For most home distillers, Still Spirits Top Shelf is the best all-round essence range: the widest choice of spirit and liqueur styles, and each 50mL spirit essence flavours 2.25L, three standard 750mL bottles. Pure Distilling is the Australian-made alternative with the same 2.25L yield and a strong bourbon, whiskey and rum core. The Gold Medal Collection is the premium choice: 40mL concentrates handcrafted from traditional recipes, aged for a week after mixing, and made for smaller, special batches.
Our picks at a glance
- Best all-rounder and widest range: Top Shelf
- Best value per batch in a two-sachet pack: Top Shelf Select
- Best Australian-made range: Pure Distilling
- Best premium small batch: Gold Medal Collection
- Simplest entry point: Still Spirits Original
The ranges compared
| Top Shelf | Pure Distilling | Gold Medal Collection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottle | 50mL (Top Shelf Select: 2 sachets) | 50mL | 40mL |
| Flavours | 2.25L of 40% spirit (three 750mL bottles) | 2.25L of neutral alcohol | 1.125L for most flavours; some make 2.25L, so check the label |
| Made by | Still Spirits | Pure Distilling, Australian made | Gold Medal Collection |
| Range | Widest: rum, whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka, brandy, ouzo, liqueurs and schnapps | Bourbon, whiskey and rum core, plus gin, vodka and liqueurs | Smaller, premium list of spirit styles |
| Ageing | A few days to settle | Rest before drinking | Age for 7 days |
| Best for | Most people, most spirits | Bourbon and whiskey fans, Australian made | Special bottles and gifts |
How spirit essences work
An essence is a concentrated flavouring that turns clean neutral spirit, or store-bought vodka, into a finished drink. You shake the essence, add it to the stated volume of 40% ABV spirit, mix and bottle. The quality of the result depends on two things: the essence, and how clean the base spirit is. Neutral spirit from a reflux still, polished through carbon, gives any essence the best chance. Our complete guide to spirit essences covers the method in detail.
Still Spirits Top Shelf: the best all-rounder
Top Shelf is the range most home distillers start with and stay with. The 50mL bottles are labelled individually by the style of commercial spirit they emulate, and each spirit essence flavours 2.25L of 40% ABV neutral spirit or vodka, enough for three 750mL bottles. Liqueurs make 1.125L, and cream liqueurs such as Irish Cream use a cream liqueur base.
Popular flavours include Aussie Gold Rum (burnt sugar and American oak), Kentucky Bourbon, Honey Bourbon, Southern Whiskey and Dry Gin. Top Shelf Select essences, such as Navy Dark Rum, come as two 1.125L sachets that make 2.25L in total, so you can flavour one bottle at a time.
Best for: anyone who wants a big choice of styles and a reliable, consistent result. Browse Top Shelf essences.
Pure Distilling: the Australian-made alternative
Pure Distilling makes a consistent, Australian-made essence range covering the full spread of spirit and liqueur styles. Each 50mL bottle flavours 2.25L of neutral alcohol, which lines up with a standard home distilling batch. Bourbon, whiskey and rum make up the core, for example Tennessee Bourbon, a smooth southern sour-mash style. Gin, vodka and liqueur flavours fill out the range.
Best for: bourbon and whiskey drinkers, people who prefer Australian made, and Pure Distilling still owners who like to stay with one brand. Browse Pure Distilling essences.
Gold Medal Collection: the premium choice
The Gold Medal Collection is our highest quality range: 40mL concentrates handcrafted using traditional recipes. Most flavours are added to 1.125L of around 40% spirit, mixed well and aged for 7 days; a few, such as the brandy, flavour 2.25L. Styles include whisky, bourbon, brandy, tequila and ouzo.
Best for: a special bottle, a gift, or trying a premium version of a spirit you already make. Browse the Gold Medal Collection.
Other ranges worth knowing
- Still Spirits Original: the entry point, mixed straight into neutral spirit or vodka with no separate base pack.
- Heritage: 125mL concentrates that flavour 2L, with room for extra smoothing ingredients. Allow a month of bottle ageing.
- Prestige: 20mL bottles that flavour 750mL, handy for trying several flavours.
Which range is right for you?
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Are new to essences | Top Shelf |
| Want to flavour one bottle at a time | Top Shelf Select or Prestige |
| Mainly drink bourbon and whiskey | Pure Distilling or Top Shelf |
| Want a premium bottle or a gift | Gold Medal Collection |
| Want liqueurs | Top Shelf liqueurs and liqueur essences |
Tips for the best result from any essence
- Start with clean, carbon-filtered neutral spirit at 40% ABV.
- Shake the essence well before adding it.
- Give it time: a few days for most essences, a week for Gold Medal, a month for Heritage.
- For brown spirits, add oak chips or spirals for colour and depth.
Frequently asked questions
Which essence brand is best?
Top Shelf for range and consistency, Pure Distilling for Australian-made bourbon, whiskey and rum, and Gold Medal for premium small batches. Many distillers use more than one.
How much spirit does one essence bottle flavour?
Top Shelf and Pure Distilling spirit essences flavour 2.25L. Most Gold Medal essences flavour 1.125L, Heritage 2L and Prestige 750mL. The label always states the amount.
Can I use store-bought vodka?
Yes. Any clean 40% vodka works as the base for a spirit essence.
What is the difference between Top Shelf and Top Shelf Select?
Top Shelf comes in a 50mL bottle that flavours 2.25L at once. Top Shelf Select comes as two sachets, each flavouring 1.125L, so you can make one bottle at a time.
Do essences need ageing?
A short rest helps the flavour settle. Gold Medal recommends 7 days, Heritage a month.
Find your flavour
See every range in spirit and liqueur essences, or read the best spirit essences for beginners.
