Drinks Trade : Manly Spirits releases first non-alc spirit

Manly Spirits Co Distillery has released its first non-alcoholic ‘spirit’, called Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0%, an alternative to their award-winning Lilly Pilly Pink Gin, without the alcohol, without the sugar, with all the flavour.

They say that this bold and refreshing 0.0% spirit sets a new standard in taste for the non- alcoholic space, following the same botanical recipe their fans already know and love in their alcoholic gin.

David Whittaker, Master Distiller and Co-Founder of Manly Spirits, says that it’s taken them years to bring this product to life. “Non alc for us has been in the works since we launched our Lilly Pilly Pink Gin in 2019, and it’s been a massive learning curve for us, but completely worth it. We use steam rather than alcohol in our small batch copper pot distillation to extract gin style flavours from a modified botanical mix. We’re really proud of the end product.”

Our process of making Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% is more complex than its alcoholic version, taking triple the amount of time and effort to produce.

“It’s been interesting for us to go on this journey of creating non-alcoholic products – it’s like searching for the holy grail. The challenge we faced was to create a similar tasting experience to an alcoholic beverage, a rounded mouthfeel and tasting journey with a lingering complex finish. Most people assume that making a non-alc spirit would be easier than making gin but in reality, it takes a lot of hard work, way more than we expected. We were very conscious not to simply create a sweet fruit cordial with no resemblance to an alcoholic drink,” says Mr Whittaker.

Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% retains the floral and fruity flavours of the original gin, using the same botanical mix with flavours of the native Lilly Pilly, Blood Orange, Native Limes and a Juniper backbone. The enticing pink hue and berry overtones comes from an 18-hour infusion of fresh raspberries.

“Zero Alc for us is all about mindful drinking and creating balance in our lives” says Vanessa Wilton, Co-Founder of Manly Spirits. “ Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% gives you the freedom to take the night off, while allowing you to have a relaxing drink after a hard day or at that social event the night before a big presentation or long distance run. ”

With this in mind, Manly Spirits created Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% for the person who appreciates quality artisanal spirits, designed to be served exactly the way they would normally enjoy a gin; simply paired with your favourite premium tonic, or in a cocktail, like a Pink Sour or Paloma.

Manly Spirits Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% is now available for sale in over 400 Vintage Cellars, First Choice and Liquorland stores nationally. You can also purchase directly from Manly Spirits Co Distillery, 4a/9-13 Winbourne Rd, Brookvale in New South Wales.