Alcohol-Free Distillery Seadrift Has Opened a “So-Bar” in Its Brookvale Warehouse

Like Marrickville in the inner west, the industrial area of Brookvale on the northern beaches has become a hub of craft breweries and distilleries. One of the latest, located just across from Nomad Brewing Co, is Seadrift, a refreshingly alcohol-free distillery.

“My father-in-law’s a doctor and told me I was too fat and drank too much – but I could have told him that,” co-owner Alastair Whiteley tells Broadsheet, laughing.

His wife Carolyn Whiteley, who operates the distillery with Alastair, introduced him to some of the limited alcohol-free liquor options available at the time, but it wasn’t long before he decided there was something missing from the market.

“They’re all very ‘country hedgerow’, fields, England … damp,” says the straight-talking Englishman. “Don’t get me wrong, they’re nice. I just felt like Australia needed something livelier.”

So he bought a traditional copper pot still, set it up in his shed, and started brewing. “I experimented with every kind of botanical I could find,” Alastair says. “Including seaweed collected from Mona Vale beach.”

And then he started winning awards.

The challenge with his first batch (made with coriander, makrut lime leaves and golden sea kelp), was that he wasn’t chasing a flavour, but an idea.

“I wanted to recreate that feeling of being hit in the face with a wave,” explains Alastair. Not being dumped, but “just that invigorating splash”.

It took him a year to perfect the complex marine back-note, but he did. His latest iteration, Storm – inspired by the unique smells of the beach after a storm – has been a year in the making, and he admits it’s nowhere close to being ready.

In the meantime, though, he’s created the Coast gin, with basil, juniper and lemongrass, and a rose-coloured style named Hibiscus is set to hit the shelves this year.

In late 2019, the couple decided it was time to say goodbye to the garden shed and secured themselves a spacious warehouse in Brookvale. Their stunning copper stills are displayed next to a sleek curved concrete bar, with fairy lights and fronds of greenery hanging from the ceiling above.

“Originally the space was for brewing and hosting free tastings,” explains Alastair. “But we were open for a day before I got a text about a Covid cluster in Avalon.”

They’ve now reopened, but with a whole new raison d’etre. Seadrift’s So-Bar is a space to showcase the label’s own non-alcoholic spirits, alongside a list of other local and international alcohol-free drops.

Sip on the Freshie, made with Seadrift Coast, lemon, and a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, or a Pittwater Pomelo with Seadrift Classic, grapefruit juice, lime and a salt rim.

They’re planning live music, masterclasses, and a fun “Recovery Breakfast” (because when your Bloody Mary is made with Seadrift, you really can drink it any time of the day).

But the best thing about spending an afternoon at So-Bar has got to be the fact you can safely drive home. “The only thing I’m missing out on in life is a sore head,” says Whiteley.

Seadrift So-Bar
1/12 Sydenham Road, Brookvale
0414 487 844

Hours:
Fri & Sat 6pm–10pm

seadriftdistillery.com
@seadrift_distillery