We asked Zala Gomboc a few questions to find out about their success.
Tell us when your company was founded and some of its history?
We built Vera Spirits craft distillery in 2018. Originally intending to create an alcoholic gin, we quickly pivoted to specializing in non-alcoholic spirits. It was fun to build the distillery to create something new and physical. We chose the non-alcoholic route due in part to the challenges. That made it much more exciting for us. There is so much uncharted territory and space to experiment within sober spirits. The untapped potential is vast, as more people who aren’t drinking or choosing not to drink, discover more options.
Tell us about some of the unique features of your company.
At Vera Spirits, we are making all our products from scratch. This enables us to explore unique flavour profiles. We are located between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, which leaves us with quite hot summers and cold winters -- we have four extreme seasons that create these incredibly complex flavours.
We think peaceful living, siesta, and friends are what we should stand for. This is also our aim when developing new products, trying to capture those moments and present them with different combinations of flavours.
What do you think are some of the special products you have?
After spirits, we developed a line of Aperitifs which are very versatile and complex. There are numerous ways to prepare a delicious drink, from using it on the rocks, mixing it with tonic water, or experimenting with Low-abv cocktails and adding Prosecco. We have two different Aperitifs, Aperitivø Classicø and Aperitivø Herbal, both bold and complex but yet very different.
What is unique about your manufacturing process and your manufacturing philosophy?
As mentioned, we are making all our products from scratch. Before the distillation process begins, carefully choosing our ingredients is a priority. We outsource botanicals based on quality and perfect timing, ensuring we rely primarily on local and seasonal ingredients. For production, we use spring water that comes directly from the Alps. After studying each ingredient and its optimal distillation conditions, we develop recipes and procedures for each product.
We distill our botanicals with great care, giving them the perfect conditions to extract wanted aromatic compounds. We use two different methods depending on the part of botanical: maceration and vapor infusion.
After distillation, we carefully blend our distillates to achieve harmony between aromatics. The final product is then filtered, pasteurized (to ensure quality and safety), and finally, bottled.
What do you think is your distinct advantage or reason for your success?
We are devoted to quality and craftsmanship. Since we are coming from a hospitality (restaurants) background and our team is experienced in R&D we can create and deliver new flavour compositions and experiment on different levels. All of this combined with a thorough understanding of non-alcohol communities and their needs gives us an advantage in the category.
What is the consumer demographic of your products, and what feedback are you getting?
The customer base is expanding rapidly as more and more people are introduced to this category. We are catering to anyone who enjoys a flavourful and complex experience without having to deal with the side effects of alcohol. We see traction from females aged 25-50 years and males 30-45 years.
How do you see your company or product on the global stage?
We see ourselves as leaders of quality-driven non-alcoholic drinks and a synonym for craftsmanship in this category.
In what countries can your product be found?
Currently, you can find our products in the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, Germany, Singapore, Australia, Belgium, Sweden, and the USA. You can also order online on our website https://www.veraspirits.com.
What innovations do you have in the pipeline for the future?
We are constantly trying to create and upgrade our product range. We have several different products in the pipeline which we think can successfully add value to the existing ones. We are working on our RTD line, and in the future, we would also like to offer something for all coffee lovers out there.
In what countries can your product be found?
For now, only in Turkey, our products can be found in grocery stores, supermarket chains, many third-wave cafe chains, online markets, and five-star hotels. There is already a demand for our products from other countries as well. Therefore it is also in our plans.
What innovations do you have in the pipeline for the future?
We are always experimenting with new products and production techniques to find and develop natural and functional products with greater taste.
Contact Person: Zala Gomboc
Email: zala.gomboc@veraspirits.com
Telephone number: +38631544408
Website: https://www.veraspirits.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veraspirits
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veraspirits/