New London Light

Salcombe Distilling Co. was founded in 2016 by Howard Davies and Angus Lugsdin, two friends who had met teaching sailing in Salcombe, Devon. They built a reputation for serious gin before turning attention to zero-ABV spirits. New London Light is the result: a standalone brand that draws on the same botanical philosophy as their gin range but exists entirely in the non-alcoholic space.

Master distiller Jason Nickels developed the range. The botanical approach is gin-adjacent in spirit but designed to work without alcohol as the carrier. The signature trick is using habanero and ginger to recreate the warmth and bite that alcohol normally delivers, balanced with Macedonian juniper, citrus, and sage. The current range runs to three expressions: First Light, Midnight Sun, and Aegean Sky, each with its own botanical character inspired by coastal locations. All three come in at 0% ABV and contain no artificial colours or flavours.

The brand sits comfortably in the premium AF spirits tier. At around £26 a bottle, it is priced in line with mid-range gin, and the quality benchmark is gin, not cordial or diluted fruit juice. The connection to Salcombe Distilling Co. gives it genuine craft credibility that many AF spirits lack.

Distribution is solid. You will find it on The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, and various specialist retailers, as well as direct from their website. New London Light also had the distinction of being the exclusive non-alcoholic spirit served in Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounges, which says something about how the hospitality trade has received it.

Worth noting: the brand is a sub-brand of Salcombe Distilling Co. rather than a fully independent company. For anyone interested in how a serious distillery approaches the AF category, it is one of the better examples in the UK market.