New premixed cocktail range supports Aussie distillers

Nip of Courage owner Kathleen Davies has officially launched the first products for her latest brainchild: The Aussie Tipple Company.

The range of pre-mixed, bottled cocktails is designed to broaden the audience for Australia's craft distillers.

Each cocktail comes in both single serve 100ml and “bar size” one-litre bottles.

The Negroni features Bathurst's Stone Pine Gin mixed with Regal Rogue Bold Red Vermouth. The Espresso Martini contains white rye whiskey and coffee liqueur from Tasmania's Belgrove Distillery with Little Drippa Cold Drip Coffee from Melbourne. The Rum Old Fashioned is a mix of Mendooran's Black Gate Single Barrel Rum, Mister Bitters and Commissary Syrup. The Dry Martini features Stone Pine Dry Gin and Regal Rogue Daring Dry.

The story of each distillery features on the back labels of the bottles to help share their stories and spread awareness.  

The premixed cocktail market is gathering momentum worldwide. Drinks International recently held its 7th annual Pre-mixed Drinks Challenge, which saw a record number of entries for 2017, with the site noting that "In 2016 the global category grew 3% (Euromonitor International) proving the format’s appeal is broadening from traditional markets, such as the UK, Australia and the US, to emerging markets."

Last year, the Inaugural Bottled Cocktail Invitational was kicked off during Sydney Bar Week, with bars including Eau De Vie, Brisbane's Maker, and Melbourne's The Everleigh submitted bottled concoctions. 

Davies, who founded Nip of Courage in 2013, has spent 12 months bringing The Aussie Tipple Company to life. Nip of Courage is the only distribution service in Australia to represent 100% Australian made and owned craft spirits. Nip of Courage aims to help market and develop distilleries in rural areas where the economies are fragile and the job opportunities are limited.

The Aussie Tipple Company is also donating $1 from every 1 Litre Aussie Tipple cocktail to Buy a Bale, a charity organisation based in Brisbane that strives to help struggling farmers experiencing hardship due to circumstances out of their control. 

"We've chosen to align ourselves with this organisation as they are imperative to our economy," Davies notes on Pozible. "Farmer's not only provide the food on our table, but also provide the raw materials necessary to produce Australian Craft Spirits and an array of other locally made and owned products."

Davies has worked in the liquor industry for 20 years, gaining commercial experience in the field of export, national sales and marketing roles within blue chip companies such as Bulmers, Carlton & United Breweries, Fosters Group, Lion and Coca Cola.