Distiller Introduces Spirit

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Zephania Ubwani

2 May 2011

It was all cheers and heavy gulping of free drinks in Arusha on Friday night as the Tanzania Distilleries Limited (TDL) officially launched a new spirit called Akanana.The banana flavoured drink is the latest product among a range of alcoholic drinks such as whiskies, gins,brand and wines made by the firm, now affiliated to the Tanzania Breweries Limited. Charles Donald Fumbo, the company’s Operations told a large gathering at the Matongee Club that the launching of the new drink was a milestone for TDL, trading as Konyagi.

“Most of our products are now made from locally made materials and this is a boost to local suppliers such as the wine producers in Dodoma”, he said.He said Akanana has been flavoured with banana in order to capture the local market. The name originates from Kagera region and stands for the sweet banana in local vernacular.

Its production started early last month (April) and was officially launched in Mwanza a fortnight ago.”We have targeted Arusha and Mwanza because they are the major banana growing zones”, he said.Mr Alfred Mwanguku, TDL’s sales representative in Arusha said the new drink would be sold in 200 ml bottles as well as in plastic statchets to make it more accessible and affordable to the low income people.

Last year, the firm introduced a fruit-flavoured Bismark Rock spirit as part of diversification of products. Bismark Rock is an iconic feature of Mwanza City.The launching of Akanana on Friday evening was preceded by introduction of a range of new wines the company is not bottling from the locally produced grape fruits.

The show took place at the Kibo Palace Hotel on Thursday evening during a business people networking event hosted by the hotel and sponsored by TBL and Vodacom.The new wines include Dodoma and Imagi, making TDL’s range of products it is bottling to over 10. The foreign brands bottled under licence include Regency Whisky, Viceroy Brandy and Vladimir Vodka.

Others are Count Pushkin Vodka and Overmeer Wine. Another local spirit is Bongobond whisky and, of course, Konyagi, the first drink to be brewed by the company when the plant was set up in Dar es Salaam in 1971.The Dodoma and Imagi wines bottled by the Dar plant since early this year are in three categories; red, white and sweet.

Mr Fumbo said it has boosted the fortunes of grape farmers in Dodoma.

AllAfrica – All the Time