape, competing head-to-head with Six Dogs in local hospitality and craft retail channels.
• Musgrave Spirits: South African craft gin brand with strong heritage and wide domestic distribution, competing for similar shelf space and on-premise accounts as Six Dogs in the premium segment.

Regional players

• Rutte Distillery: Dutch craft distillery with a long heritage producing gin and genever, competing with Six Dogs B.V. for Dutch on-premise accounts and retail distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sixdogsdistillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/six-dogs-distillery
• Instagraminstagram.com/sixdogsdistillery

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Six Dogs Distillery (pty) Ltd