Manly Spirits Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0%

Appearance: Pale pink. Aroma: Light citrus and berry. Similar to the smell of citrus or berry flavoured cordial. Flavour & Texture: Thin and watery. Initially there is a mild sweet presence of very dilute citrus and berry flavours, and this is followed by an unusual “dusty” spice quality. It reminded me of old dusty drawers with traces of ancient potpourri. Manly Spirits Lilly Pilly Gin is a pleasant flavoured gin which works very well as a lighter, more tropical alternative to sloe gin (see my full review elsewhere here on Distiller). This Lilly Pilly Pink 0.0% is basically the same stuff but with no alcohol or sugar. This is the first non-alcoholic “spirit” (how can it be called that?) which I have tried, and it will probably be the last (actually I have had a taste of non-alcoholic “whisky” before but I have no idea what brand it was and I spat it out instantly). I thought this was a rather weird product so I guess I’m just not in the demographic for it. The lack of alcohol as a flavour vehicle, the very low presence of juniper, and the lack of any sugar content makes this very thin and gutless. It smells like it will be a mild fruity cordial but in the mouth it’s just faintly flavoured water. There is also a curious dusty quality to it which I think is coming from the botanicals which, without the presence of alcohol to dilute and carry the essential oils, come across as just dusty ground seeds. Manly Spirits suggest using it with tonic water and a slice of citrus as a cooler and yes it works OK, but it never left me satisfied. In fact, I much prefer straight club soda with ice and a squeeze of citrus when I want a non-alcoholic drink. I don't get the point of these pretend "spirits" at all. “Adequate” : 74/100 (2.25 stars)