New premium non-alcoholic spirit challenges category pricing

KVÎST is a new premium, non-alcoholic distilled spirit from The Bloomsbury Club UK (the people behind Gin Lane 175).

With a name that comes from the old Norwegian word meaning ‘twig’ or ‘botany’, the drink is inspired by Nordic traditions and foraged forest plants, and is a handcrafted blend of eight botanicals:  juniper, silver birch, cascarilla bark, gentian, rhubarb root, orange peel, cardamom, and pimento.  

There will initially be two variants of the spirit: KVÎST Classica, which leads with juniper and citrus notes; and KVÎST Rosa, which is pink gin-like in style, infused with herb and spice bitters.  

Embracing the fast-growing ‘wellness’ culture of mindful drinking, KVÎST is the first non-alcoholic distilled spirit which is premium and yet accessible in terms of price point.  When consumers abstain from, or look to reduce, their alcohol consumption by seeking ‘grown up’ non-alcoholic drinks, they’re often faced with expensive alcohol equivalents: premium non-alcoholic spirits typically cost the same as a boutique gin, yet do not incur the £8.05/70cl tax of a 40% ABV spirit.  The KVÎST price point takes the zero tax into account, making its RRP extremely competitive, and during a trial listing in a UK supermarket, 10,000 bottles were sold over a three-week period.

KVÎST is produced in a traditional copper pot still in which the macerated botanicals are individually distilled with neutral grain spirit and pure water.  The alcohol is then removed before blending and bottling.  This innovative technique ensures the flavour of juniper – which does not dissolve in water – and the other botanicals can be retained without alcohol. KVÎST can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or in mocktails, and it makes the perfect non-alcoholic G&T (for which, because botanicals are naturally more delicate in a non-alcoholic spirit, a KVÎST-to-tonic ratio of 1:1 is recommended).

KVÎST is available via the distribution agency Craftwork.  Commenting on the launch, managing director Jeremy Rockett said: “Craftwork are delighted to be working with KVÎST.  It’s bang on trend currently, tastes fantastic, and gives consumers a unique opportunity to access a high-quality, non-alcoholic distilled spirit at a very reasonable price-point.  We’ve already had huge interest from customers, and feedback from consumers suggests that KVÎST over-delivers against expectations.”

Both variants of the drink have an RRP of between £12 and £14 (70cl) and will be available to the on- and off-trade sectors.

8 July 2020 -