Still Spirits lovers — why are backyard distillers hoarding flavour essences like gold nuggets?

May 20, 2025

Why Spirit Essences Are the Secret Spice Rack of Home Distilling

This Shed Hack Makes Your Spirits Taste Like They Were Aged for Years — No Oak Barrel Required

There’s a reason the Still Spirits classic range is on nearly every serious distiller’s shelf. If you’ve ever stood back from your still, raised your glass, and thought, “It’s good, but it’s not quite there...” — then this one's for you.

One long-time customer swapped neutral spirit for a Smooth Whiskey Essence, and let’s just say... there weren’t any leftovers at footy night.

Essences aren’t cheating — they’re distilling’s best-kept tweak. The difference between “homemade” and “hell yes.”

Not a Shortcut, a Power Tool

Think about it like this: a good base spirit is your blank canvas. But it’s the essence that brings the story to life — the bite of Tennessee bourbon, the warmth of spiced Caribbean rum, or the creaminess of a classic Irish liqueur.

And just like a spice rack, the magic isn’t in having just one. It’s mixing, matching, tweaking over time until you land on a ‘house blend’ that your mates start asking for by name.

Why Are Distillers Reaching for Essences?

Consistency: Once you nail a flavour, you can recreate it batch after batch.
Speed: Skip the months of ageing — most essences are mix-and-bottle ready.
Experimentation: Build your range. Craft a “Summer Sipper” one month, a “Campfire Drop” the next.

Brands like Edwards Essences and Still Spirits aren’t adding bells and whistles. They’re stripping it back, giving you pure, concentrated flavour that respects your process — and your palate.

From Shed Shelf to Signature Drop

There’s a bloke we know — quiet bloke, works trades — who’s dialled in a vanilla spiced rum mix using Still Spirits Spiced Gold and a touch of Edwards Toasted Coconut. He brings it out every Christmas. Now the kids bring bottles and ask for refills.

It’s these quiet personal recipes that rarely make it online but are shared over fences, at BBQs, or after a day on the tools. That’s the beauty of essence experimentation — it keeps the craft yours.

So, What Should Be in Your Essence Lineup?

Edwards Essences Smooth Bourbon – Rich, smoky and great over ice. Pairs well with cola or neat sipping.
Still Spirits Classic Irish Cream – Perfect for winter nights or homemade gift bottles. Add it to coffee, or just sip it chilled.
Top Shelf Spiced Rum – Sweet but balanced — a crowd-pleaser with ginger beer or topped with lime.
Edwards Essences Toasted Caramel – A wildcard. Add to neutral spirit and pour over vanilla ice cream... yeah, it works.

Breaking the ‘Only One Way’ Myth

Some purists will tell you it’s not “real” unless you've aged it in barrels for years and sourced grains from obscure regions. That’s fine — for them. But most home distillers value one thing above all else: better taste with less faffing about.

Essences give you freedom to lead with flavour, not dogma. You can still use quality ingredients, still filter your pass-throughs, still run a clean setup. You’re just trading time for taste—and that’s a smart swap.

From One Sipper to a Signature Blend

A few smart tweaks — like combining Edwards Coffee with Still Spirits Vanilla Vodka — and you’ve built something that even the local pub can’t pour. And here’s the kicker: next batch, you tweak again.

Bit like adjusting the bass on your shed stereo — eventually, you find your setting and stick to it. But the fun is in the tuning.

What This Tells Us

If you’re using essences, it means you care enough to craft it how you like it. You’ve moved beyond “just give me something to drink” into “this one’s mine.”

And for anyone who’s tasted a glass and heard, “You made this? No way!” — then you already know. Flavour isn’t just a finish line. It’s the whole point.

Catch you Thursday for refill day,

Candeece