Answering questions about Hydrosols, N/A distillates and the industry.
What do you make?
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We make beverages designed for the age-old social ritual of eating with friends, family and good people. Elevating the non-alcoholic options in the south pacific as well as making a small but delicious range of terroir driven eau de vie, vermouth and amaro for moderate consumption
How is Project Hydrosol different?
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Put simply, our goal is to capture some of magic that makes old world wine so special through partnerships with growers and farmers all over NSW. Our low temperature, non-transformative, vacuum still allows us to capture the terroir of these special botanicals to create one-of-a-kind beverages which speak of where they come from. (This is the ultimate goal, we’re starting by introducing the concept of characterful N/A beverages first…)
Are you the best at what you do?
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I like to think so. Whilst the technology we are using is not unique to us, because of our size, we are able to be dynamic and creative in our endeavour to accurately present the botanicals in their best light. We believe N/A beverages are best enjoyed fresh and locally made. We aim to present the terroir of NSW to the people of NSW. (eventually, Victoria, WA, SA, Queensland etc to follow).
If you really want to know who makes the best N/A beverages in the south pacific, just ask the bartender at these top restaurants (Maiz Newtown, St Peter Paddington, Ester Chippendale, Pig Mary Chippendale, Letra House CBD, Bar Demo Newton, Bar Kisa Glebe etc)
How can I contact you?
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I love feedback - email me (Michael). beverage@projecthydrosol.com
Or call me +61407415041
What is the purpose of a non-alcoholic spirit?
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Great question! We believe people form strong connections over food and wine. The same goes for beer, tea, coffee and other beverages. Whilst many countries and cultures have spaces where these things can be enjoyed without necessarily needing to serve alcohol, the west, especially NZ and AUS have pushed these spaces to the side in favour of more profitable alcoholic drinks.
So, what is the solution? We would like to introduce people something that fits into the spaces that already exist whilst continuing to capture the ‘adult’ feel of a mature beverage. Sparkling teas are great, but not everyone wants caffeine after midday. Enter the N/A spirit, something that is characterful enough to feel meaningful, without affecting how you go about the rest of your day. Does that answer the question???
How do you justify the price of an N/A Spirit?
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Long story short, we are a very small distillery producing miniscule quantities of delicious things using the most labour-intensive techniques and no flavour house trickery. We take the care to source the botanicals ourselves rather than buying extracts, extraits, distillates or ‘natural’ flavours from the big players. This is also why we are we can make true 0.00% abv products, no need to use solubilisers or emulsifiers if you just do it n/a from the beginning.
Now, that doesn’t justify why everything on the market seems expensive when you know they aren’t paying the exorbitant excise tax on every L they produce. What gives? Well, for the most part companies are pricing based on the position they want to occupy in the market. If you price an N/A like a soda, then that is how people will treat it. That’s what’s funding the big marketing campaigns as they all vie for market share to become the dominant player. We also don’t do that, no big billboards, no meta campaigns, just word of mouth and some really amazing restaurants for support.
How is a distillate/hydrosol alcohol free??
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Distillation does not create alcohol; that’s the job of the hards working yeast which take and normal grape (or grain) and turn it into delicious wine or beer.
Since we are starting with just the water and the botanical, we are simply using distillation to clarify, stabilise and marry the aromatic compounds to the water! That means they can officially be 0.00% abv.
How do I make a delicious n/a cocktail (mocktail)??
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Starting with a great base hydrosol, adding a little acidity (fresh citrus juice), a little sweetness (agave, date syrup and away you go! This is the classic recipe, super simple but sometimes means leaning heavily on the sugar and acid, what about low sugar (lower at least)? This is where the much maligned ‘bitter’ profiles start becoming important. Bitterness is not something to be afraid of, used judiciously and in concert with appropriate sweetness/fruitiness this is where the magic deliciousness can be found. Not to be overly derivative but i’ll just list some ingredients here which can bring length, umami and satisfaction to your n/a preparations; Tea (infinitely complex in their own right, steep them cold to slow oxidation), tisanes (non-Chamelia sinensis dried leaves, wormwood, hyssop etc), root decoctions (common examples include tonic water and root beer (sarsaparilla)), burning, charring or smoking common fruits, vegetable juices. Finally, there is a dark art in blending commercially prepared acids (Citric, malic, tartaric, fumaric, shikimic, succinic, phosphoric, ascorbic, lactic, gluconic) all of which can lend wonderful body and length to the profile.