Roots ‘Light’ Smashes the Elemental for Low-ABV Spirit

In a cold pursuit of flavour, Ben Leggett and the team from Elemental Distillers Co. have taken a NZ-first approach to innovating mid-strength juniper spirit in their brand new release Roots 'Light'.

For those of us whose lives orbit the glass—who know the true measure of a spirit lies in the conversation between flavour, texture, and intensity—the low-alcohol category has often felt like a conversation conducted through a closed door. The spirit is there, the intent is pure, but the voice is muted.

Now, Elemental Distillers Co., the Marlborough outfit that’s already proved its mettle on the global stage, appears to have found the key to unlock the room. And it’s loud in there.

Their new Roots ‘Light’ Marlborough Spirit is not just another lower-proof offering; it’s a masterclass in technological subversion, a $55 bottle of liquid R&D that directly confronts the greatest challenge in the category: how do you deliver a classic gin experience when your core solvent is 86% water?

The answer, as co-founder Ben Leggett explains, isn’t simple, but it’s elegant: multi-vacuum distillation.

This isn’t the single, ‘cold-distilled’ novelty we’ve seen dabbled with by others and played with by on-trend bartenders. This is a double-barreled technological assault—a deconstruction and reconcentration of flavour molecules so precise it fundamentally changes perception of traditionally made spirit.

The Boiling Point

In traditional spirits distillation, heat is the engine. It boils the alcohol-water wash, carrying volatile flavour compounds up and over the still. The problem is, that same heat is a blunt instrument. As Leggett puts it, it’s the difference between an espresso and a cold brew—same bean, wildly different flavour expression. Hot distillation destroys the more delicate, complex flavour chemicals.

And when pursuing full strength spirit, the heat is essential in creating the alcohol that carries flavour. Reducing the alcohol content requires a different way of layering flavour and complexity into the spirit - water must carry the weight and texture of botanicals instead of diluting it.

Leggett says they have invested in pioneering technology with the backing of Callaghan Innovation to create a spirit that is low in alcohol without compromising on taste, available on the shelf exclusively at Liquorland from today (1 October 2025) at just 14% abv.

“The process actually combines multiple different technologies, including the two forms of vacuum distillation, to both deconstruct and reconcentrate core botanical flavours that would traditionally require a high alcohol content in order to retain their character. This allows us to maintain the unique profile of a classic full-strength gin – more botanicals, less buzz!” - Ben Leggett

This ‘cold distillation’ process can now coax out the aromatic profile of coriander, angelica, and Macedonian juniper without subjecting them to a flavour-altering heat-stress. In short, they are capturing the fuller botanical character, not just the hardiest survivors.

But the breakthrough here is simultaneously captured in both the alcohol and the water components. Without this double-tap flavour-loading, any spirit at a mere 14% ABV is doomed to taste precisely what it is: dilute.

Polishing the Mouthfeel

The team believe they are the first distillery in Aotearoa to use this multi-vacuum distillation technique, and it’s set to disrupt the low-alcoholic spirit industry as it addresses a common criticism of no and low-alcoholic spirit alternatives – ‘it just doesn’t taste like gin’. The technical victory of capturing flavour is only half the battle. As veteran drinkers know, a spirit isn’t just a taste; it’s a texture.

Leggett revealed that a full third of their R&D budget and time was spent on what they termed “polishing.” Low-proof spirits are notoriously “flat” and “washed out.” The absence of high-proof ethanol—the backbone of a great G&T—leaves a gaping hole in the mouthfeel.

Elemental’s solution is a subtle, yet crucial, rebalancing act: a natural adjustment of acid, salinity, and sweetness. This isn’t a mask; it’s structural engineering of the spirit. It gives the spirit a necessary grip and weight on the palate, allowing it to stand up not just in a soda, but in a more challenging format like their hero serve, the Midday Martini.

This isn’t a product built on compromise. This is a product built on obsessive refinement. It aims to eliminate the classic critique of the low-no sector by leveraging technology to serve the classic flavour profile, not sacrifice it. Roots ‘Light’ is a clear benchmark for what the next generation of conscious drinking should taste like: full flavour, less buzz, no compromise.

