Feragaia Alcohol-Free Spirit Launches in Switzerland

Finally, the day has come. If you have an interest in the alcohol-free drinks market, you have probably been waiting for the Swiss launch of Feragaia since its inception over three years ago. Hailed as the original "free spirit", Feragaia was distilled to be different. This amber nectar produced in the lowlands of Scotland has been compared to whisky. Yet its producers argue that whilst it takes some inspiration from whisky's style, it sits in a taste category of its own.

About Feragaia

Whilst many alcohol-free drinks are developed to replace alcohol, Feragia feels different. Rather than attempting to emulate an alcoholic drink, Faragaia offers a unique and appealing flavour in its own right. 

The name Feragaia means "wild Earth." The brand seeks to capture the spirit of Scotland's wild landscape. It aims to break with the traditional concept of the way alcohol-free spirits should look and taste. Rather than removing alcohol from the drink after distillation, Feragaia goes one-step further. It consists of a blend of 14 botanicals, all responsibly sourced from both land and sea. Its ABV is 0.0% and at no point in the production process does it touch any alcohol.

In September 2022, Feragaia opened the first alcohol-free distillery in Scotland. The Fife-based brand is inspired by nature and guided by authenticity and originality. Rather than simply offering an alternative to alcohol, Feragaia presents a different approach altogether. Its advocates choose Feragaia over traditional spirits not as an alcohol-free alternative, but as a drink they love to consume in its own right.

The Flavour

Feragaia boasts an evolving flavour with every sip. Interestingly, the flavour alters with age in a similar way to its alcoholic counterparts, deepening over time. Blackcurrant leaves, lemon verbena and kaffir lime provide an opening citrus note. As the body of the drink develops, herbaceous tones are introduced, along with side notes of serrated wrack, pink peppercorn and chamomile.

Love a drink with an after kick? You may be surprised to hear that a non-alcoholic spirit can deliver this with the confidence of a good whisky. Its lightly smokey flavour develops into a warming cayenne pepper finish. Pour over ice to enjoy it straight and savour this fascinating combination of spice and citrus. Alternatively, serve with ginger ale, tonic or soda or read on for Faragaia cocktail recipes.

Ethical Credentials

As a business seeking to preserve and promote Scotland's natural landscape, sustainability is extremely important to Feragaia. Their ethos is based as much around sustainability as providing stunning alcohol-free spirits. As a result, all packaging is fully recyclable. The bottle cap is 70% bio plastic, and the glass bottle is 65-75% recycled glass. After distillation, all their botanicals are composted.

To ensure that Feragaia is as sustainable as possible, they forage for their botanicals locally as much as possible. For example chamomile, seaweed and bay leaves are all locally sourced.

As well as being completely alcohol free, Feragaia has zero sugar and very few calories. It's also suitable for vegetarians, vegans, coeliacs and diabetics. Feragaia is lactose free, kosher, halal and free from allergens including nuts, seeds, egg, fish, soya and wheat.

Feragaia Cocktail recipes

Whilst Feragaia can be enjoyed on its own or on the rocks, it makes a fantastic addition to an alcohol-free cocktail too. Here are a few ideas.

Wild Ginger

Ingredients:

50ml Feragaia

Ice

Ginger ale

Lime slice

Method:

1. Take a tumbler and place in four or five large ice cubes.

2. Pour over 50 ml of Feragaia

3. Top with ginger ale to taste

4. Garnish with the lime slice.

Paloma

Ingredients:

50ml Feragaia

15 ml fresh pink grapefruit juice

Pinch of salt

Ice

Tonic

Slice of pink grapefruit

Method:

1. Place 50 ml of Feragaia into a tall cocktail glass

2. Add 15 ml fresh pink grapefruit juice

3. Season with a small pinch of salt and stir until dissolved

4. Add ice

5. Top up with tonic

6. Serve with a slice of pink grapefruit to garnish

Bramble

Ingredients:

50ml Feragaia

8 foraged blackberries

15 ml fresh lemon juice

Ice

Ginger ale

Method:

1. Pour 50 ml Feragaia into a whiskey glass with 6 foraged blackberries and 15 ml fresh lemon juice

2. Crush the blackberries and mix with the Feragaia and lemon juice

3. Add 5 or 6 ice cubs

4. Top up with ginger ale

5. Serve garnished with the two extra foraged blackberries on a cocktail stick laid across the top of the glass

Sour

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

10 ml cloudy apple juice

15 ml fresh lemon juice

10 ml ginger syrup

10 ml aquafaba

Ice

Apple slice to garnish

Method:

1. Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker

2. Shake well

3. Strain into a whiskey glass filled with ice

4. Serve garnished with a slice of apple

Land Collins

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

20 ml pine syrup (Douglas Fir)

15 ml fresh lemon juice

Ice

Soda

Pine cutting to garnish

Method:

1. Take a tall tumbler and pour in 50 ml Feragaia, 20 ml pine syrup and 15 ml fresh lemon juice.

2. Add 5-6 ice cubes

3. Top up with soda

4. Serve garnished with a pine cutting

Sea Collins

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

20 ml smoked seaweed syrup (sugar kelp and lapsang souchong)

10 ml white Modena vinegar

Ice

Soda

Grapefruit slice

Dried sugar kelp

Method:

1. Take a tall glass and pour in 50 ml Feragaia, 20 ml Smoked seaweed syrup and 10 ml white Modena vinegar

2. Add 4-5 ice cubes

3. Top up with soda

4. Serve garnished with a slice of grapefruit and dried sugar kelp

Penicilin

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

20 ml honey syrup

15 ml fresh lemon juice

Ice

Ginger ale

Candied ginger to garnish

Method:

1. Pour 50 ml Feragaia into a whiskey glass with 20 ml honey syrup and 15 ml fresh lemon juice

2. Add 5-6 ice cubes

3. Top up with ginger ale

4. Serve garnished with candied ginger

Arnold Palmer

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

50 ml chamomile tea

Half teaspoon of dark sugar

Ice

Bitter lemon

Lemon slice to garnish

Method:

1. Take a tall glass and pour in 50 ml Feragaia, 50 ml chamomile tea and half a teaspoon of dark sugar

2. Stir until the sugar dissolves

3. Add 3-4 ice cubes

4. Top up with bitter lemon

5. Garnish with a lemon slice on the side of the glass

Smokey Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

15 ml lapsang souchong tea

10 ml ginger syrup

5 ml fresh lime juice

Ice block

Twist of orange to garnish

Method:

1. Pour 50 ml Feragaia into a whiskey glass with 15 ml lapsang souchong tea, 10 ml ginger syrup and 5 ml fresh lime juice

2. Add an ice block

3. Stir

4. Serve garnished with a twist of orange

Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

100 ml ginger beer

50 ml water

Orange twist to garnish

Method:

1. Gently heat 50 ml Feragaia, 100 ml ginger beer and 50 ml water in a small pan

2. When warm, pour into an enamel cup

3. Serve garnished with an orange twist

Negroni

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

20 ml fresh cranberry juice

10 ml hibiscus syrup

5 ml alcohol-free amaro

Ice block

Twist of orange to garnish

Method:

1. Take a whiskey glass and pour in 50 ml Feragaia, 20 ml fresh cranberry juice, 10 ml hibiscus syrup and 5 ml alcohol-free amaro

2. Add an ice block

3. Stir

4. Serve garnished with an orange twist

Wild Mojito

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

15 ml fresh lime juice

10 ml honey

10 mint leaves

Ice

Tonic

Method:

1. Add 50 ml Feragaia, 15 ml fresh lime juice, 10 ml honey and 5 mint leaves (removed from stalk) to a tall glass

2. Stir until the honey dissolves

3. Add 3-4 ice cubes

4. Top up with tonic

5. Garnish with the remaining mint leaves (on stalk)

When gorse flowers are in season, add up to 10 of them to your wild mojito for a tropical note.

VE Refinery Exclusive: Alcohol Free Feragaia Strawberry Daiquiri

Ingredients:

50 ml Feragaia

250 g fresh strawberries with hulls removed

200 g ice

Juice of half a lime

Lime slice to garnish

Method:

1. Place 50 ml Feragaia, 250 g fresh strawberries, the juice of half a lime and 200 g ice into a blender or smoothie maker and blend

2. Pour into a martini glass

3. Serve garnished with the lime slice on the edge of the glass

Let Feragaia help you to reconnect with nature

Designed to help consumers to reconnect with nature, Feragaia is causing a real stir in the alcohol-free drinks market. 

If you're ready for a change, why not give it a try? If you use Feragaia to create a cocktail masterpiece, tag us @ve_refinery on Instagram to be reposted! 

It's time to find your original free spirit.