Australian drinks brand Mother of Pearl Vodka of the Sea has staged a world launch of its IWSC award-winning grape-based vodka in a paper bottle at the first-ever Bar Convent Singapore trade show on 6-7 November.
It is the first Australian brand to launch in a Frugal bottle, which is a commercially available paper bottle for wines, spirits and olive oils.
The Singapore launch comes just weeks after the Mother of Pearl paper bottle was shown to Queen Camilla during the King and Queen’s visit to Bordeaux in France.
Made from 94 per cent recycled cardboard, Frugal bottles are five times lighter and have a carbon footprint six times lower than glass bottles. It also needs less energy to produce, transport and dispose of than glass equivalents.
Weighing just 83g (before filled), the bottles have a food-grade pouch inside to contain the liquid and also offers 360° branding for impactful shelf presence.
More than 35 different drink producers from around the world have launched 128 different SKUs of wines, spirits and olive oils in the Frugal bottle since 2020.
Melbourne-based Mother of Pearl Vodka co-founder Nic Hancock and Nicola Thompson Hancock say they adopted the sustainable packaging to reflect their respect for Australia’s pristine environment and their outdoor antipodean lifestyles.
“Nicola and I are proud to be the first Australian producers to use the Frugal bottle for our premium grape-based vodka and we are thrilled to be holding the world launch of the Mother of Pearl Vodka of the Sea paper bottle at Bar Convent,” Nic Hancock said.
“With my background in 5-star hospitality, I love that we’re bringing a stylish, innovative product to the Australian and Southeast Asian drinks market, which not only cuts our carbon footprint, but will help reduce the hospitality industry’s carbon footprint too.
“The opportunities for this shatterproof, lightweight packaging are huge and we’re delighted to be early adopters of it, and excited to see how far we can push into new markets.”
This year Frugalpac, the company behind the bottle innovation, was named SME of the Year in the UK Green Business Awards and the Innovation of the Year award winner at the East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards 2023.
“We’ve worked hard to create a fantastic vodka for a discerning audience. As women have more taste buds than men, we’ve crafted a drink that plays to the feminine palate by filtering the distilled vodka through coconut husks and charcoal, to create a smooth creaminess that removes any burn," Nicola Thompson Hancock said.
“What we have is a naturally gluten free vodka with zero sugar, made in Melbourne from late-off-the-vine pinot gris grapes for a full-bodied flavour. We believe it’s exceptional – and have two IWSC awards to prove it – and can’t wait to see what the future holds."
Malcolm Waugh, CEO of Frugalpac (interviewed by PKN earlier this year), says he is delighted to see Mother of Pearl become the first Australian drinks producer to launch the paper Frugal bottle.
“More than 35 brands are already using the Frugal bottle for wine and spirits around the world and we welcome Nic and Nicola to the paper bottle revolution and wish them every success,” Waugh said.
Frugalpac calls on all wineries, distillers, contract fillers and packaging businesses to invest in the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machines to meet the high demands for the Frugal bottles around the world to reduce carbon and increase their sales of the wines, spirits and packaging.