The flavour profile comes from seasonally grown New Zealand botanicals where possible, with juniper berries wild-harvested from the highlands of North Macedonia because they aren’t naturally grown in Aotearoa. In the case of the Roots Light, the botanicals lean on the classic gin ingredients of coriander, angelica, orange, cardamom and a unique Douglas Fir hydrosol from Otago-grown spruce.

Leggett says compromising on flavour simply wasn’t an option for the distillery that has been recognised on the global stage for its London Dry gin. He also correctly assesses consumers are returning to classic gin profiles in their preferred choice, a step away from the contemporary and flavoured boom of the early 2020s. And when you’ve already been recognised as World’s Best, there is no reason to step away from the much-admired and awarded distillery character.

Not only is Roots ‘Light’ lower in alcohol, at 23 calories per serve, the kilojoule component is substantiallly reduced—which is perhaps the real breakthrough in an industry about to require energy content to be included on every spirits label. Lower alcohol spirit drinks haven’t always meant lower in calorie as sugars and additional ingredients used to rebalance flavour profiles often replace the alcohol calories.

It comes at an interesting time for the liquor industry; where both at home and abroad people are spending less on alcoholic beverages and drinking out for both health and economic reasons. The number of no- and low-alcoholic options available is increasing both in liquor retail and behind the bar, but it still remain a conversation of compromise.

A Sustainable Cut?

In an era of sustainability and rising energy costs, the introduction and disruption of new technology isn’t always an all-round solution. We asked Ben about the impacts of the tech and what possibilities it opens.

”The applications for more products in the low alcohol sector are arguably endless, and in order to deliver on the taste expectations of consumers, new technologies and techniques are essential. For our own process, we have less by-products than the traditional hot distillation process, as there is almost no heads and tails cuts, and cold distillation requires less energy to run.

Vacuum distillation also means we don’t need to make cuts during our run and the stillage left behind after a vacuum run can contain some of the best flavour components.”

Is Lower ABV the Answer to Lower Cost on Shelf?

Is it possible to move a mountain? Or must we move to the mountain? That is the question facing many NZ distillers (and our neighbours across the Tasman, to the North and even farther North-East) as excise taxes continue to rise, consuming an enormous portion of what consumers pay at point of sale.

Less alcohol means less tax written into the cost of putting each bottle on the shelf. Up til now, that has come with a compromise on texture if not flavour too. Seedlip, Ecology & Co and Terps & Co sit on the shelf between $49.99 and $59.99RRP with 0% alcohol.

With a retail price of $55 on shelf, Roots Light Marlborough Spirit is offering full flavour at a significantly competitive price point. Mid-strength spirits are still an emerging market here in NZ but Roots Light has the potential to set a benchmark for quality and affordability in a new generation of conscious drinkers.

And that’s important - because less alcohol is arguably, less than. You can’t simply remove the alcohol, intensify flavour and then clap your hands, saying ‘Okay lad, job done.” And distillers generally like making spirits, full strength and full-flavoured. So to go to the effort of making something with less alcohol, to essentially step outside of your primary skillset as a distiller and to get it to a point where you can happily release it to the market—it’s not just a statement on the Elemental team’s skill and perseverance, but on their character. A changing skillset for a changing market. Because it’s necessary. We have to go to the mountain, in more ways than one.

One Sunny Saturday

As for what I think, it does the job. It’s an incredibly credible lower alcohol spirit that carries oodles of flavour and a softer, but present mouthfeel. There’s botanical backbone that lingers, even after a glass of Montepulciano rosé. With soda it still stands tall, without dissipating or starting to waft too wide. You want the juniper to stay sharp and tall, not withering in the current. Roots Light does that and does it well.

Roots ’Light’ Marlborough Spirit is available online from the distillery now, exclusively in Liquorland from today and in all good liquor stores from 1 November, making it the perfect drop for a lighter summer.