The best alcoholic beverage: juniper beer made from gin production waste
The juniper berry beer Re-crafted Crafter’s Junibeer, made from gin production waste, was selected as the best alcoholic beverage in Estonia. Liviko manufactures this artisanal drink based on the no-waste production principle, using genuine juniper berries which have previously been used to distil Crafter’s gin.
“We developed a production solution that re-uses raw materials, which is rare in the beverage industry. Namely, we use valuable juniper berries twice in a row to make two different types of drinks. First, we distil Crafter’s gins using juniper berries, and then we use the distillation waste to make Re-crafted Crafter’s effervescent drinks. For the juniper beer, the natural sugar in the berries is fermented into alcohol,” explains Hanna Kaur, Liviko’s beverage architect.
Creating a new beverage category on a global scale meant a new role for Liviko. “Since the environment and nature belong to everyone, Liviko does not want to turn this idea into a business secret. On the contrary, we’ll be showcasing this innovation at international conferences and competitions. In addition to drinks, we are now also exporting a green mindset, inspiring people to use existing resources more wisely,” enthused Hanna Kaur.
Liviko has found a way to reuse 80% of the plant-based ingredients of Crafter’s gins. This year, the 3.2% juniper berry beer Re-crafted Crafter’s Junibeer won the title of the best alcoholic beverage. The alcohol-free Re-crafted Crafter’s Junibeer won the title of the best non-alcoholic beverage in Estonia last year.
“The stable quality of the juniper berry distillation residue and the rich flavour palette led to the idea of reusing this extract. Thanks to this innovative approach to production, the ecological footprint of our beverages is significantly smaller, because the raw materials for the artisanal beverages are produced locally,” said Hanna Kaur.
The Re-crafted Crafter’s drinks do not contain any flavouring. Junibeer is lactose and gluten free and is also suitable for vegans. The product may contain sediment.
Liviko derived the name “Junibeer” on the basis of the English “ginger beer”.
Established in 1898, Liviko is a rapidly developing international group specialising in premium alcohol, which retails its own products on 60 markets and represents the world’s leading premium brands in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Liviko has its production and head office in Tallinn along with distribution offices in Riga and Vilnius. Liviko is one of the largest alcohol companies in the Baltics and pays equal attention to the export and import of alcoholic beverages in addition to production. The Liviko Group employs 270 people.
© AS Liviko. All rights reserved. Attention! This is an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol may cause damage to your health. 
