Leslie & Vickie’s 2026 Safari

Friday July 3rd we completed our 2nd Gorilla trek by noon. It’s a 3 hour drive back to the capital Kigali where we catch our next flight to Nairobi, Kenya for our safari. But let’s not rush it. We have time to stop at a local distillery called Virunga Mountain Spirits that makes vodka and gin! https://www.virungamountainspirits.com/

A main draw to visit here is that we know the architect! Our NH neighbor, Joe, has a son in law, Bruce Engel, who is an architect. He and his wife Rebecca lived in Rwanda for a few years where Bruce also has an architecture office. The distillery is an award winning design where everything is thoughtfully designed.

The overall shape of the building is reminiscent of the mountains for which it is named after. The stonework is made of lava rocks from the surrounding volcano. The gardens grow all the botanicals used to infuse the gin and the vegetable gardens supply the ingredients to create fresh meals for lunch and dinners.

The building has taken awards but so has the liquor!

The tour begins outside to appreciate the gardens. As this is volcanic soil it is mineral rich to produce quality ingredients. They also use gravity fed volcanic water which comes straight from the mountain purifying itself through the rocks. The water is collected and stored in a big water tank.

The gardens consist of herbs and vegetables. The vodka and gin is made from Virunga potatoes that are left behind in the fields. (Only 3% of vodkas made in the world are from potatoes.) These are the tiny or misshapen potatoes that people don’t like to buy. Their nickname is an ‘unloved’ potato. The distillery purchases the unloved potatoes at a slight discount and everything is used. The whole philosophy of the business is sustainable. Even the leftover mash that would be considered ‘garbage’ is sent back to the fields to enrich the soil.

We then get escorted through the distillery itself where the “magic happens”. We should note that Virunga Mountain Spirits is women owned and 80% of employees are women. There is a lot of attention and effort given to create opportunities for women to be able to support themselves and their families.

Now on to the tasting. We are given about an ounce of vodka ‘neat’ to smell and taste and savor. Drinking straight vodka isn’t usually my cup of tea but this was lovely! Smooth and flavorful There wasn’t the bitey alcoholic after burn. This description is from their website “An engaging nose of thyme, tarragon, and tomatoes, complemented by earthy undertones. The palate mirrors these aromas, revealing hints of red fruits and herbs. The finish is warming with a continuation of berry notes. A well-balanced spirit.“

Next was an ounce sample of one of their signature cocktails made with the simple syrup of passion fruit. Not too sweet!

Now on to the gin. Another ounce of gin, ‘neat’. Again- so delicious and we can really taste the hint of botanicals that make this liquor special. Again from the website: Ten carefully selected botanicals, including Kinigi potato flower, lemongrass, and gooseberry sourced from the volcanic terrain around the Virunga Mountains, are vapour-infused through a modified still. The result is a crystal-clear, floral and citrus-forward gin with a lively, layered finish. The cocktail served to highlight the gin was made with simple syrup of the tree tomato. We couldn’t decide which was our favorite- for me it would depend on my mood but both cocktails were enjoyable.

Not only do we enjoy a cocktail with fresh local hot peanuts and humus, but we decide to stay for lunch. Absolutely the best meal ever. The freshness of the food is the star.

Gilles drives us the 3 hours back to Kigali and I am in a food coma. We stay at a Four Points Sheridan and try to get a good nights sleep before getting picked up at 6:00am Saturday to head to the airport.

This ends our visit to Rwanda. We are so grateful to all the people we encountered. Especially Gilles, our driver, our tour guide, our advocate. He was so kind, thoughtful and patient and made sure we were taken good care of. He also inspire a new appreciation for the people and the culture and we look forward to meeting him again.

Now on to Kenya!

🦓🦁🐘

Leslie and Vickie