Mother of Pearl taps into Australia’s vodka revival
Inspired by the sea and crafted from Australian grapes and mineral waters, Mother of Pearl is helping to lead vodka’s renaissance Down Under – we explore how.
Vodka, once written off as neutral and forgettable, is quietly stepping back into the limelight.
In Australia, the category has not just held its ground but thrived, even as the broader spirits market contracted in 2023. Vodka accounted for nearly a third of on-premise sales in pubs, bars and clubs, according to CGA Bars & Cocktails data – a remarkable performance considering total spirits volumes fell by almost 7% amid steep price hikes. The signal is clear: vodka’s appeal endures, and in its premium form, it is beginning to shine again.
Few brands embody this renaissance with quite the same vision as Mother of Pearl Vodka, a spirit conceived in northern Australia by husband-and-wife team Nic and Nicola Thompson-Hancock. The brand has just taken a Gold medal in The Vodka Masters blind tasting, part of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions. Inspired by the Pinctada pearl and the pristine waters that nurture it, the brand is striving to be more than just ‘another spirit’; it stands for refinement, sustainability and distinctly Australian craft.
Distilled from premium Australian grapes (including Pinot Gris sourced from the Mornington Peninsula) and blended with mineral waters from Victoria, the vodka carries a softly rounded, creamy texture. Nicola herself describes the profile as “deliberately lower in heat, designed to offer a gentler finish attuned to palates often more sensitive to alcohol’s fiery edge”. The result is a vodka that is clean, elegant and modern.
This was reflected in the tasting notes by judges, who described the nose as “clean and appealing, with fleshy fruit notes of nectarine and grape”. The palate was praised for its “complexity and intrigue, showing nutty depth alongside umami, coffee and chocolate, balanced by fresh fruit and a weighted mid-palate”. A touch of heat on the finish rounded out what they called a “distinctive, characterful style”.
Craft, though, is not confined to liquid alone. Production takes place in Melbourne on a bespoke 1,000-litre still, affectionately named Elaine after Nicola’s grandmother, an intimate detail that lends colour and connection to the brand’s story.
Sustainability is woven into the story, too. Mother of Pearl is bottled in eco-conscious Frugal Bottles, made from 94% recycled paperboard, weighing five times less than glass, and carrying a carbon footprint up to six times lower. It demonstrates how brands can create eye-catching designs while remaining mindful of their environmental impact.
Premium-plus vodkas forecast to grow
While the vodka itself is defined by its clean, grape-driven profile, the brand’s broader portfolio underscores its natural inspirations. The vodka’s clean, grape-driven profile is complemented in the portfolio by a gin. This liquid incorporates native botanicals, such as Kakadu plums, finger limes and coastal herbs, which deliver a citrus-fragrant, distinctly Australian accent.
The quality of the vodka taps into wider market dynamics. Premium-and-above vodkas in Australia are forecast to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of nearly 5% through to 2024, outpacing whisky, rum, and the overall spirits market. International heavyweights are already moving in: Bacardi recently launched Grey Goose Altius in Australia at more than AU$200 (US$130) a bottle, reflecting the scale of opportunity at the ultra-premium end. Yet Mother of Pearl stands apart in its storytelling. Where imports lean on luxury cues, this vodka grounds itself in provenance, family narrative, and Australia’s natural bounty.
Nic sees this as a core strength. “Vodka’s grace as a neutral canvas,”he notes, “is invaluable to bartenders seeking to showcase their craft.” Already, mixologists have been experimenting with Mother of Pearl in drinks from clean, crisp Highballs to chocolate-tinged riffs on the Negroni. Even in Qantas lounges, the brand has found its way into the glasses of travellers seeking a refined Australian spirit that feels both local and international.
Mother of Pearl arrives at precisely the right time. Australia’s spirits industry has proven its innovation across whisky and gin, but vodka is now carving out its own premium niche. For all the category’s global reach, it is in stories like Mother of Pearl that vodka’s renaissance feels most compelling.
For consumers weary of gimmicks yet hungry for spirits with substance, Mother of Pearl Vodka offers something rare: a vodka as lustrous and enduring as the pearl that inspired it.
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