New London Light

The brand takes its name from a lighthouse at the entrance to Long Island Sound, a navigation point that guided 19th-century Salcombe fruit schooners home from trading voyages across the Atlantic. Salcombe Distilling Co was founded in 2016 by Howard Davies and Angus Lugsdin, two former sailing instructors who built a gin reputation in Devon before developing the 0% line.

The production process is more involved than most AF spirit brands disclose. Head distiller Jason Nickels, whose background includes horticultural and foraging knowledge, starts by steeping botanicals in grain spirit to extract flavour. The alcohol is then removed through rotary vacuum distillation, which means distilling at reduced pressure so that the boiling point drops and delicate aromatics are preserved rather than driven off by heat. The resulting botanical concentrate is blended with natural flavours and stabilised with kombucha. For warmth and body in the absence of ethanol, the formulation relies on habanero capsicum and ginger. Macedonian juniper and sugar kelp, harvested near the distillery after high tide, complete the house botanical character.

The range runs to three 0% products, all in 70cl bottles at around £26 each, covering the juniper-forward, Nordic coastal, and bitter aperitivo-style directions. In January 2022, New London Light became the exclusive alcohol-free spirit served across Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouse lounges globally, including London, New York, and San Francisco. That hospitality placement marks meaningful commercial reach for an independent brand at this scale.

New London Light supports the Marine Conservation Society through a partnership focused on seagrass habitat conservation, which connects directly to the coastal botanical sourcing that defines the range. Distribution runs through the brand's own website and specialist alcohol-free retailers, with a presence in the US market. The brand is produced by an established distillery with genuine expertise in botanical spirit production, which gives its 0% range a technical foundation that sober-curious drinkers and designated drivers looking for a gin-category alternative will find credible.