An Australian company has just launched what it’s calling the official spirit of Australia.

The spirit, named Vantage Australia – The Spirit of a Nation, is made wholly from Australian grown ingredients and is attempting to place itself on the map as the nation’s signature spirit.

Hero ingredients include the native flora, Australian lemon myrtle, Tasmanian Mountain Pepperberries and oil from Australian imperial mandarins.

The spirit has a unique smoky flavour and zesty citrus notes. Vantage Australia Director and founder of 1770 Spirit of a Nation (the company behind the brand), Bill Hargitay recommends Vantage Australia and tonic or replacing rum for Vantage Australia in a Daquiri or Mojito.

Vantage Australia has already secured national retail online through Dan Murphy’s, who will also be stocking the spirit in store from next year.

“If you look at Wikipedia where it lists every country’s national drink, it says XXXX and Coopers for Australia. While they’re great products, we don’t have a national spirit as such”, Hargitay told drinks bulletin.

“Bundaberg is a wonderful spirit as well, but it’s a rum – it’s not Australia’s traditional spirit. Even vodkas and gins being made over here are being made with products that still make them the spirits of other countries. Our objective was therefore to create a truly national spirit.”

Hargitay also believes that the launch of Vantage Australia will unlock opportunity for growth for trade in Australia.

“I would welcome people to get more interested in purely Australian spirits, rather than rebadging other country’s spirits. I believe that this product provides an opportunity to actually establish a new growth category.”

Vantage Australia is available in a 700ml bottle (RRP $54.99) and 1L bottle (RRP $68), which is primarily being pushed in the duty free channel and for gifting. Both are available from the brand’s website, with potentially more native ingredients based products to be released in the near future.