Danish producer launches ‘world’s first non-alcoholic gin’

Danish gin brand Herbie has launched a non-alcoholic product distilled with juniper, Danish apples, lavender and orange peel, called Herbie Virgin.

Produced in Denmark by rum producer Anders Skotlander and Herbie CEO Anders Bilgram; the spirit is described by Herbie as "the first non-alcoholic gin in the world". It is produced using the same production methods and equipment as the original expression – which has become one of the best-selling gins on the Danish market since its launch in December 2016. "It has been very interesting to develop a product with the taste of gin, but without the alcohol," said Bilgram. "We believe there is a big market for alcohol free alternatives for people who don't drink or just want to drink less alcohol." For the first six months of 2017 the Herbie Gin team have been focused on the Danish market, but are now ready to export. The team can currently produce 200,000 bottles of gin per annum, but say that the recipe is "scaleable", with plans to up production to one million bottles per year within five years. Skotlander explained: "We are looking for importers in both the UK and central Europe, these are the most important markets for us."