Seedlip: is the name of a company that creates the first non-alcoholic distilled drink. What is it for? It is easy to walk into a pub and order "a soft drink with fruit", but the result is often that you feel less at ease when everyone around is drinking alcohol and toasting. Let me be clear, we certainly do not intend to recommend drinking alcohol without moderation, we rather tell this story because it concerns the birth of a brand linked to a real need, that of ordering a non-alcoholic drink that manages not to seem so.
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seedlip: is the name of a company that created the first non-alcoholic distilled drink of worldwide success. True, there are cold and non-alcoholic fruit teas in practically all pubs, but the result is often that you feel uncomfortable when everyone around is drinking alcohol and toasting.
Let me be clear, we certainly do not intend to recommend drinking alcohol without moderation, we rather tell this story because it concerns the birth of a brand linked to a real need, that of ordering a non-alcoholic drink that manages not to seem so. And, above all, we tell it because Seedlip spirits are based on ingredients such as peas and aromatic plants, a detail that contributed to the success of the product, from England to the USA, up to Australia.
Who would order a soft drink that looks like alcohol?
Our life is marked by rituals and seeing friends for an aperitif is one of them. Imagine a pregnant woman, who does not want to escape this ritual but finds herself holding a colorful cocktail, full of exotic, colorful fruit, while her friends sip drinks that seem "adult" to her next to her. Of course, it's not the end of the world, but situations like these have resulted Ben branson to found Seedlip.
“We have electric cars, online shopping and all kinds of crazy things, but if you sit at a table and don't want to drink alcohol you rarely find something that is up to par,” says Branson, who is a teetotaler.
How Seedlip is born
Branson became interested in distillation by reading an old book from the 17th century. He was simply curious. And he faced centuries of recipes created by herbalists with natural ingredients available. The love for nature pushed him to imagine further, wondering what could be born from those "homemade" ingredients. The first experiments began with peas and hay, in a 320-year old family farm, where he had the products of the earth at his disposal.
Towards Seedlip: the first concrete results
The first concrete result was Seedlip Garden 108, a mix of rosemary, thyme, mint, barley, peas and hay; then it came Seedlip Spice 94, with cardamom, lemon, allspice, grape zest. Each ingredient is distilled separately, then filtered and diluted together with the others. It takes about 6 weeks to get a bottle of these sugar, calorie and allergen free drinks.
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Marketing
Seedlip has a packaging that evokes the peasant tradition, Complete with botanical illustrations. The message is clear: these drinks will always be listed among teas and sparkling waters, but it is a trendy product, non-alcoholic but to be ordered with pride. Not surprisingly, after the launch in 2015, Seedlip it is proposed by even very famous and luxury bars and restaurants. Then, from England, the brand made its debut in the USA. The price is quite high, which has made a lot of venues such as Los Angeles' Redbird, where F&B Manager Tobin Shea hesitant, doubt: each bottle costs roughly the same as a bottle of quality whiskey and spirits.
But in the end the confirmation of the advantages of this product were the positive customer reactions, those abstainers or those who at a certain time had absolutely no desire to consume an alcoholic. Really Shea plans to use Seedlip as the main ingredient for making alcoholic drinks. Did she end up here? Absolutely no. Next step, Australia, where in August Seedlip will try to bring the same message of tradition and authenticity.
Anna Tita Gallo
