Australian premium drinks brand Mother of Pearl Spirits has partnered with Brand Tap Brands as its distributor to bring its IWSC award-winning grape-based spirits to the UK in Frugalpac’s FrugalBottles – the world’s first commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirits.
At an exclusive event held at Birmingham’s Oyster Club on Tuesday, November 19, Mother of Pearl Spirits unveiled its Vodka of the Sea and Gin of the Sea.
As guests sipped Mother of Pearl Spirits’ signature vodka martinis, co-founder Nicola Thompson Hancock explained the ethos behind the brand, its targeting of a discerning female audience and how it was the first Australian company to adopt the sustainable packaging out of respect for Australia’s pristine environment and her outdoor antipodean lifestyle.
She also discussed the methods used to craft the smooth, full-bodied spirits from late-off-the-vine pinot gris grapes, such as filtering the distilled spirits through coconut husks and charcoal, to create a smooth creaminess to remove any ‘burn’.
Founded by Nicola Thompson Hancock and her husband Nic Hancock, Mother of Pearl Spirits was the first Australian producer to adopt the Frugal Bottle Down Under due to its sustainability credentials and is the first to export its paper bottles back to the UK.
Made from 94% recycled cardboard, the Frugal Bottle is five times lighter than a glass bottle and crucially uses six times less carbon and energy to produce and dispose. This means it has a carbon footprint 84% lower than glass bottles. It also offers 360° branding for exceptional shelf standout.
Mother of Pearl Spirits were so impressed with the paper Frugal Bottle they’ve agreed to buy a machine to make them for other drinks brands in Australia and Southeast Asia.
Nicola also revealed that Mother of Pearl Spirits is the first brand to use Frugalpac’s latest more sustainable and recyclable mono-material pouch for its Gin of the Sea. The polyethylene-based solution replaces the MET PET pouch and will be available from April 2025.
Speaking at the launch, Mother of Pearl Spirits Co-founder Nicola Thompson Hancock said: “Since we launched Mother of Pearl Vodka of the Sea in a Frugal Bottle, the response has been astonishing.
“Companies championing our spirits in the Frugal Bottle include Qantas for their first class lounges, The Accor Group’s Pullman and Sofitel hotels for their rooftop poolside bars and the Singapore F1 Grand Prix for their track side bars.
“We always wanted our spirits to stand out and we believe you can create premium spirits with an environmental conscience. Frugal Bottles and the latest mono-material pouch are integral to this belief.
“I’m excited to see how our IWSC multi award-winning spirits stir up the UK hospitality market – or should that be shaken!”
Brand Tap Brands Managing Director Ashleigh Bourne added: “More and more brands, retailers and hospitality outlets are looking for better sustainable options to serve their drinks. Glass will always have a place, but paper bottles are more convenient, especially being easier to dispose of after use.
“There’s a real buzz about these bottles in the industry and we believe Mother of Pearl Spirits can help to deliver remarkable spirits with impeccable sustainability credentials. We look forward to distributing them across the UK.”
Frugalpac CEO Malcolm Waugh said: “Our partnerships with brands like Mother of Pearl Spirits and Brand Tap Brands are allowing us to drive real change in the drinks market, bringing consumers more sustainable choices.
“The Frugal Bottle and its new mono-material pouch reflect not just innovation in packaging but meaningful progress in reducing the drink’s industry’s environmental impact. We wish Mother of Pearl and Brand Tap Brands every success in this exciting venture.”
The UK launch follows Mother of Pearl’s earlier introduction of its paper bottles to Australia, Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Mother of Pearl also announced this year its intention to produce Frugal Bottles in Australia for the Australian, New Zealand and Southeast Asian markets to help other drinks producers to decarbonise.
More than 45 different drinks producers from around the world have launched 128 different SKUs of wines, spirits and olive oils in the Frugal Bottle since 2020.
This year Frugalpac was awarded King’s Award for Enterprise for innovation for its bottles and the machines that make them.
Frugalpac calls on all wineries, distillers, contract fillers and packaging businesses to invest in the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machines to meet the high demands for the Frugal Bottles around the world to reduce carbon and increase their sales of the wines, spirits and packaging.