An alternative to its Lilly Pilly Pink Gin, the Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% is the first non-alcoholic ‘spirit’ from gin producer Manly Spirits Co. Distillery.
The Australian gin producer is the first to release a non-alcohol pink gin. The drink is also sugar-free.
Said to retain the same flavours of the original Lilly Pilly Pink Gin, Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% uses the same botanical mix of native lilly pilly and limes, blood orange and juniper, and derives its colour from an 18-hour raspberry infusion.
Master Distiller David Whittaker says the process of making Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% is more complex than the method used to produce the alcoholic version, taking triple the amount of time and effort to produce.
“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. We use steam rather than alcohol in our small batch copper pot distillation to extract gin style flavours from a modified botanical mix,” Whittaker said.
“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,” he added.
Co-Founder at Manly Spirits, Vanessa Wilton, says zero-alc – along with the Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% – is about mindful drinking and bringing balance to peoples’ lives.
“We make daily choices with our food, exercise, work and home life, so when it comes to alcohol, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. This gives you the option to enjoy an alternative to alcohol without feeling like you’re missing out,” Wilton said.
“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.”
“The most important thing for us was creating a non-alcoholic spirit that tastes great served as a gin and tonic. We want people to really enjoy it and think, ‘Wow, that’s just as tasty as its alcoholic version’,“ Wilton added.
The Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% is available at manlyspirits.com.au and in select retailers nationally.