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What are spirit essences?
A spirit essence is a small bottle or sachet of concentrated flavour matched to a commercial style. It brings the flavour, aroma and colour; your base spirit brings the alcohol. So the same clean, neutral base can become a Kentucky bourbon one week and a spiced rum the next, just by changing the essence. Still Spirits, the New Zealand brand behind most of our range, matches its liqueur essences to the commercial versions for sweetness, colour and strength.
How to use a spirit essence
- Start with neutral spirit or vodka at 40% ABV. Bought vodka works with every essence in the range.
- Add the essence at the rate on the label. For Top Shelf, that's one 50 ml bottle to 2.25 litres.
- Shake well and bottle it. It's drinkable straight away, though most people find the flavour settles after a day.
- For a smoother, fuller feel, add a little glycerine. See our spirit additives.
Which range should I choose?
- Top Shelf: the widest choice. Each 50 ml bottle flavours 2.25 litres.
- Classic (Top Shelf Select): Still Spirits' premium range, with the closest match to the commercial spirit. Each pack flavours 2.25 litres, in one or two sachets.
- Original: best for mixed drinks. Each 50 ml bottle flavours about 5 litres.
- Liqueurs: each liqueur essence is marked A, B or C and is mixed with the matching Still Spirits Liqueur Base. One 50 ml bottle makes a 1.125 litre bottle of liqueur.
- Essencia: a second brand with its own whiskey, vodka, gin and tequila styles. Check each label for the dosing rate.
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Buying for regular batches? The Top Shelf 10 packs and Any Mix packs cost less per bottle.
Buying from us
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Shipping and orders apply to everything in this collection. See the FAQ page for more topics.
Monday to Friday, 9-4pm AEST.We normally get back to you within a day—often sooner.
How do spirit essences work?
A spirit essence is a concentrated flavouring you mix into neutral spirit or vodka at 40% ABV. It adds the flavour and colour of a style, so the same clean base becomes bourbon, rum, gin or whisky depending on the bottle you pick. There is no resting time, though most people find the flavour settles after a day in the bottle.
How much spirit does one essence flavour?
It depends on the range. A 50ml Top Shelf bottle flavours 2.25 litres of 40% ABV spirit, which fills three 750ml bottles. A Classic (Top Shelf Select) pack holds twin sachets that flavour 1.125 litres each. The Original range is dosed at 7.5ml per 750ml bottle, so one 50ml bottle flavours about 5 litres.
How do liqueur essences work?
Liqueur essences are marked A, B or C, and each letter needs the matching Still Spirits Liqueur Base, which supplies the body and sweetness. Base A is the least sweet, B sits in the middle and C is the sweetest. Mix the volume of 40% spirit shown on the essence bottle with the base, add the essence and top up to 1.125 litres with water. One 50ml liqueur essence makes one 1.125 litre bottle. Schnapps flavours use the Schnapps Liqueur Base and cream liqueurs use the Cream Liqueur Base.
Can I use bought vodka instead of making my own spirit?
Yes. Every essence in the range works with bought vodka at 40% ABV, and that route needs no still at all.
How long will my order take to arrive?
Metro: usually a few business days. Regional: often a bit longer. You get tracking when it leaves the warehouse.
What is your returns policy?
If something isn't right, tell us. We'll sort returns or replacements under Australian Consumer Law and our written policy. No drama.
Monday to Friday, 9-4pm AEST.We normally get back to you within a day—often sooner.