Following its 2018 launch in the UK, Three Spirit, the world’s “first plant-powered social elixir,” is bringing its non-alcoholic spirit range to the US. The drinks innovation company is driven by plants and harnesses the potential of active botanicals and alchemy to make “alcohol-free mean more,” says a press release.
Since its arrival to the US in January 2021, Three Spirit has already sold out twice, initiating a waiting list in the thousands for its line of social spirits. In the first four months, Three Spirit generated a six-figure monthly revenue, and, most recently, between February and April 2021, the London-based brand experienced a 600% growth in US sales. The range has also received recognition from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, taking home Double Gold for Nightcap and Silver for both Livener and Social Elixir.
“Our mission is pure pleasure innovation. This is not an imitation of an alcoholic drink. It is something that stands out on its own, enhances cocktails and creates a new option.” explains co-founder Dash Lilley, Head Alchemist. “We achieve this through an obsessive focus on maximizing the functional potency of our drinks, carefully extracting the active compounds from the highest-grade, ethically-sourced plants we can get our hands on. Our process, Botanical Alchemy, is complex, delicate and takes time – maceration, fermentation, distillation, reverse osmosis, freeze-drying, ultrasonic extraction – you name it, we’re pioneering it.”
Developed by co-founders Tatiana Mercer (BarChick), Meeta Gournay and Lilley, Three Spirit was created in response to the growing trend of the semi-sober consumer who is looking for exciting social alternatives. Together, they worked with a team of bartenders, herbalists and plant scientists, combining eleven herbs and plants with “naturally blissful qualities.” Three Spirit’s team of bartenders, including Robin Honhold (formerly of Mr Lyan, Dandelyan), as well as award-winning Tristan Stephenson and Thomas Aske from Fluid Movement (Black Rock, Worship Street), alongside Michael Heinrich, Head of the Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy at UCL School of Pharmacy, have created these drinks that bring function and a unique experience to the rapidly growing non-alcoholic drinks sector.
Within their first six months of launching in the UK, Three Spirit was listed in some of the world’s top bars, including Connaught, Nightjar, and Soho House, as well as in luxury retailers such as Harvey Nichols and Burford Garden Centre.
“Soon it won’t be enough for a bar to simply offer a non-alcoholic drink that looks and tastes similar to its alcoholic counterpart,” says Stephenson. “Three Spirit allows us to leverage the opportunity that exists between alcohol and no-alcohol by using functional ingredients that can subtly affect an individual’s state of mind, without the impact of excessive alcohol consumption.”
The vegan, gluten-free social elixirs are hand-crafted with high-grade extracts, active plants and adaptogens grown by cultivators who respect nature. Made with zero-plastic recyclable packaging, Three Spirit takes drinkers from the start to the end of their evening, with active ingredients and serves to help them feel good through the power of plants. Each of the below products work beautifully in simple recipes and well-known classic cocktails: (SRP $39 each)
● Fierce, fiery and fruity in flavor, Livener is a vibrant, powerful drink designed to liven the senses and perk you up. Notes of red berries, bright aromatics and heat compliment the tannic touches from guayusa and guava leaf. It contains a natural, friendly caffeine found in guayusa, along with L-Theanine from green tea and ginseng.
● Dark, bittersweet and curious, Social Elixir, is the ultimate social companion and mood elevator. Natural, blissful feeling with lion’s mane mushroom, yerba mate, tulsi, cacao and damiana. Bright, dry spiced on the nose lead to rich, complex dark apple and cacao notes. It’s a full-bodied and bittersweet drink with a curious savory bite.
● Sophisticated, soothing, calming, Nightcap is designed to sip and savor. For calming the senses, soothing the body after a long day (or night!), with notes of oak, citrus and freshly cut grass to complement the natural bitterness from Hüll hops and lemon balm. It contains restorative plants and herbs that have been used for centuries to induce calming feelings, including turmeric, ashwagandha, and lemon balm.Three Spirit can be purchased directly on the brand’s website and select retailers across the nation.
