South African cane spirit Mainstay was recently named the best vodka in the world by the exclusive selection panel of the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London.
The competition is regarded as one of the most important industry showcases in the global alcoholic beverage industry. According to European Parliament legislation, vodka may be made from any “agricultural raw material”. Mainstay is produced from cane sugar grown in KZN and is distilled from fermented molasses in a continuous-column still. Johan Venter, spokesperson for Mainstay says, ”There is no cane category in the competition and since our product falls within the parameters of a vodka, we submitted it.” Last year Mainstay won gold in the competition. – Food and beverage reporter
