Q: Is Distell a member of an ethical trade association?
Distell is a founding member of WIETA (the South African Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association), and the living conditions on its farms meet the requirements of the WIETA code of conduct. Compliance with these requirements is being rolled down to all suppliers.

Q: What is Distell's policy on HIV/Aids
Distell’s HIV/Aids policy, introduced in 2002, ensures HIV-positive employees are treated with compassion and understanding, just as any other Distell employee faced with a debilitating illness. In accordance with the policy, if deteriorating health affects the ability of employees to do their normal work, they have the right to request that Distell accommodates this change. The company will then do so as far as is reasonable, while keeping strictly confidential the health condition of the employees concerned. The concerns of co-workers are also addressed with the focus on education. Victimisation of employees with HIV/Aids is prohibited and can lead to disciplinary action. The HIV/Aids policy is backed up by a comprehensive awareness and intervention programme, run by Incon – the occupational health and safety firm that manages clinics at the company’s major production and distribution sites. Education sessions have been run country-wide, reaching 1 500 employees thus far. These awareness sessions aim to provide the correct facts about the disease, put an end to the many misconceptions that may exist, and provide a supportive and non-threatening working environment for infected and non-infected employees.

Q: What is Distell's view on alcohol abuse?
A: We appreciate that although alcoholic beverages, when consumed responsibly, enhance the quality of life of different communities and cultures, they can also destroy lives when abused. We are a founder member of the industry’s Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA), which funds research into issues such as foetal alcohol syndrome, conducts consumer education programmes and provides decision-makers with a factual basis on which to act on issues which can sometimes be emotive.

Q: How is Amarula Cream made?
Amarula Cream comes from the heart of Africa. It is a natural wild fruit cream liqueur distilled from the exotic fruit of the African marula tree and blended with fresh cream. The marula tree, indigenous to the southern latitudes of subequatorial Africa, and known by the local inhabitants as the elephant tree, is favoured by the elephants for its fruit. In February and March of every year, these trees bear the delicious fruit from which the vitamin rich juice is collected for processing. Once the fruit is gathered, mostly supplied by the local inhabitants, the kernel is removed and the flesh crushed from the skin. The marula flesh is then fermented, similar to the wine making process. After fermentation, the marula wine is distilled in copper pot-stills. After maturation in small oak casks for about two years, the distillate is enriched with pure marula extract and then blended with the finest and purest cream to form the smooth wild and exotic taste of Amarula Cream.

Q: Why does Savanna not have a twist off cap?
A product with a twist off closure, has a far shorter shelf life than a crown cap. Savanna will last and even develop up to 18 months after bottling, because the crown cap ensures that no oxygen can enter the bottle and spoil the contents.

Q: What are the future plans for making Savanna available in Europe and the USA? Would you consider new import/distribution agents?
None as yet, however Distell would only consider an agent with an established track record in this sort of market and would provide us with a significant competive advantage

Q: What is the kilojoule content of Savanna?
Savanna Premium Dry Cider has a kilojoule content of 250kJ/100ml and Savanna Light Cider 170kJ/100ml.

Q: Why is there a bat on every Bacardi label?
Legend has it that Dona Amalia Lucia Victoria (the wife of Don Facundo, the founder of Bacardi in 1862 in Cuba) suggested employing the bat as the trademark. Upon entering the first Bacardi distillery, she noticed a colony of fruit bats living in the rafters. As a lover of the arts, she knew that Cuba's extinct native people, the Tainos, regarded bats as bringers of good health, fortune and family unity. Her suggestion was also pragmatic. Because of the high rate of illiteracy in the 19th century, a product needed a memorable graphic logo - a trademark - to become identifiable to sell.

Q: Why is Bombay Sapphire gin blue?
No, although commonly believed to be blue like the bottle, Bombay Sapphire gin is a clear spirit. The Bombay Sapphire bottle is blue.

Q: What is the difference between a single malt Scotch whisky and a blended Scotch whisky?
A blended whisky is a mixture of two different types of Scotch whisky: grain whisky and malt whisky from many distilleries. A single malt Scotch whisky only contains malt whisky from one distillery.  Grain whisky is made from a variety of cereals, in column stills. Grain whisky is made in a continuous process, which is very efficient and therefore much cheaper. Grain whisky has a lighter taste and less flavour than malt whisky, which means it is ideal for blending. Malt whisky is only made from malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills in a batch process, which is very labour intensive and therefore more expensive. The flavours tend to be fuller and more intense. A typical blended Scotch whisky will contain 2-3 grain whiskies (65-70% volume) and around 25 malt whiskies to add flavour (30-35% volume)