Ceder's

Pernod Ricard is set to rival no-alcohol spirit brand Seedlip with its own “gin alternative” called Ceder’s.

The drink, billed as a distilled, non-alcoholic beverage with “all the flavours of gin” will land in Sainsbury’s and The Whisky Exchange in 50ml bottles in July in three flavours (rsp: £19.99).

The flavours are Classic (juniper with floral hints), Wild (juniper with ginger, clove and rooibos) and Crisp (juniper with citrus, cucumber and camomile).

The brand was founded by husband and wife duo Craig Hutchison and Maria Sehlstrom, and takes its name from the Cederberg mountains of the Western Cape of South Africa, from which the couple source their botanicals. They have partnered with Pernod Ricard to develop and bring it to market.

It marked the realisation of the couple’s “ambition to create a hand-crafted alt-gin with natural botanical distillates and extracts” that would “satisfy those looking for a non-alcoholic serve without sacrificing premium and sophisticated flavour experiences”.

The world of low and no-alcohol spirits alternatives has been largely dominated by Seedlip, the startup in which spirits giant Diageo took a significant stake in 2016. It has since picked up listings in Tesco for both its SKUs and is currently planning an entire portfolio of booze-less brands.

Low and non-alcoholic drinks were “a growing and exciting area for Pernod Ricard,” said its managing director for UK Laurent Pillet.