Naute Kristall Cellar and Distillery | Keetmanshoop

Information

Landmark: Naute Kristall Cellar and Distillery
City: Keetmanshoop
Country: Namibia
Continent: Africa

Naute Kristall Cellar and Distillery, Keetmanshoop, Namibia, Africa

Naute Kristall Cellar and Distillery is an artisanal distillery located near the Naute Dam, approximately 50 kilometers southwest of Keetmanshoop in the ǁKaras Region. It operates at the intersection of the C12 and C16 roads, serving as a primary stop-over for travelers moving toward the Fish River Canyon.

Visual Characteristics

The distillery is situated within an irrigated oasis featuring extensive date palm and pomegranate plantations. The architecture is modern and industrial, characterized by clean lines and a specialized tasting room with views of the surrounding fruit groves and black dolerite ridges. The interior features traditional copper pot stills.

Production and Origin

Established in 2014, the distillery was designed to process surplus fruit from the Naute Dam irrigation project. It utilizes a "farm-to-bottle" model, sourcing medjool dates, pomegranates, prickly pears, and grapes directly from the adjacent 900-hectare plantation.

Key Products

NamGin: A dry gin infused with 13 botanicals, including the desert-adapted Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens).

Dandy: A unique spirit distilled from dates and matured in oak barrels.

Matisa: A clear spirit distilled from prickly pears.

NamGlint: A pomegranate-flavored gin liqueur.

Nappa: A grappa-style spirit produced from locally grown Colombard grapes.

Infrastructure and Amenities

Tasting Room: Provides guided sampling of all spirits and locally produced wines.

Bistro: Offers light meals, including local platters and date-based desserts.

Accessibility: The site is reachable by all vehicle types via the C12 gravel road.

Hours: Standard operations are Monday to Friday (08:00–17:00) and weekends (08:00–14:00).

Technical Facts

The distillery uses a specialized 150-liter German copper pot still. The use of Devil's Claw in their gin provides a distinctive bitter and earthy base note that is chemically unique to spirits produced in the Namibian south. The date spirit, Dandy, is one of the few commercially produced date-based distillates in the Southern Hemisphere.