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WELLNESSWEEK
A family of makers
Shanna-Rae has always made things. At five she sold lemonade from the driveway. Her gran, who worked in a pharmacy, helped her steep roses in alcohol to make her first perfume. Her mom handmade chocolates; her dad was an analytical chemist. Creating, flavour and sharing ran in the family.
One question changed everything
At university it was infused vodkas for birthdays and Christmas. Then came a question: how is alcohol actually made? A book on moonshine and whiskey led to a birthday gift from Warrick: Alice, a 5-litre copper pot still, and everything she needed for her first batch. Then and there, she decided to open a distillery and share what she made.
"Every spirit starts with an idea, often a single flavour. We test it, tweak it and taste it until it’s right. We take our time, because that’s how you make something worth sharing."
Shanna-Rae Wilby, founder & head distiller since 2013
2013 · Maboneng
Johannesburg’s first craft distillery opens its doors.
10 years in the city
Part of Maboneng’s renewal, growing from Alice to Molly, Charlotte and Emmeline.
2023 · Kramerville
A new home in Joburg’s design district, central and easy to visit.
Female-founded
with an all-female production team
25,000+
guests hosted at our distillery
5.0 ★
from 370+ guest reviews
What’s in a name
Mirari comes from the Latin for “marvel” or “wonder”, the feeling we want in every glass. Time is what a great spirit takes, so we never rush it. Anchor is our place in the community: rooted in Johannesburg, and a place to gather.
Meet the stills
Every still has a name and a story. At Gin School you’ll distil on one of 16, each named after a pioneering woman in history.
Our very first still: a 5-litre copper pot still, and the birthday gift that started everything.
A 50-litre still where every new Time Anchor recipe is still born.
Named after Charlotte Maxeke, the “Mother of Black Freedom in South Africa”. This 200-litre still carried us through our early Maboneng years before retiring.
Joined us in 2018. A German name meaning “hard work”. A 500-litre copper and steel still, handcrafted by Kothe in Germany and the first of her kind commissioned in South Africa. Our gins are vapour-infused through her botanical basket.
Our rotary evaporator, named after Maria, the alchemist credited with one of the first stills. She captures the delicate flavours behind our signature spirits.
The people behind the craft
Female-founded, with an all-female production team. Led by Shanna-Rae and Warrick, our team of Lydia, Winnie, Sifiso, Belinda, Lauren and Sasha are the faces you’ll meet at the distillery. And keep an eye out for Fenneck, our distillery cat, who loves the place more than anyone.
About Time Anchor
Shanna-Rae Wilby founded Time Anchor in 2013 with her partner, now husband, Warrick Brown.
Yes. We opened in Maboneng in 2013 as the first craft distillery in Johannesburg.
16 Dartfield Road, Kramerville, Sandton, Johannesburg.
Time is what a great spirit takes, so we never rush it. Anchor is our place in the community: rooted in Johannesburg, and a place to gather.
Mirari is Latin for “marvel” or “wonder”, the name of our gin range.
In small batches in our copper stills, with botanicals vapour-infused through Emmeline’s botanical basket.
Our gins are made by head distiller Shanna-Rae Wilby, three-time LUMO Woman Distiller of the Year, and assistant distiller Lydia Mkwananzi, who won the same title in 2026. Time Anchor is female-founded, and our production team is entirely female.
Yes. Experiences must be booked online in advance, and our distillery bar is open on selected Saturdays from 11am to 4pm, no booking needed.