Brand new to the UK, Mahala is destined to make waves. The award-winning spirit from South Africa is embracing the growing interest in alcohol-free beverages, and is masterfully filling the noticeable gap in premium options for those who seek a healthy alternative to alcohol. And unlike many other 0% options currently in circulation, it doesn’t compromise on taste, experience, or importantly, quality.
Mahala literally means ‘free’ in Zulu. It is the creation of respected Master Distiller Danielle Schoeman and her unique triple-distillation process in her custom-built vacuum stills. It uses nine hand-sourced botanicals, many indigenous to South Africa, and some even foraged from Danielle’s own farmland. The output is a premium craft spirit that is free from alcohol, sugar, colorants, and artificial flavours, and is both gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
The spirit is designed to be mixed with a premium tonic, soda water, or even ginger beer. It has aromas of clove and cardamom, and subtle floral notes of the Buchu coming through from the indigenous fynbos of South Africa. The refreshing herbaceous and citrus notes give the drink a dynamic and distinctive flavour that is both pleasant for the palette and vivid for the journey it transports the drinker to. It delivers a sophisticated alternative to alcoholic beverages with an abundance of flavour, and a complex, layered finish to round off the experience.
The magic takes place at Danielle’s Doña Distillery in Cape Town, South Africa, which hosts the entire Mahala production process, from the creation of the base spirit, to the packaging and labelling. There’s a focus on social responsibility, too. The Distillery employs previously disadvantaged employees, supports local workers (such as The Sparrow Society who work with Mahala to create beautiful product display bags) and contributes a percentage of its sales in South Africa to The Botanical Society of South Africa, which champions biodiversity conservation in South Africa to protect the extraordinary plant diversity and ecosystems.
In terms of the current 0% industry, it is the pure quality, complexity in flavour, and versatility that elevates Mahala well above the rest. It offers the premium option that people are missing and seeking in this relatively flat market, and this is what we believe to be the key to open the door, for alcohol-drinkers and non-drinkers alike.
As the UK (and indeed global) attitude towards alcohol and healthy lifestyle evolves, there are many who will be keeping a very close eye on developments in this scene – and Mahala is perfectly positioned at the forefront of it. You can try Mahala for yourself (£27) by ordering directly online, or through carefully selected retailers including Master of Malt and SPIRIT.ED, with more coming soon.
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